Andrew Schrader was born in Basildon Hospital on April 25th, 1982 to William (Bill), a motor mechanic, and Eleanor, a civil servant, and has two younger brothers, Ben and Chris.
He grew up in Billericay, where his family have lived for six generations, and was educated at The Billericay School before reading Politics at the University of Greenwich, where he achieved an upper-second Bachelor of the Arts degree (with Honours).
Andrew was formerly a civil servant and has worked in financial services, recruitment and logistics and, for the past 11 years, has worked as an administrator for a Local Highways Authority in London. He lives in Billericay with his wife, Rosie, and stepdaughter, Poppy. Andrew is a member of the Norsey Woods Society and the Mill Meadows Society and a former governor of Basildon & Thurrock University Hospital and also a former school governor.
Andrew was first elected to Basildon Borough Council in the Billericay East by-election in June 2013 and has been re-elected three times, in 2014, 2018 and most recently in 2022.
He first joined the frontbench in 2017, when he was appointed Lead Opposition Member and Conservative Spokesman on the Environment and Regeneration Committee. On taking back administration in 2018, he served as Chairman of the Economic Development and Growth Committee, also serving ex officio on the Council's senior Policy Oversight and Strategy Committee. On returning to Opposition, Andrew continued to act as Conservative Spokesman on Economic Development and later on Local Government Reform until the Conservatives returned to power in 2021, when he was appointed Chairman of the Housing and Estate Renewal Committee.
In 2022, the Conservative Administration abolished the Committee System and restored the Leader and Cabinet model of governance. Andrew has since served in the Cabinet as the Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal. He has also been a member of the Planning Committee since 2021 (having previously sat on the Committee from 2014 to 2018) and sits on the Basildon Taxi and Private Hire Consultative Forum. He is also the Council appointed trustee for the Great Burstead Exhibition Foundation (Billericay Educational Trust).
A devout monarchist, Andrew sat on
the King's Coronation Working Group, having previously chaired the
Platinum Jubilee Working Group. He was responsible for the installation of the Platinum Jubilee Sculpture, featuring a bronze relief depicting the late Queen Elizabeth II, erected on the front of the Basildon Centre in 2022.
Previous positions:
- Elected June 27th, 2013
- Member, Leisure & Community Services Scrutiny Cttee. (2013-14) *first appointment in local gov't.
- Re-elected May 2014
- Vice-Chairman, Planning Cttee. (2014-16)
- Council Rep', Basildon Borough Citizens' Advice Bureau, Ltd. (2014-16)
- Trustee, John Puckle Educational Trust (2014-17)
- Member, Planning Cttee. (2016-18)
- Council Rep', Basildon Community Transport Service (2016-17)
- Vice-Chairman, Basildon Council Conservative Group (2016-18)
- Lead Member, Grounds Maintenance and Street Cleansing (Phase 2) Task & Finish Group (2016)
- Conservatives lost administration, May 2017
- Member (Opposition Spokesman), Regeneration & Environment Cttee. (2017-18) *first (Opposition) front bench appointment
- Re-elected, May 2018 & Conservatives take back administration
- Chairman, Economic Development & Growth Cttee. (2018-19) *Administration front bench
- Member (ex officio), Policy Oversight & Strategy Cttee. (2018-19)
- Chairman, Basildon Council Conservative Group (2018-19)
- Council Rep', Basildon Borough Citizens' Advice Bureau, Ltd. (2018-19) *2nd appointment
- Council Rep', Basildon Taxi & Private Hire Consultative Forum (2018-19)
- Council Rep', South Essex Active Travel Sponsoring Board (2018-19)
- Lead Member, Working Group on the Government consultation on powers for dealing with unauthorised encampments (2018)
- Conservatives lose administration, May 2019
- Opposition Spokesman for Economic Development (2019-20)
- Member, Infrastructure & Inclusive Growth Cttee. (2019-20)
- Member, Enforcement Sub-Committee (2019-21)
- Member, Billericay Town Centre Working Group (2019-21)
- Member, Laindon Town Centre Working Group (2019-21)
- Opposition Chief Whip (2019-21)
- Local elections cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic
- Opposition Spokesman on Covid-19 (2020-21)
- Member (Opposition Spokesman), Local Government Reorganisation & Transition Cttee. (2020-21)
- Member, Housing & Communities Cttee. (2020-21)
- Member, Housing Development Sub-Cttee. (2020-21)
- Conservatives regain administration, May 2021
- Chairman, Housing & Estate Renewal Cttee. (2021-22)
- Vice-Chairman, Planning Cttee. (2021-22) *2nd appointment
- Member, Strategic Planning & Infrastructure Cttee. (2021-22)
- Council Rep', Basildon Bus Forum (2021-23)
- Council Rep', Essex Renewal Mobilisation Group (2021-22)
- Council Rep', Norsey Wood Society (2021-23)
- Re-elected, May 2022
- Cabinet Member for Housing & Estate Renewal (2022-present)
- Member, Planning Cttee. (2022-present)
- Member, Fuel Poverty & Financial Vulnerability Working Group (2022)
- Chairman, Platinum Jubilee Working Group (2022)
- Member, Coronation Working Group (2023)
- Member, Awards Protocol Working Group (2023)
Andrew has been a member of the Conservative Party for 24 years and was formerly Chairman of Basildon & Billericay Conservative Association (2019-20), having previously served for five years as a deputy chairman and honorary secretary. He later served as Deputy Chairman (Political) of Essex Area Conservatives (2020-21). He was also the Conservative election agent in the successful campaigns to re-elect John Baron as MP for Basildon & Billericay at the 2015 and 2019 General Elections.
Away from politics, Andrew is a massive self-confessed ‘film nerd’ and often gives talks at the Billericay Community Cinema. He also enjoys watching (and talking endlessly about) films and also enjoys television and theatre. He is an avid reader, with a particular love of history, political biography, and high fantasy, most notably The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (which he tries to re-read every few years) and the Discworld novels by Sir Terry Pratchett. He loves food (probably too much) and adores dogs. He has also acquired an interest in equestrianism via his wife and stepdaughter, the latter being a showjumper and the former a well-regarded trainer and former show-jumper herself.
