Greg Hands
| Greg Hands MP | |
|---|---|
| Greg Hands MP | |
| Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham Hammersmith and Fulham (2005-2010) |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Iain Coleman |
| Majority | 16,722 (42%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 November 1965 New York City, New York, United States |
| Nationality | British and American |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Irina Hundt |
| Alma mater | Robinson College, Cambridge |
| Religion | Romanian Orthodox Church |
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.
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[edit] Early life and career
Greg Hands was born in New York City, 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.[1] 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.[2]
[edit] Political career
Hands was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 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.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
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.[7]
[edit] Personal life
He speaks German, 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.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.greghands.com/pages/about-greg.php
- ^ Hugh Muir Diary The Guardian, 6 November 2008
- ^ CASHCROFT BOUGHT 19 SEATS Daily Mirror, 7 March 2010
- ^ Hansard Debates for 26 May 2005 House of Commons, 26 May 2005
- ^ Conservative Friends of Poland website
- ^ Daily Mail - Quentin Letts
- ^ Number 10, Ministerial Appointments
[edit] 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 News Democracy Live
- Official channel at YouTube
- 'Gazette' local newspaper column written by Greg Hands and other West London MPs
