| birth_place = Paddington, London, England{{cite web|title=Interview with Damian Hinds MP|url=http://www.thisisalton.co.uk/2011/02/interview-with-damian-hinds-mp/#.UTvDERyeNIo|publisher=This Is Alton|access-date=9 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327000736/http://www.thisisalton.co.uk/2011/02/interview-with-damian-hinds-mp/#.UTvDERyeNIo|archive-date=27 March 2014|url-status=dead}}

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| party = Conservative

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| alma_mater = Trinity College, Oxford

| website = {{URL|damianhinds.com}}

| footnotes =

| education = St Ambrose College

}}

Damian Patrick George Hinds{{London Gazette |issue=59418 |date=13 May 2010 |page=8742}} (born 27 November 1969) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for East Hampshire since 2010. He previously served as Secretary of State for Education under Theresa May from 2018 to 2019; he has also held junior ministerial positions under four Prime Ministers.

Hinds was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury by David Cameron in 2015. He was moved to the post of Minister of State for Employment in 2016 after Theresa May's appointment as prime minister. In May's 2018 cabinet reshuffle he was promoted to Secretary of State for Education. He lost this position following Boris Johnson's appointment as prime minister in 2019. He returned to government in 2021 as Minister of State for Security and Borders. He returned to the backbenches on 7 July 2022, resigning in protest to Johnson's leadership. He was appointed Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation by new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in October 2022, before becoming Schools Minister in November 2023.

Early life and career

Damian Hinds was born on 27 November 1969 in Paddington, London. He was educated at St Ambrose College, a voluntary aided Roman Catholic grammar school in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester. Hinds studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Trinity College, University of Oxford, attaining a first class degree. Whilst at Oxford, he served as President of the Oxford Union.

Before becoming an MP, Hinds spent 18 years working in the brewing and hotel industries, in Britain and abroad.{{cite web|url=https://www.damianhinds.com/about-damian|title=About Damian|website=Damian Hinds}}

Parliamentary career

Hinds stood as the Conservative candidate in Stretford and Urmston at the 2005 general election, coming second with 30.4% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Beverley Hughes.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2005 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054249/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}

=In government=

At the 2010 general election, Hinds was elected as Member of Parliament for East Hampshire with 56.8% of the vote and a majority of 13,467.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2010 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-date=26 July 2013 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}

Hinds sat on the Education Select Committee between 2010 and 2012.{{cite web|title=Damian Hinds MP|url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/Damian-Hinds/3969|publisher=Parliament.uk|access-date=9 March 2013}} He was also a member of the Public Bill Committee for the Defence Reform Act 2014.{{cite web|url=http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2013-14/defencereform/committees/houseofcommonspublicbillcommitteeonthedefencereformbill201314.html|title=House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Defence Reform Bill 2013–14 |publisher=Parliament.uk |access-date=17 September 2013}}

At the 2015 general election, Hinds was re-elected as MP for East Hampshire with an increased vote share of 60.7% and an increased majority of 25,147.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2015 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-date=17 October 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}

In the run-up to the referendum of 2016, he campaigned in favour of the UK remaining in the European Union.{{cite news |title=East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds: 'We need to regain your trust' |url=https://www.farnhamherald.com/article.cfm?id=135459&headline=East%20Hampshire%20MP%20Damian%20Hinds:%20%27We%20need%20to%20regain%20your%20trust%27§ionIs=NEWS&searchyear=2019 |access-date=13 August 2021 |work=Farnham Herald |date=21 March 2019}} He was made Minister of State for Employment by Prime Minister Theresa May on 17 July 2016.

Hinds was again re-elected at the snap 2017 general election with an increased vote share of 63.6% and an increased majority of 25,852.{{cite news |title=Hampshire East parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000680 |work=BBC News}}

In the 2018 cabinet reshuffle{{cite news|last=Coughlan|first=Sean|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42604157|title=Damian Hinds new education secretary, replacing Justine Greening|work=BBC News|date=8 January 2018|access-date=8 January 2018}} he was appointed as Secretary of State for Education, succeeding Justine Greening, who resigned rather than changing position.

