David Simmonds
{{short description|British politician}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE|MP}}
| image = Official portrait of David Simmonds MP crop 2, 2024.jpg
| office1 = Member of Parliament
for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
| term_start1 = 12 December 2019
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = Nick Hurd
| majority1 = 7,581 (16.1%)
| office2 = Member of Hillingdon London Borough Council for Ickenham ward
{{nobold|Cowley (1998–2002)}}
| term_start2 = 7 May 1998
| term_end2 = 5 May 2022
| birth_name = David Timothy Simmonds
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1976}}
| birth_place = Kent, England
| party = Conservative
| alma_mater = Durham University (BA Hons)
Birkbeck, University of London (PGC)
| children = 2
| caption = Official portrait, 2024
| website = {{URL|https://www.davidsimmonds.org.uk/|Official website}}
| office = Shadow Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government
| leader = Kemi Badenoch
| term_start = 19 July 2024
}}
David Timothy Simmonds (born 1976) {{Postnom|country=GB|CBE}} is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner from 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000906|title=Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner parliamentary constituency - Election 2019|work=BBC News}}{{Cite book|last=Brunskill|first=Ian|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1129682574|title=The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election|date=19 March 2020|isbn=978-0-00-839258-1|pages=316|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers Limited |oclc=1129682574}} Simmonds was formerly a councillor on Hillingdon London Borough Council, having served from 1998 to 2022.{{Cite web|title=Simmonds, David Timothy, (born 1976), MP (C) Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, since 2019|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-284533|access-date=2021-05-01|website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|year=2020|language=en|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u284533|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4}} He has been Shadow Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government since July 2024.{{Cite web |title=Conservative Party announces interim Opposition Front Bench |url=https://policymogul.com/key-updates/37814/conservative-party-announces-interim-opposition-front-bench |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=policymogul.com |language=en}}
Early life and career
David 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.{{Cite web |title=About David Simmonds |url=https://www.davidsimmonds.org.uk/about-david-simmonds |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=David Simmonds |language=en}}
Political career
Simmonds was elected as a Conservative councillor for the London Borough of Hillingdon in 1998, winning his seat in Cowley from the Labour Party.{{Cite book|last=Minors|first=Michael|url=http://londondatastore-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/LBCE_1998-5-7.pdf|title=London Borough Council elections 7 May 1998 : including the Greater London Authority referendum results|date=1998|publisher=London Research Centre. Demographic and Statistical Studies|others=Dennis Grenham, London Research Centre. Demographic and Statistical Studies Department|isbn=1-85261-276-2|location=London|oclc=40179592}} From 2002 to 2022, he represented the borough's Ickenham ward.{{Cite web|title=Local Elections Archive Project — Ickenham Ward|url=https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/ward/224/|access-date=2021-05-01|website=www.andrewteale.me.uk}}
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.
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.
Parliamentary career
At the 2001 general election, Simmonds stood as the Conservative candidate in Caerphilly, coming third with 11.4% of the vote behind the Labour candidate Wayne David and the Plaid Cymru candidate Lindsay Whittle.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2001 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054450/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}{{cite web |date=7 June 2001 |title=BBC NEWS > Caerphilly |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/results_constituencies/constituencies/112.stm |access-date=2011-01-22 |work=Vote 2001 |publisher=BBC News}}
At the 2005 general election, he stood in Erewash, coming second with 30.4% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Liz Blackman.{{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}}
Simmonds was elected to Parliament as MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner at the 2019 general election with 55.6% of the vote and a majority of 16,394.{{cite news |title=Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000906 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812060738/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000906 |archive-date=12 August 2019 |access-date=23 November 2019 |website=BBC News}}{{cite web |date=28 January 2020 |title=Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118043715/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf |archive-date=18 November 2021 |access-date=19 January 2022 |publisher=House of Commons Library |location=London}} 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.{{Cite web |title=APPG on Migration Members |url=https://appgmigration.org.uk/appg-on-migration-members/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=All-Party Parliamentary Group on Migration |language=en-GB}}
On 7 July 2022, Simmonds was elected to the executive of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs.{{Cite news |date=2022-07-11 |title=Noisy contest sees leadership hopefuls take potshots at Sunak on tax |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-62122323 |access-date=2022-12-03}}
In February 2023, Simmonds was re-selected as the Conservative candidate for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner at the 2024 general election.{{cite tweet |number=1628511271061532675 |user=DSimmonds_RNP |title=Honoured to be readopted as Conservative parliamentary candidate by the wonderful team in Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner |author=David Simmonds |date=February 22, 2023}}
Honours
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.{{Cite web|title=Adult Social Care - Tuesday 28 January 2020 - Hansard - UK Parliament|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2020-01-28/debates/B683BEFE-B82D-4872-B4B3-DF537BC9CF84/AdultSocialCare|access-date=2021-01-13|website=hansard.parliament.uk|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Free Childcare - Monday 9 March 2020 - Hansard - UK Parliament|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2020-03-09/debates/516775C8-77CB-4036-8BFE-188D5842F25F/FreeChildcare|access-date=2021-01-13|website=hansard.parliament.uk|language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{UK MP links |parliament=4872 |publicwhip=David_Simmonds |theywork=david_simmonds}}
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{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=Nick Hurd}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner|years=2019–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}{{Conservative Party UK MPs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmonds, David}}
Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Category:Alumni of Grey College, Durham
Category:UK councillors 1998–2002
Category:UK councillors 2002–2006
Category:UK councillors 2006–2010
Category:UK councillors 2010–2014
Category:UK councillors 2014–2018