Nick Gibb

Nicolas Gibb was born on 3 September 1960 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, and was educated at the private Bedford Modern School, the grammar school Maidstone Grammar School, the comprehensive Roundhay School in Leeds, and Thornes House School in Wakefield. In an interview regarding his education, Gibb spoke of how he believed Maidstone Grammar School to be the best. "What was good about it was that it was rigorous" he told Teachers TV in 2006. "Every lesson was rigorous, even things like music: it was taught in the same way as chemistry". Wakefield, by contrast, was "terrible" due to its lack of rigour.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2010/may/18/nick-gibb-schools-minister-teachers| work=The Guardian | first=Rachel | last=Williams | title=So, who is Nick Gibb? | date=17 May 2010 | access-date=12 December 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160619184801/http://www.theguardian.com/education/2010/may/18/nick-gibb-schools-minister-teachers | archive-date=19 June 2016 | url-status=live }} {{registration required}} Upon leaving school he took a job as a handyman in a London hotel, spending his evenings in the House of Commons watching late-night debates from the public gallery.

He then attended the College of St Hild and St Bede at the University of Durham where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law in 1981.{{cite web | url=http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Gibb_Nick.aspx | title=Nick Gibb Biography | access-date=3 June 2009 | publisher=Conservative Party | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090607010842/http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Gibb_Nick.aspx | archive-date=7 June 2009 | url-status=dead }} Gibb was a member of the Federation of Conservative Students{{cite web|url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2006/07/the_federation_.html|title=The Federation of Conservative Students|publisher=ConservativeHome|work= ToryDiary|access-date=10 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709155430/http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2006/07/the_federation_.html|archive-date=9 July 2011|url-status=live}} at a time when they were influenced by radical libertarian ideas. He stood for election to the NUS committee in 1981, but only achieved a single vote after accusing the NUS of openly supporting terrorist organisations.{{cite journal |title=The Good, the Bad and the Ugly... |journal=Palatinate |date=30 April 1981 |issue=344 |page=6 |url=https://iiif.durham.ac.uk/index.html?manifest=t2mq811kj73r&canvas=t2t1z40kw301 |access-date=11 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911114440/https://iiif.durham.ac.uk/index.html?manifest=t2mq811kj73r&canvas=t2t1z40kw301 |archive-date=11 September 2018 |url-status=live |via=Durham University Collections }}

After leaving university Gibb was implicated in a scandal involving nomination papers for elections at the 1982 NUS conference in Blackpool, with Gibb accused of forging signatures to get Conservative candidates on to the ballot.{{cite journal |title=FCS Fiddle: Durham Students Implicated in Forgeries Scandal |journal=Palatinate |via=Durham University Collections|date=6 May 1982 |issue=355 |page=1 |url=https://iiif.durham.ac.uk/index.html?manifest=t1mfx719m56z}} Gibb and his brother Robbie were recruited and trained by the Russian anticommunist organisation the National Alliance of Russian Solidarists.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/03/19/senior-tories-secret-soviet-past/|title=The senior Tories with the secret Soviet past|work=The Telegraph|last=Buchanan|first=Kirsty|date=19 March 2021|access-date=19 March 2021}} In 1982, Gibb joined NatWest as a trainee accountant, before working on Kibbutz Merom Golan in 1983. In 1984 he joined KPMG as a chartered accountant until his election to parliament. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (FCA).

Gibb stood as the Conservative candidate in Stoke-on-Trent Central at the 1992 general election, coming second with 27.9% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Mark Fisher.{{cite web |title=Election Data 1992 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1992ob.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054418/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1992ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus }}{{cite web |date=9 April 1992 |title=UK General Election results April 1992 |url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/i19.htm |access-date=6 December 2010 |work=Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources |publisher=Politics Resources}}

In 1994, Gibb stood in the Rotherham by-election, coming third with 9.9% of the vote behind the Labour candidate Denis MacShane and the Liberal Democrat candidate.{{cite web |last=Boothroyd |first=David |title=Results of Byelections in the 1992–97 Parliament |url=http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1992.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720031954/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1992.html |archive-date=20 July 2017 |access-date=1 October 2015 |website=United Kingdom Election Results}}