In January 2018, Hinds spoke in Parliament about his interest in the Catholic education sector and the admissions rules that apply to faith free schools.{{cite web|title=Catholic Schools (Admissions) Debate 30 April 201|url=http://catholicunion.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Catholic-Schools-admission-debate-30-Apr-2014.pdf|website=Catholic Union|publisher=Hansard|access-date=8 January 2018}}

During his tenure as education secretary, Hinds introduced First Aid and CPR courses to school curriculums and launched a campaign to increase awareness of the importance of technical skills and apprenticeships' education.{{Cite web|url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/health-and-care/health-professionals/news/100846/education-secretary-damian-hinds-adds-first|title=Education Secretary Damian Hinds adds first aid and CPR to school curriculum|date=3 January 2019|website=PoliticsHome.com|language=en|access-date=20 January 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-apprenticeship-campaign-fire-it-up-launches|title=New Apprenticeship Campaign 'Fire It Up' launches|website=GOV.UK|language=en|access-date=20 January 2019}}

Hinds lost his post as education secretary on 24 July 2019 following the appointment of Boris Johnson as prime minister.{{Cite web |last=Whieldon |first=Fraser |date=2019-07-24 |title=Education secretary Damian Hinds OUT |url=https://feweek.co.uk/2019/07/24/cabinet-reshuffle-education-secretary-damian-hinds-resigns/ |access-date=2019-07-24 |website=FE Week}}

At the 2019 general election, Hinds was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 58.8% and a decreased majority of 19,696.{{cite web |title=General Election 2019 results {{!}} East Hampshire District Council |url=https://www.easthants.gov.uk/general-election-2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213101327/https://www.easthants.gov.uk/general-election-2019 |archive-date=2019-12-13}}[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000680 "Constituencies | UK results: Conservatives win majority"], Election 2019, BBC News.

Hinds returned to government on 13 August 2021 as Minister of State for Security following the resignation of James Brokenshire on health grounds.{{cite news|last1=Mason|first1=Rowena|last2=Grierson|first2=Jamie|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/13/damian-hinds-to-be-security-minister-after-johnson-u-turn-over-priti-patel|title=Damian Hinds to be security minister after Johnson U-turn over Priti Patel|work=The Guardian|date=13 August 2021 |access-date=13 August 2021}} In a cabinet reshuffle on 15 September 2021 his ministerial title changed to Minister of State for Security and Borders.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-september-2021|title=Ministerial appointments: September 2021|website=GOV.UK|date=16 September 2021|access-date=17 September 2021}} He resigned as minister on 7 July 2022, amid the July 2022 United Kingdom government crisis.{{cite news |last1=Dugan |first1=Emily |title=Government crisis: more ministers resign from cabinet |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jul/07/northern-ireland-secretary-brandon-lewis-resigns-from-cabinet |access-date=7 July 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=7 July 2022 |language=en}}

=In opposition=

At the 2024 general election, Hinds was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 36.9% and a decreased majority of 1,275.{{Cite news |title=East Hampshire – General election results 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001214 |access-date=2024-07-08 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

On 8 July 2024, Hinds was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Education in Rishi Sunak's shadow cabinet.{{Cite web |title=UK politics live: Lord Cameron resigns as Rishi Sunak announces interim shadow cabinet |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/czk0r339evgt |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}} When Kemi Badenoch won the leadership election, he was removed from the shadow cabinet. In December 2024, he replaced Mims Davies on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.{{Cite web |title=Business without Debate - Hansard - UK Parliament |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2024-12-09/debates/E2118495-09E3-444E-B3F8-895A20B1F95A/BusinessWithoutDebate |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=hansard.parliament.uk |language=en}}

Personal life

Hinds married Jacqui Morel, a teacher, on 11 August 2007.{{Citation|last=Barton|first=Tom|title=Cutting the cake|date=2007-08-11|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomsmiled/2152076750/|access-date=2020-08-02}} They have three children.{{Cite web|last=Giles|first=Rhys|title=Who is Damian Hinds?|url=https://blog.teamsatchel.com/education-secretary-damian-hinds|access-date=2020-08-02|website=blog.teamsatchel.com|language=en-gb}}

Notes

References

External links

{{UK MP links | parliament = damian-hinds/3969 | publicwhip = damian_hinds | theywork = damian_hinds}}
[http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2007/02/damian_hinds_se.html Conservative Home — Damian Hinds's selection]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070224181605/http://www.petersfieldtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=469&ArticleID=2058758 Petersfield Post — Damian Hinds's selection]

{{s-ttl

|title=Member of Parliament
for East Hampshire

|years=2010–present

}}

{{s-ttl|title=Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury|years=2015–2016}}