Ben Gummer

The Right Honourable Ben Gummer MP
Minister for the Cabinet Office Paymaster General
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 July 2016
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Matt Hancock
Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Health Services
In office 12 May 2015 – 14 July 2016
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Dan Poulter
Succeeded by	Nicola Blackwood
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Education
In office 7 October 2013 – 12 May 2015
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Gavin Barwell
Succeeded by	Robin Walker
Member of Parliament for Ipswich
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2010
Preceded by	Chris Mole
Majority	3,733 (7.7%)
Personal details
Born	(1978-02-19) 19 February 1978 London, England, UK
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	Peterhouse, Cambridge
Website	Official website

Benedict Michael "Ben" Gummer^[1] PC MP (born 19 February 1978) is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ipswich. He is currently the youngest minister attending Cabinet meetings.

Early life and education

Gummer is the eldest child of former Conservative Cabinet Minister John Gummer, Baron Deben, and Penelope Jane (née Gardner).^[2] John Gummer was MP for Suffolk Coastal until the 2010 general election, when he moved to the House of Lords. Gummer attended St Saviour's Church of England Primary School in Ealing, west London. Between 1987 and 1991 he was a chorister at St John's College School, Cambridge, where he sang under George Guest and Christopher Robinson. Gummer was a music scholar at Tonbridge School in Kent. Having won the Vellacott Historical Essay Prize he took a starred double first in History at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he was an exhibitioner and scholar.^[3]

Business career

After graduating, Gummer became director of ICWL, a small engineering firm handling water-cooled refrigerators,^[4][5] and between 2005 and 2010 was Managing Director of family-owned Sancroft International, an environmental consultancy company set up and led by his father John Gummer; in his five-year tenure the company's size more than doubled.^[6]

As of 2012 Sancroft shares are owned by all family members but it is described by the Telegraph as a vehicle for the earnings of Gummer senior. Its managing director is David Cameron’s former adviser on energy and climate change policy and it owned a stake in the defunct Hafren Power, a company formed to promote the Severn Barrage project. Writing in the Telegraph Christopher Booker expressed concern at the "involvement of some of our most senior politicians in the vast, lucrative and expanding industry of renewable energy" and the "extraordinary picture" it presents "of the state of our public life."^[7]

Historian

Gummer published a history of the Black Death, The Scourging Angel, in 2009.^[8][9] The book received mostly favourable reviews. In The Times Literary Supplement, Jonathan Sumption commented that Gummer "establishes the facts more thoroughly than any of his predecessors".^[3] However, Louise Foxcroft, a historian and journalist reviewing for the Rationalist Association, bemoaned the "frustrating absence of expansive humanity" from the work's "scholarly diligence".^[10]

Politician

Gummer was selected by open primary as the Conservative candidate in August 2007 for the Ipswich constituency.^[11][12] His top 3 pledges were the retention of services at Ipswich Hospital, a crack-down on binge drinking and no new housing without provision of infrastructure.^[13] Gummer defeated incumbent MP Chris Mole and became MP for the Ipswich constituency in the general election of 2010, enjoying the largest majority of any Conservative in Ipswich since 1935.^[14] In the 2015 election, Gummer was reelected with an increased majority.

Parliamentary interests

Gummer spoke in 19 debates in 2014 which is below average but he voted in an above average number of debates. He also sat on two separate finance bill committees, as well as those on childcare payments, defamation, legal aid, and terrorism prevention.^[15] He is a member of the UK parliamentary delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and a patron of the Longford Trust.^[5]

Political views

Gummer used his maiden speech to argue for rapid deficit and debt reduction and penal reform.^[16] He has spoken strongly against sovereignty being transferred to the European Union^[17] and against votes for prisoners,^[18] but in favour of more constructive prison and probation sentences.^[19] He has described himself as "a libertarian" and has said that he has "absolutely no problem" with gay marriage,^[20] subsequently voting for it in Parliament.^[21] He also added his name to an amendment to clause one of the Protection of Freedoms Bill, which calls for the word 'insulting' to be dropped from section 5 of the Public Order Act.^[22]

Tax Statements

In 2012 Gummer proposed annual tax statements intended to show itemised spending per department in proportion to the amount the taxpayer paid in the year to date.^[23] Gummer’s proposal was favourably received by the press in the Uk and in the US by the Wall Street Journal ^[24] It was included in the 2012 Budget and due for introduction in 2014 with George Osborne calling it "an excellent idea".^[25] The TaxPayers' Alliance subsequently honoured Gummer as their 'Pin-Up of the Month'.^[26]

