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Revision as of 15:01, 23 October 2010
| Matthew Hancock | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for West Suffolk | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Spring |
| Majority | 13,050 (27.1%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1978-10-02) 2 October 1978 (age 46) Cheshire, United Kingdom |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge University of Oxford |
Matthew Hancock (born 2 October 1978) is a British Conservative Party politician who was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for West Suffolk at the general election in May 2010.
Early life
Hancock was born in and grew up on a farm in rural Cheshire, in a farming family. Hancock was educated at Farndon County Primary School, in Farndon, Cheshire and The King's School, an independent school in Chester in Cheshire. He gained a first class honours degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford, and a Master's Degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge. Hancock has been a member of the Conservative Party since 1999.
Career
After university, Hancock briefly worked for his family’s computer software company, before moving to London to work as an economist at the Bank of England, specialising in the housing market. In 2005 he became an economic adviser to the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, later becoming Osborne's chief of staff. As part of this role he managed the Conservative Party's Treasury Team, which advised on policy and commanded a team of 12 advisers. The Eastern Daily Press called Hancock "one of the key architects of the Conservative Party's financial plans to get Britain out of recession", and the Times named Hancock as one of David Cameron's "courtiers", and referred to him as a "working-class northerner". During this time, Hancock was also Treasurer of the Westminster North Conservatives.
He stepped down from his role with the party in February 2010 after being selected for the final six potential candidates for the West Suffolk constituency in the 2010 general election. Hancock narrowly won the selection contest, which took place in Mildenhall, after four rounds of voting, beating Natalie Elphicke by 88 votes to 81 votes in the final round of voting. Sam Gyimah, who became the Member of Parliament for the East Surrey constituency, came third in the selection. The Daily Telegraph described Hancock's selection as "a great loss to the Shadow Chancellor, but provide economic talent for the ministerial benches in the debt struggle ahead".
Parliament
Hancock won the West Suffolk seat with 24,312 votes, 13,050 votes ahead of Liberal Democrat candidate, Belinda Brooks-Gordon. Hancock made his maiden speech in a debate about education on 7th June 2010. Hancock describes constituency work as "incredibly satisfying, directly helping people to solve sometimes desperate problems. It's rewarding stuff, and a privilege to use the famous green headed notepaper that can help people who are at the end of their tether. And it puts Westminster into perspective". In June, Hancock was elected to the Public Accounts Committee, the select committee responsible for overseeing government expenditures to ensure they are effective and honest.
Personal life
Hancock spent two months in the Arctic, training to heave a 180 pound sled by building up his muscles towing tyres in Hyde Park at 6am. During the trip, together with other participants, he set a world record for the most northerly game of cricket played, with proceeds going to Cancer Research UK. As a result of severe frostbite in the Arctic Ocean, he had to be airlifted out of the Arctic, and still suffers from arthritis in one finger caused by the cold.
He lives in the constituency in Little Thurlow with his wife Martha and daughter and son.
References
- ^ Candidate biography, Conservative homepage
- http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/matthew-hancock/84378
- http://elections.edelman.co.uk/2010/04/candidate-of-the-day-matthew-hancock-west-suffolk/
- ^ The Times, 26 March 2006
- http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=NOED31%20Jan%202010%2009:32:41:950
- http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2010/01/matt-hancock-george-osbornes-chief-of-staff-selected-for-suffolk-west.html#comment-6a00d83451b31c69e2012877347b62970c
- ^ Newmarket Journal, 11 March 2010, accessed 9 May 2010
- http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2010/01/matt-hancock-george-osbornes-chief-of-staff-selected-for-suffolk-west.html
- http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/benedictbrogan/100010394/is-george-osborne-about-to-lose-his-chief-of-staff/
- 2010 election results, BBC News 7 May 2010
- http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2010-06-07c.113.0
- http://www.totalpolitics.com/blogs/index.php/2010/05/28/diary-of-the-week-matthew-hancock-mp
- http://conservativehome.blogs.com/parliament/2010/06/members-of-the-2010-intake-dominate-the-conservative-membership-of-select-committees.html
- Norfolk News, 1 February 2010, accessed 9 May 2010