At the 1997 general election, Gibb was elected to Parliament as MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton with 44.2% of the vote and a majority of 7,321.{{cite web |title=Election Data 1997 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054424/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}} He made his maiden speech on 4 July 1997.{{cite web | url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo970704/debtext/70704-09.htm#70704-09_spnew1 | title=Hansard: 4 July 1997 | date=4 July 1997 | access-date=3 June 2009 | work=Hansard | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627034203/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo970704/debtext/70704-09.htm#70704-09_spnew1 | archive-date=27 June 2009 | url-status=live }}

Shortly after his election, Gibb joined the opposition frontbench of William Hague when he was appointed as the spokesman on trade and industry in 1997, before joining the social security select committee later in the year. The following year, in 1998 he rejoined the frontbench as a spokesman on the treasury, moving back to trade and industry in 1999.

Gibb was reportedly involved in the faction-fight between supporters of William Hague and Michael Portillo, the then shadow chancellor, as a supporter of Portillo.{{cite web|url=http://www.ethosjournal.com/home/item/250-an-education|title=An Education – John Rentoul looks at the background and political beliefs of Nick Gibb, Minister of State for Schools|work=Ethos Journal|author=John Rentoul|access-date=10 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403015023/http://www.ethosjournal.com/home/item/250-an-education|archive-date=3 April 2012|url-status=dead}}

At the 2001 general election, Gibb was re-elected as MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton with an increased vote share of 45.2% and a decreased majority of 5,643.{{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}}

Following the election, Gibb was briefly a spokesman on environment, transport and the regions but resigned under the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith, reportedly because he was unhappy at his new role.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2001/oct/18/conservatives.uk | title=Tory frontbench resignations | date=18 October 2001 | access-date=3 June 2009 | work=The Guardian | first=Julian | last=Glover | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140510064625/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2001/oct/18/conservatives.uk | archive-date=10 May 2014 | url-status=live }} {{registration required}}

Gibb was again re-elected at the 2005 general election, with a decreased vote share of 44.6% and an increased majority of 7,822.{{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}}

Michael Howard brought Gibb back to the frontbench in 2005 as a spokesman for Education and Young People. Shortly afterwards, the newly elected Conservative Party Leader, David Cameron, promoted Gibb from within the education team to Shadow Minister for Schools.{{cite web |title=Nick Gibb |url=http://biographies.parliament.uk/parliament/default.asp?id=25544 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906131642/http://biographies.parliament.uk/parliament/default.asp?id=25544 |archive-date=6 September 2009 |access-date=3 June 2009 |work=UK Parliament Biographies |publisher=UK Parliament}}

Gibb is a longstanding advocate of synthetic phonics as a method of teaching children to read, having first publicly raised this in 2006.{{cite news |date=20 March 2006 |title=Teaching of reading to be revised |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4818516.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123102625/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4818516.stm |archive-date=23 January 2009 |access-date=3 July 2009 |work=BBC News}}

At the 2010 general election, Gibb was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 51.4% and an increased majority of 13,063.{{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}}[http://www.arun.gov.uk/cgi-bin/buildpage.pl?mysql=5410 Arun District Council] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807140328/http://www.arun.gov.uk/cgi-bin/buildpage.pl?mysql=5410|date=7 August 2011}}

After the formation of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, Gibb was appointed Minister of State for Schools in the new Department for Education. He was sacked in a reshuffle in September 2012, but returned to the same department, again as a Minister of State, in July 2014.{{cite web | url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/nick-gibb | title=Nick Gibb MP | access-date=18 July 2014 | work=Department for Education | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723020320/https://www.gov.uk/government/people/nick-gibb | archive-date=23 July 2014 | url-status=live }}

Just days after being appointed as Minister for Schools in 2010, Gibb was criticised by teachers and educationalists after leaked information suggested he had told officials at the Department of Education that he "would rather have a physics graduate from Oxbridge without a PGCE teaching in a school than a physics graduate from one of the rubbish universities with a PGCE".{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Rachel |date=17 May 2010 |title=New minister Nick Gibb upsets teachers – already |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2010/may/17/nick-gibb-upsets-teachers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302154623/http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2010/may/17/nick-gibb-upsets-teachers |archive-date=2 March 2015 |access-date=20 May 2010 |work=The Guardian}}