It was also supported by the Prime Minister. Gummer's breakdown showed that for someone with a salary of £25,500 in 2012 and paying £5,979 tax

• £2,080 went on pensions and benefits (including £212 on housing benefit and £296 on incapacity benefits)
• £1,094 on the NHS
• £824 on education
• £339 on defence
• £160 on the police
• £44 on prisons
• £92 on roads
• £71 on railways
• £28 to the European Union

Gummer emphasised that this would help repudiate suggestions that most taxation goes to the EU, Africa or Trident.^[27]

Public debt management

In the financial dailies City AM^[28] and the Financial Times^[29] Gummer has called for Swedish style fiscal rules.

Renaming National Insurance

In February 2014 Gummer brought in a ten minute rule bill to rename National Insurance Contributions as an Earnings Tax.^[30] Although back-benchers were reported to be enthusiastic, the Treasury, which had launched a consultation exercise on it in 2011, is believed to consider it too expensive.^[31]

Parliamentary Private Secretary

In May 2012, Gummer was appointed Parliamentary Adviser to Lord Andrew Feldman, the Conservative Party co-chairman, helping him to develop the relationship between Conservative Campaign Headquarters and Conservative MPs.^[32] In September 2012 Gummer was promoted to Parliamentary Private Secretary to Alan Duncan, Minister of State for International Development, in the government reshuffle.^[33] Duncan was responsible for Asia, the Middle East, Caribbean and Overseas Territories, International Finance, International Relations (except the EU), Trade, and Corporate Performance Divisions.

In October 2013 he became PPS to the Education Secretary, Michael Gove.^[34] When Gove became Chief Whip in the 2014 reshuffle, Gummer became PPS to Nicky Morgan. In May 2015 he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health.^[35]

Constituency issues

Ipswich flood defence system

Gummer supported completion of a £53m mini Thames Barrier scheme started in 2009 and designed to protect 1,500 homes and 400 businesses against a 1 in 300 year flood. According to David Ellesmere, Borough council leader, funding for key work worth £38m had seemed unlikely until Ipswich Borough provided additional cash. The scheme, regarded as "vital for the town center" was due to start in July 2014.^[36]

Ipswich Hospital specialist heart centre

Gummer also supported a £5 million investment in a new heart unit at Ipswich Hospital^[37] and £5 million for a new hospital sterilisation unit.^[38]

Railways

Gummer lobbied the Chancellor of the Exchequer for £500 million of investment into East Anglia’s railways, along with Norwich North MP Chloe Smith and Witham MP Priti Patel,^[39] and has called for caps on rail fare increases.^[40]

Waterfront

In March 2013 Gummer backed a call to improve the Ipswich waterfront suggesting Ipswich Borough Council used money raised by selling the Portman Road stadium to Ipswich Town F.C.^[41] The derelict waterfront land and was split into 5 sections and in some cases ownership was unclear. Borough council leader David Ellesmere strongly supported the idea of compulsory purchase but expected clearance and regeneration work to cost over £1m.

In September 2013 the Borough Council approved an application to have the ground registered as an Asset of Community Value, which would allow a grace period of six months for the local community to raise money to buy the ground before the Borough Council could sell it to another owner.^[42][43]

Need for food banks

In December 2012, Families in Need, an Ipswich-based charity, reported handing out 1784 emergency food parcels; three times as many as in 2011 and nearly 5 times as many as in 2010. Gummer said the need for parcels showed there was still a need to reduce delays and administration in the benefits system.^[44]

Personal life

Gummer lives in Ipswich, not far from Portman Road,^[5] with his wife Sarah and their baby son.^[45] He is also associate governor of Ravenswood Primary School.^[34] He is a member of The Ipswich Society and the Ipswich Maritime Trust.^[5] His wife gave birth to their second son in October 2016.

Works

• The Scourging Angel: The Black Death in the British Isles. London: The Bodley Head. 4 June 2009. ISBN 9780224077675. 

References

External links

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
• Current session contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
• Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record

May Cabinet
Cabinet members	Karen Bradley James Brokenshire Alun Cairns Greg Clark David Davis Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Michael Fallon Liam Fox Chris Grayling Damian Green Justine Greening Philip Hammond Jeremy Hunt Sajid Javid Boris Johnson Andrea Leadsom David Lidington Patrick McLoughlin Theresa May David Mundell Priti Patel Amber Rudd Liz Truss
Also attend meetings	David Gauke Ben Gummer Robert Halfon Gavin Williamson Jeremy Wright