Bim Afolami

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Bim Afolami
FRSA MP
Afolami in 2020
Member of Parliament
for Hitchin and Harpenden
Assumed office
8 June 2017
Preceded byPeter Lilley
Majority6,895 (11.7%)
Personal details
Born
Abimbola Afolami

(1986-02-11) 11 February 1986 (age 38)
Crowthorne, Berkshire, England
Political partyConservative
SpouseHenrietta Afolami
Children3
Alma materUniversity College, Oxford

Abimbola "Bim" Afolami FRSA (born 11 February 1986) is a British Conservative Party politician. He has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hitchin and Harpenden constituency since the 2017 general election.

Early life

Afolami was born and raised in Crowthorne, Berkshire. His father Samuel[1][2] is a Nigerian consultant doctor in the NHS, who came to the UK in his early twenties.

Afolami was educated at Bishopsgate School, Eton College and University College, Oxford, where he read Modern History, served as Librarian of the Oxford Union Society, and played football for the university team.[3][4]

Before he became an MP, he worked as a corporate lawyer at Freshfields and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and then at HSBC.[5]

Political career

Afolami was the Conservative Party candidate for Lewisham Deptford at the 2015 general election, where he finished in second place with 7,056 votes. He was selected as the Conservative candidate for Hitchin and Harpenden constituency in 2017 following the announcement that the sitting Conservative MP, Peter Lilley, was to stand down.[citation needed]

He has described Winston Churchill as his "biggest hero".[6]

In 2018, Afolami was named one of the Franco-British Council's Young Leaders.[7]

In January 2018, it was revealed that Afolami had claimed £2,000 in expenses for subscription to the European Research Group.[8]

In April 2018, Afolami was a member of the delegation to Beijing for the tenth Anniversary Leadership Forum, led by David Lidington MP. The Forum, entitled "Partners for Progress: Strengthening the UK-China relationship in the Golden Era", aimed to discuss practical cooperation between the UK and China.[9]

In May 2018, it was announced that Afolami would be one of 14 members of the Conservative Reform Group, a group of centrist Conservative MPs.[10] Afolami voted "Remain" in the 2016 referendum on EU membership.[11]

At the end of 2018, Afolami joined the Steering Committee of the Constitution Reform Group,[12] a cross-party pressure group chaired by Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, which supports the Act of Union Bill 2018,[13] a Private Member's Bill introduced by Lord Lisvane in the House of Lords on 9 October 2018.

In September 2018, Afolami was appointed parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Transport.[14] In February 2019, Afolami was appointed PPS to the Secretary of State for International Development[15] followed by his appointment as PPS to the Secretary of State for International Trade Liz Truss and his most recent appointment as PPS to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey.

In December 2018 Afolami announced his support for Theresa May's Brexit deal.[16]

Afolami is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Credit Unions[17] and a Commissioner for the Financial Inclusion Commission,[18] a financial inclusion campaign group.

Afolami is very active in supporting charities and other voluntary groups. He is patron of Harpenden Spotlight on Africa[19] a charity working in health and education in rural Uganda. He is also patron of GRIT (Growing Resilience in Teens)[20] and Tilehouse Counselling,[21] two mental health charities in his constituency. Afolami also sits on the advisory board of the Social Market Foundation[22] and on the Programme Committee of the Ditchley Foundation.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Afolami, Abimbola, (Bim), (born 11 Feb. 1986), MP (C) Hitchin and Harpenden, since 2017 - WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO". www.ukwhoswho.com. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U289479.
  2. ^ The Times, 8 Sept. 2012, Announcements section, Engagements
  3. ^ "The Oxford Union : GroupSpaces".
  4. ^ Yousif, Layth (15 May 2017). "Learn more about Hitchin and Harpenden's Conservative candidate Bim Afolami". Herts Advertiser. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  5. ^ Stewart, Victoria; Winckler, Marie (6 October 2011). "Rainbow Tories: The geek, the fundraiser and the Tanzanian immigrant's son". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  6. ^ "8 things you need to know about your General Election candidates: Lewisham Deptford". News Shopper.
  7. ^ "The Franco-British Young Leaders". Franco-British Council. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  8. ^ Asher, JP (12 January 2018). "Revealed: What your MP has claimed back on expenses". Herts Advertiser. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  9. ^ "10th UK-China Leadership Forum". The Great Britain-China Centre. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  10. ^ David Singleton (29 May 2018). "Progressive Tory MPs organise against Jacob Rees Mogg et al". Total Politics. Dods Group plc. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  11. ^ Layth Yousif. "'I've worked hard and made the most of it – now I want to do it for you': The Comet meets Bim Afolami, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Hitchin and Harpenden". The Comet. Archant Community Media Ltd. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Home".
  13. ^ "Act of Union Bill [HL] 2017-19 — UK Parliament". services.parliament.uk.
  14. ^ J P Asher (3 September 2018). "Hitchin and Harpenden MP Bim Afolami given Department for Transport post". HertsAd. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  15. ^ Mountney, Dan. "Hitchin & Harpenden MP Bim Afolami leaves Department for Transport role". The Comet.
  16. ^ "Harpenden MP faces backlash online and in-person after announcing he would support Brexit deal". Herts Advertiser. 5 December 2018.
  17. ^ "All Party Parliamentary Group". www.abcul.org.
  18. ^ "Financial Inclusion Commission". www.financialinclusioncommission.org.uk.
  19. ^ "Bim Afolami MP, Hitchin and Harpenden". TheyWorkForYou.
  20. ^ "Bim Afolami MP meets Dr Lousie Randall at launch of Self Harm charity GRIT". www.bimafolami.co.uk.
  21. ^ "The Patrons of Tilehouse Counselling". Tilehouse Counselling.
  22. ^ "About Us". Social Market Foundation.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ "Mr Bim Afolami MP". Ditchley Foundation.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Hitchin and Harpenden
2017–present 		Incumbent
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