Mark Simmonds
{{Short description|British politician (born 1964)}}
{{For|the Australian saxophonist|Mark Simmonds (saxophonist)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable
| name = Mark Simmonds
| honorific-suffix =
| image = High Level Prosperity Partnerships (10950413836).jpg
| caption = Simmonds in 2014
| office = Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Africa
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific
| term_start = 5 September 2012
| term_end = 11 August 2014
| primeminister = David Cameron
| predecessor = Henry Bellingham
| successor = James Duddridge
| office2 = Member of Parliament
for Boston and Skegness
| term_start2 = 7 June 2001
| term_end2 = 30 March 2015
| predecessor2 = Sir Richard Body
| successor2 = Matt Warman
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|04|12|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| spouse = Lizbeth Hanomancin Garcia
| party = Conservative
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater = Trent Polytechnic
| occupation =
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| footnotes =
}}
Mark Jonathon Mortlock Simmonds (born 12 April 1964) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Boston and Skegness in Lincolnshire, and was first elected in 2001, succeeding Sir Richard Body. He was re-elected in 2005 and 2010.
In September 2012 he was appointed to the Government as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific.{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Asia and the Pacific) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state--23 |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}} On 11 August 2014 he resigned this post and confirmed that he would step down as an MP at the 2015 general election.{{cite news |first=Nicholas |last=Watt |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/11/africa-minister-mark-simmonds-resigns |title=Africa minister Mark Simmonds resigns | Politics |newspaper=The Guardian |accessdate=11 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415024258/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/11/africa-minister-mark-simmonds-resigns |archive-date=15 April 2015 |url-status=live }}
In October 2015, he was appointed non-executive director of the AIM-listed fertiliser company, African Potash.{{cite news |title=African Potash appoints former politician to board |url=http://www.mining.com/web/african-potash-appoints-former-politician-to-board/ |accessdate=14 January 2020 |publisher=MINING.COM |date=26 October 2015}} On 6 January 2020, Simmonds was appointed a non-executive director of the AIM-listed African oil exploration company, LEKOIL, a week before the company announced that it had been the victim of a US$184m fraud.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/01/13/embarassment-former-africa-minister-mark-simmonds-possible-scam/|title=Ex-minister hired by oil explorer Lekoil left red-faced over fears it has been scammed|last=Millard|first=Rachel|date=2020-01-13|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2020-01-14|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}{{cite news |last1=Osborne |first1=Alistair |title=Pouring oil on some troubled waters |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/pouring-oil-on-some-troubled-waters-nrx92glrn |access-date=14 January 2020 |work=The Times |date=14 January 2020}}
Early life
Born in Worksop, Simmonds went to Worksop College, where his father was a House Master, and where his mother also taught, then Trent Polytechnic, where he obtained a BSc (Hons) degree in urban estate surveying in 1986. He became an associate of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 1987. He worked as a surveyor for Savills from 1986 to 1988 and was a partner in Strutt & Parker from 1988 to 1996. He was a director of Hillier Parker from 1997 to 1999 and a chairman of Mortlock Simmonds Brown from 1999 until becoming an MP for Boston and Skegness.{{Cite web|url=http://www.msblproperty.com/our_people_mark_simmonds.php|title=MSBL {{!}} Retail Specialists in Property {{!}} Mark Simmonds|website=www.msblproperty.com|access-date=2016-06-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624070737/http://www.msblproperty.com/our_people_mark_simmonds.php|archive-date=24 June 2016|df=dmy-all}}
Parliamentary career
He contested the Ashfield seat in 1997. Simmonds was promoted to Shadow Health Minister in 2007.
