Simon Clarke (politician)

Simon Clarke
MP
Member of Parliament
for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
Assumed office
8 June 2017
Preceded by Tom Blenkinsop
Majority 1,020 (2.1%)
Personal details
Born (1984-09-28) 28 September 1984
Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England
Political party Conservative
Alma mater University College, Oxford

Simon Richard Clarke[1] MP (born 28 September 1984) is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.[2] He was elected in the 2017 general election held on 8 June.[3][4]

Early life

Clarke was born in North Tees Hospital and grew up in the village of Marton. His parents Richard and Jill Clarke were a solicitor and stay-at-home mum.[5] [6] He was privately educated at Yarm School in North Yorkshire,[7] before going on to study History at University College, Oxford. After leaving university he moved to London and trained as a solicitor with Slaughter and May before going to work in 2010 for the Surrey based Conservative MP Dominic Raab, and then the Humberside based Conservative MP Graham Stuart.[8]

Political career

Clarke unsuccessfully stood as the Conservative candidate in the Middlesbrough constituency in the 2015 general election, coming third and suffering a swing against his party of 2.3%. Whilst being employed as a Policy Advisor to the Conservative MP Graham Stuart, he was selected as the Conservative candidate for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland in April 2017.[9] He was subsequently elected at the 2017 general election as an MP, winning the seat from Labour after the sitting MP Tom Blenkinsop stood down.

In Parliament, Clarke currently serves on the Treasury Committee, the Treasury Sub-Committee and the Regulatory Reform Committee.[10] He has clashed with both the Labour MP for Middlesbrough and the Labour run Middlesbrough Council over plans for transport improvements in the local area,[11] [12] while he has argued against his own party's opposition to onshore windfarms.[13]

He is a strong supporter of a full/hard Brexit, voted for the UK to leave the European Union and is a supporter of the Eurosceptic campaign Leave Means Leave.[14]

Personal life

Clarke lives in the market town of Guisborough, which is close to Middlesbrough, and London. He is married to Hannah and they have a young son.[15] [16]

References

  1. ↑ "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. pp. 11783–4.
  2. ↑ "Simon Clarke MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Ian Johnson (9 June 2017). "Who is Simon Clarke? Teesside Tory MP who loves George Boateng and was nicknamed 'Stilts' at school". Gazette Live. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "Labour seat goes blue as Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland elects Conservative Simon Clarke". The Northern Echo. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "About Simon Clarke". Simon Clarke. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  6. ↑ Ian Johnson (9 June 2017). "Who is Simon Clarke? Teesside Tory MP who loves George Boateng and was nicknamed 'Stilts' at school". Gazette Live. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Clarke, Simon Richard. ukwhoswho.com. Who's Who. 2018 (February 2018 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  8. ↑ LinkedIn
  9. ↑ "Ford is selected in Chelmsford. Bennett withdraws from Saffron Walden. Latest candidate selection news". Conservative Home. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  10. ↑ "Simon Clarke MP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Felicity Collinson (13 February 2018). "War of words over Teesside new trains snub: 'We're getting hand-me-downs' says one MP". Gazette Live. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  12. ↑ Mike Brown (23 July 2017). "Tory MP Simon Clarke has put the debate back on the agenda, but Middlesbrough Council says it's always working on solutions". Gazette Live. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  13. ↑ "Simon Clarke: The case for lifting the national bar on onshore wind". Conservative Home. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  14. ↑ "Co-Chairmen - Political Advisory Board - Supporters". Leave Means Leave. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  15. ↑ "About Simon". Personal website. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  16. ↑ "IPSA record". IPSA. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Tom Blenkinsop		 Member of Parliament
for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
2017–present		 Incumbent


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