David Simmonds
CBE MP
Official portrait, 2019
Member of Parliament
for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byNick Hurd
Majority16,394 (31.0%)
Member of Hillingdon London Borough Council for Ickenham ward
Cowley (1998–2002)
In office
7 May 1998 – 5 May 2022
Personal details
Born
David Timothy Simmonds

1976 (age 47–48)
Kent, England
Political partyConservative
Children2
Alma materDurham University (BA Hons)
Birkbeck, University of London (PGC)
WebsiteOfficial website

David Timothy Simmonds CBE is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner since 2019.[1][2] He is a member of the Conservative Party. Simmonds was formerly a councillor on Hillingdon London Borough Council, having served from 1998 to 2022.[3]

Early life and education

Simmonds was born in 1976, the son of Rory and Veronica Simmonds. He attended Cardinal Newman RC School in Pontypridd, before going to Grey College, University of Durham, where he gained a BA. Simmonds gained a Postgraduate Certificate at Birkbeck College, University of London, and a Financial Planning Certificate from the Chartered Institute of Insurers (CII). His professional background is in financial services, where he worked for several high street banks after qualifying with the CII in 1997. He was a non-executive director at NHS Hillingdon.[4]

Political career

Local government

Simmonds was elected as a Conservative councillor for the London Borough of Hillingdon in 1998, winning his seat in Cowley from the Labour Party.[5] From 2002 to 2022, he represented the borough's Ickenham ward.[6]

At the 2001 general election, Simmonds stood as the Conservative candidate in Caerphilly. He finished in third place, behind Wayne David and Lindsay Whittle, and won 11.4% of the vote.[7] At the 2005 general election, he stood in Erewash, coming second to the Labour incumbent, Liz Blackman. Here Simmonds won 30.4% of the vote, a decrease of 4.5% from the 2001 general election.[8]

He has served in hung and majority administrations as a committee chairman and Cabinet Member, with responsibilities including planning, housing, social services, education and children's services. He led work for the Local Government Association in a number of high-profile areas including children's services, education, immigration and Brexit, serving as Conservative Group Leader and Deputy Chairman of the organisation representing councils. Simmonds was also Chairman of the Children and Young People Board from 2011 to 2015.[3]

His previous public service includes as Chairman of the National Employer's Organisation for Schoolteachers (NEOST) and of the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE), as an active member of the Committee of the Regions and leader of the UK Conservative delegation there, and at the Congress of the Council of Europe.

He is known for his work on refugee children and led the implementation of the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (VPRS) with then-Home Secretary Theresa May to resettle vulnerable refugees to areas of the UK volunteering to take them in.

He served as Deputy Chairman and previously Treasurer of the Conservative Councillors Association, and served as an associate non-executive director in his local NHS and as a magistrate in North-West London. He stepped down as Deputy Leader of Hillingdon Council and as Deputy Chairman of the LGA following his election to Parliament. He was Deputy Leader of the council from 2002 to 2020, and Deputy Chairman of the LGA from 2015 to 2020.[3]

In Parliament

Simmonds won the safe Conservative seat of Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner at the 2019 general election, succeeding the retiring incumbent, Nick Hurd. He won with 55.6% of the vote, achieving a majority of 16,394.[9] This was an increase from the majority of 13,980 achieved at the 2017 general election.[10] The constituency includes the Ickenham ward he represented as a councillor. Simmonds is a member of the Education Select Committee and the Finance Committee.

Simmonds is the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Migration, the APPG on Housing and Planning, the APPG for Social Workers, and the APPG for Airport Communities.[11]

On 7 July 2022, Simmonds was elected to the executive of the 1922 committee of backbench Conservative MPs.[12]

Honours

He was awarded a CBE in the 2015 Birthday Honours list.[13]

Personal life

Simmonds is married to an NHS doctor, and has two children. He lists his recreations as travelling in Europe, wine and modern British prints.[14][15][3]

References

  1. ↑ "Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News.
  2. ↑ Brunskill, Ian (19 March 2020). The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. p. 316. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1. OCLC 1129682574.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Simmonds, David Timothy, (born 1976), MP (C) Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, since 2019". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2020. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u284533. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "About David Simmonds". David Simmonds. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  5. ↑ Minors, Michael (1998). London Borough Council elections 7 May 1998 : including the Greater London Authority referendum results (PDF). Dennis Grenham, London Research Centre. Demographic and Statistical Studies Department. London: London Research Centre. Demographic and Statistical Studies. ISBN 1-85261-276-2. OCLC 40179592.
  6. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Ickenham Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  7. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caerphilly_(UK_Parliament_constituency)#Elections_in_the_2000s
  8. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erewash_(UK_Parliament_constituency)#Elections_in_the_2000s
  9. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruislip,_Northwood_and_Pinner_(UK_Parliament_constituency)#Elections_in_the_2010s
  10. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruislip,_Northwood_and_Pinner_(UK_Parliament_constituency)#Elections_in_the_2010s
  11. ↑ "APPG on Migration Members". All-Party Parliamentary Group on Migration. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Noisy contest sees leadership hopefuls take potshots at Sunak on tax". BBC News. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "LGA Councillor details - CLLR David Simmonds CBE". 29 February 2020.
  14. ↑ "Adult Social Care - Tuesday 28 January 2020 - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "Free Childcare - Monday 9 March 2020 - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
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