On 5 September 2012, he was appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.[http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/who-we-are/our-ministers/ "Who we are - our Ministers"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906210937/http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/who-we-are/our-ministers/ |date=6 September 2012 }}. FCO (Official website). Retrieved 6 September 2012. In this role, he was also responsible for the British Overseas Territories.{{cite news |url=http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2012/09/06/new-o-t-minister-for-cayman |title=New O.T. Minister for Cayman |publisher=Cayman 27 |date=6 September 2012 |accessdate=11 August 2014 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414065711/http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2012/09/06/new-o-t-minister-for-cayman |archive-date=14 April 2015 |df=dmy-all }} He resigned on 11 August 2014, claiming that he cannot support his family in London on £120k + expenses.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11027010/Minister-quits-because-120000-salary-and-expenses-is-not-enough-to-support-his-family-in-London.html|title=Minister quits because £120,000 salary and expenses is not enough to support his family in London|work=Daily Telegraph|author=Christopher Hope|date=11 August 2014|accessdate=12 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811220549/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11027010/Minister-quits-because-120000-salary-and-expenses-is-not-enough-to-support-his-family-in-London.html|archive-date=11 August 2014|url-status=live}} According to the Telegraph, although Simmonds legitimately received over £500k from expenses since 2001, changes in the rules following the 2009 United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal meant he was no longer able to claim mortgage relief on a house in Putney.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/11026474/Mark-Simmonds-Expenses-system-gave-Foreign-Office-minister-a-500000-lift.html|title=Mark Simmonds: Expenses system gave Foreign Office minister a £500,000 lift|author=Holly Watt|work=Daily Telegraph|date=11 August 2014|accessdate=12 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813030014/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/11026474/Mark-Simmonds-Expenses-system-gave-Foreign-Office-minister-a-500000-lift.html|archive-date=13 August 2014|url-status=live}} He subsequently sold the house at a profit of £537k and bought Swineshead Abbey but said it was impossible for "a government minister with children to have a normal family life."{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/conservative-mps-expenses/11029709/How-taxpayers-helped-fund-1m-home-of-minister-who-cant-live-on-MPs-pay.html|title=How taxpayers helped fund £1m home of minister who can't live on MP's pay|author=Steven Swinford, and Holly Watt|work=Daily Telegraph|date=12 August 2014|accessdate=13 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813115807/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/conservative-mps-expenses/11029709/How-taxpayers-helped-fund-1m-home-of-minister-who-cant-live-on-MPs-pay.html|archive-date=13 August 2014|url-status=live}}
He voted against the Cameron–Clegg coalition government in 2013 on the issue of British military intervention in the Syrian civil war."[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/sep/03/tory-mps-syria-vote-assad-hospitality Nine Tory MPs who did not back Syria strike received Assad's hospitality] The Guardian September 2013
Following his decision not to stand again, Simmonds defended charging expenses to the taxpayer purported to total over £10,000 on hoardings and local radio. He claimed the money was necessary to communicate with constituents.{{cite news|url=http://www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/news/local/mp-mark-simmonds-hits-out-at-ridiculous-story-that-he-has-claimed-more-than-10-0000-in-advertising-back-on-expenses-1-6613545|title=MP Mark Simmonds hits out at 'ridiculous' story that he has claimed more than £10,0000 in advertising back on expenses|date=4 March 2015|accessdate=6 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308174220/http://www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/news/local/mp-mark-simmonds-hits-out-at-ridiculous-story-that-he-has-claimed-more-than-10-0000-in-advertising-back-on-expenses-1-6613545|archive-date=8 March 2015|url-status=live}} The political campaigning website 38 Degrees set up a petition calling for him to pay it back.{{cite web|url=https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/10-000-mark-simmonds-pay-it-back|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402115108/https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/10-000-mark-simmonds-pay-it-back|url-status=live|archive-date=2 April 2015|title=£10,000? Mark Simmonds, pay it back.|accessdate=6 March 2015}}
In 2014 he was appointed to the Privy Council, entitling him to the style "The Right Honourable" for life.{{Cite web |title=Orders for 10 Dec 2014 |url=http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/orders-approved-at-privy-council-10-december-2014.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109181220/http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/orders-approved-at-privy-council-10-december-2014.pdf |archive-date=9 November 2015 |access-date=5 August 2022 |publisher=Privy Council Office}}
Personal life
He married Lizbeth Hanomancin Garcia in December 1994 in London, and they have two daughters (born March 1999 and October 2000) and a son (born April 2002). He lives in his former constituency in Swineshead in a house on the former site of Swineshead Abbey.
In 2012 he apologised to Parliament for failing to mention an interest in Circle Healthcare when speaking in support of the Health and Social Care Bill in Parliament.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17104463 |title=MP apologises for failing to mention interest in health firm |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=21 February 2012 |accessdate=11 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810184156/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17104463 |archive-date=10 August 2014 |url-status=live }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Mark Simmonds}}
- {{Official website|https://marksimmonds.uk/}}
- [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-5786,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Mark Simmonds MP]
- [https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/mark_simmonds/boston_and_skegness TheyWorkForYou.com - Mark Simmonds MP]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXvSvClVc-I Video: Open Road - Mark Simmonds interview], hosted by YouTube. Mark Simmonds talks about welfare reforms proposed by the coalition Government.
=News items=
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/3096592.stm Concern over gangmasters in 2003]
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef | before = Sir Richard Body}}
{{s-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for Boston and Skegness
{{s-aft|after=Matt Warman}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmonds, Mark}}
Category:Alumni of Nottingham Trent University
Category:People educated at Worksop College
Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies