Greg Hands
Encyclopedia
Gregory William "Greg" Hands, MP (born 14 November 1965) is a Conservative Party
politician. He is currently the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Chelsea and Fulham
having been elected during the 2010 general election for the newly-created constituency formed with the splitting of the former constituencies of Kensington and Chelsea
as well as Hammersmith and Fulham
.
Previously, Hands had represented the constituency from 2005-2010, during which time it was the Hammersmith and Fulham
constituency.
, the United States
, and was educated widely before leaving Dr Challoner's Grammar School
, Amersham
in 1984, where he held the post of chairman of the Dr. Challoner's Debating Society. He then went on to attend Robinson College
, Cambridge
where he was awarded a first in modern history
in 1989. He also joined the party as a student, served as the chairman of the Cambridge University Conservative Association
and was on the executive committee of the Cambridge University Students' Union
. During his gap year
he worked in a swimming pool in Berlin
, and first became interested in the Eastern Bloc
, and visited Prague
, and other Eastern European cities in future holidays. He worked on trading floors in the City of London
and New York City until 1997. He has dual American
/British
nationality
and voted for the defeated McCain
/Palin
ticket in the 2008 Presidential election.
in 1998. He became the leader of the Conservative group in 1999 and remained in that capacity until 2003. He stood down as councillor for the Town Ward in Fulham
at the local elections in 2006. Hands was elected to the House of Commons
at the 2005 General Election
when he gained Hammersmith and Fulham
from the Labour Party
with a majority of 5,029 votes. The sitting Labour MP Iain Coleman
retired due to ill health, and was replaced as Labour’s candidate by Melanie Smallman. During March 2010 the UK media reported that Lord Ashcroft donated over £42,000 to fund Hands' 2005 Hammersmith & Fulham campaign.
Hands made his maiden speech
on 26 May 2005, in which he referred to the fact that the BBC
was the largest employer in his constituency, and that Hammersmith Broadway
was the busiest road interchange
in Europe
.
mage:Greg Hands and David McAllister.jpg|thumb|275px|right|Greg Hands campaigning for Shaun Bailey
in Hammersmith
with the leader of the Christian Democratic Union
parliamentary group in the Landtag of Lower Saxony, David McAllister
.
In 2007, Hands was selected to be the Conservative candidate for the new Chelsea and Fulham
parliamentary constituency. His previous seat of Hammersmith and Fulham was abolished for the 2010 General Election, with Hammersmith
having its own seat (being fought by Shaun Bailey
for the Conservatives), and Fulham joining Chelsea in a new seat. In January 2009, Hands was appointed to the Conservative front bench team as a Shadow Treasury Minister. He is also the Parliamentary Chairman of Conservative Friends of Poland.
Hands was re-elected in the 2010 general election for the new seat of Chelsea and Fulham.
He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
, George Osborne
; having shadowed the Treasury in Opposition.
On 14 October 2011, Hands was appointed as an Assistant Government whip
in the House of Commons as a consequence of the mini-reshuffle following the resignation of Dr Liam Fox as Secretary of State for Defence
.
, French
, Czech
and Slovak
. He married half-German, half-Russian Irina Hundt in July 2005 in his constituency. His daughter, Helena, was born in 2006, and his son, Martin, was born in 2007. The family live in Fulham. He supports Plymouth Argyle FC, but has also been a season ticket holder at Fulham F.C.
Category:1966 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from New York City
Category:UK MPs 2005–2010
Category:UK MPs 2010–
Category:Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs
Category:Councillors in Hammersmith and Fulham
Category:Alumni of Robinson College, Cambridge
Category:People educated at Dr Challoner's Grammar School
sco:Greg Hands
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. He is currently the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Chelsea and Fulham
Chelsea and Fulham (UK Parliament constituency)
Chelsea and Fulham is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was first contested in the 2010 general election....
having been elected during the 2010 general election for the newly-created constituency formed with the splitting of the former constituencies of Kensington and Chelsea
Kensington and Chelsea (UK Parliament constituency)
Kensington and Chelsea was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was one of the safest Conservative seats in the United Kingdom, and since its creation in 1997 became a prestigious seat, with MP Alan Clark, the former Defence Secretary...
as well as Hammersmith and Fulham
Hammersmith and Fulham (UK Parliament constituency)
Hammersmith and Fulham was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
.
Previously, Hands had represented the constituency from 2005-2010, during which time it was the Hammersmith and Fulham
Hammersmith and Fulham (UK Parliament constituency)
Hammersmith and Fulham was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
constituency.
Early life and career
Greg Hands was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and was educated widely before leaving Dr Challoner's Grammar School
Dr Challoner's Grammar School
Dr Challoner's Grammar School, often abbreviated to DCGS, is an Academy Grammar School of approximately 1,300 boys located in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England....
, Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
in 1984, where he held the post of chairman of the Dr. Challoner's Debating Society. He then went on to attend Robinson College
Robinson College, Cambridge
Robinson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.Robinson is the newest of the Cambridge colleges, and is unique in being the only one to have been intended, from its inception, for both undergraduate and graduate students of either sex.- History :The college was founded...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
where he was awarded a first in modern history
Modern history
Modern history, or the modern era, describes the historical timeline after the Middle Ages. Modern history can be further broken down into the early modern period and the late modern period after the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution...
in 1989. He also joined the party as a student, served as the chairman of the Cambridge University Conservative Association
Cambridge University Conservative Association
The Cambridge University Conservative Association is a long-established political society going back to 1921, with roots in the late nineteenth century, as a Conservative branch for students at Cambridge University in England...
and was on the executive committee of the Cambridge University Students' Union
Cambridge University Students' Union
Cambridge University Students' Union is the university-wide representative body for students at the University of Cambridge, England...
. During his gap year
Gap year
An expression or phrase that is associated with taking time out to travel in between life stages. It is also known as sabbatical, time off and time out that refers to a period of time in which students disengage from curricular education and undertake non curricular activities, such as travel or...
he worked in a swimming pool in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and first became interested in the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
, and visited Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, and other Eastern European cities in future holidays. He worked on trading floors in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and New York City until 1997. He has dual American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
/British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
nationality
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
and voted for the defeated McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
/Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
ticket in the 2008 Presidential election.
Political career
Hands was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Hammersmith and FulhamLondon Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough....
in 1998. He became the leader of the Conservative group in 1999 and remained in that capacity until 2003. He stood down as councillor for the Town Ward in Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
at the local elections in 2006. Hands was elected to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
at the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
when he gained Hammersmith and Fulham
Hammersmith and Fulham (UK Parliament constituency)
Hammersmith and Fulham was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
from the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
with a majority of 5,029 votes. The sitting Labour MP Iain Coleman
Iain Coleman
Iain Coleman was the Labour Member of Parliament for Hammersmith and Fulham in London from 1997 to 2005. He was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham for Shepherd's Bush Green ward in May 2010....
retired due to ill health, and was replaced as Labour’s candidate by Melanie Smallman. During March 2010 the UK media reported that Lord Ashcroft donated over £42,000 to fund Hands' 2005 Hammersmith & Fulham campaign.
Hands made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 26 May 2005, in which he referred to the fact that the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
was the largest employer in his constituency, and that Hammersmith Broadway
Hammersmith Broadway
Hammersmith Broadway is a street which serves as a major transport node and shopping centre located in west London. It is home to the Piccadilly and District lines' Hammersmith station, as well as Hammersmith bus station. It is located on Hammersmith Road, in the London Borough of Hammersmith &...
was the busiest road interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
mage:Greg Hands and David McAllister.jpg|thumb|275px|right|Greg Hands campaigning for Shaun Bailey
Shaun Bailey
Shaun Bailey is a British Afro-Caribbean youth worker. He stood for the London constituency of Hammersmithas a Conservative at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
in Hammersmith
Hammersmith (UK Parliament constituency)
Hammersmith is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
with the leader of the Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
parliamentary group in the Landtag of Lower Saxony, David McAllister
David McAllister (politician)
David James "Mac" McAllister is a German politician of the conservative Christian Democratic Union . On 1 July 2010 he was elected Minister-President of the state of Lower Saxony, succeeding Christian Wulff, who resigned following his election as President of Germany...
.
In 2007, Hands was selected to be the Conservative candidate for the new Chelsea and Fulham
Chelsea and Fulham (UK Parliament constituency)
Chelsea and Fulham is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was first contested in the 2010 general election....
parliamentary constituency. His previous seat of Hammersmith and Fulham was abolished for the 2010 General Election, with Hammersmith
Hammersmith (UK Parliament constituency)
Hammersmith is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
having its own seat (being fought by Shaun Bailey
Shaun Bailey
Shaun Bailey is a British Afro-Caribbean youth worker. He stood for the London constituency of Hammersmithas a Conservative at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
for the Conservatives), and Fulham joining Chelsea in a new seat. In January 2009, Hands was appointed to the Conservative front bench team as a Shadow Treasury Minister. He is also the Parliamentary Chairman of Conservative Friends of Poland.
Hands was re-elected in the 2010 general election for the new seat of Chelsea and Fulham.
He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, George Osborne
George Osborne
George Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
; having shadowed the Treasury in Opposition.
On 14 October 2011, Hands was appointed as an Assistant Government whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
in the House of Commons as a consequence of the mini-reshuffle following the resignation of Dr Liam Fox as Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
.
Personal life
He speaks GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
and Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
. He married half-German, half-Russian Irina Hundt in July 2005 in his constituency. His daughter, Helena, was born in 2006, and his son, Martin, was born in 2007. The family live in Fulham. He supports Plymouth Argyle FC, but has also been a season ticket holder at Fulham F.C.
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
External links
- Greg Hands MP Official site
- Official Twitter page
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Greg Hands MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Greg Hands MP
- Profile at BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
Democracy Live - Official channel at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- 'Gazette' local newspaper column written by Greg Hands and other West London MPs
Category:1966 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from New York City
Category:UK MPs 2005–2010
Category:UK MPs 2010–
Category:Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs
Category:Councillors in Hammersmith and Fulham
Category:Alumni of Robinson College, Cambridge
Category:People educated at Dr Challoner's Grammar School
sco:Greg Hands