In 2012 Gibb was reported to have described attempts to include public speaking classes intending to foster empowerment among public students as "encouraging idle chatter in class".{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Robin |title=Neither National nor a Curriculum? |url=http://www.robinalexander.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Alexander-Neither-national-nor-a-curriculum-Forum.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813141038/http://www.robinalexander.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Alexander-Neither-national-nor-a-curriculum-Forum.pdf |archive-date=13 August 2013 |access-date=8 December 2020 |website=www.robinalexander.org.uk |publisher=Forum}} This statement was criticised by researchers at both Cambridge University and the Education Endowment Foundation who observed a link between public speaking classes and improved academic results and economic potential.{{cite news |last1=Benn |first1=Melissa |date=8 November 2016 |title=Why don't more schools focus on public speaking? Discuss |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/nov/08/why-dont-schools-focus-on-public-speaking-campaign |access-date=8 December 2020 |work=The Guardian}}

He was sacked in a reshuffle in September 2012, but returned to the same department, again as a Minister of State, in July 2014.

Gibb was again re-elected at the 2015 general election, with a decreased vote share of 51.3% and an increased majority of 13,944.{{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}}

He supported the Remain campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum.{{cite news |date=22 June 2016 |title=EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stands |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35616946- |access-date=5 February 2022 |work=BBC News}} In November of the same year, he was appointed to the Privy Council.

At the snap 2017 general election, Gibb was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 59% and an increased majority of 17,494.{{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}} He was again re-elected at the 2019 general election with an increased vote share of 63.5% and an increased majority of 22,503.http://www.arun.gov.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n14617.pdf&ver=14967 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}

In July 2020, as Minister of State for School Standards his department oversaw the controversial{{cite news|last=Weale|first=Sally|date=10 August 2020|title=Pressure grows on ministers over England A-level results 'mess'|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/11/pressure-grows-on-government-over-england-a-level-results-mess-coronavirus|access-date=15 August 2020|issn=0261-3077}} derivation of A-level grades in place of exams cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news|last=Turner|first=Camilla|date=20 March 2020|title=GCSE and A-Level exams cancelled: How will UK grades be calculated?|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/20/students-receive-calculated-grades-following-cancellation-gsce/|access-date=15 August 2020|issn=0307-1235}} The system was subsequently described as having the effect of "people who come from areas where people have scored low are assumed to score low this year, and people who come from areas where people have scored high are assumed to score high this year".{{cite news|title=A-levels: How controversial algorithm behind moderation row works|url=https://news.sky.com/story/a-levels-how-controversial-algorithm-behind-moderation-row-works-12048780|date=16 August 2020|access-date=15 August 2020|work=Sky News}} He was later confronted on the BBC Radio 4 programme Any Questions? by a student stating that Gibb had "ruined my life".{{cite web|title=Any Questions? – AQ: Nick Gibb MP, Conor McGinn MP, Alison Thewliss MP, Bronwen Maddox – BBC Sounds|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08nphm7|access-date=15 August 2020|website=www.bbc.co.uk}} Gibb responded by saying: "It won't ruin your life, it will be sorted, I can assure you."{{cite news |title=A-levels and GCSEs: Student tells minister 'you've ruined my life' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53791736 |work=BBC News |date=15 August 2020}}

Gibb was sacked by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the September 2021 reshuffle and returned to the back benches.

On 4 February 2022, Gibb called for the Prime Minister to resign over Partygate. It was reported he had submitted a letter of no confidence in Johnson to the chairman of the 1922 Committee.{{cite news |last1=Yorke |first1=Harry |last2=Penna |first2=Dominic |last3=Sheridan |first3=Danielle |title=Boris Johnson must quit over 'partygate', says former minister Nick Gibb |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/02/04/ex-minister-nick-gibb-calls-boris-johnson-quit-partygate/ |access-date=4 February 2022 |work=The Telegraph |date=4 February 2022}}

Gibbs was re-appointed as Schools Minister on 26 October 2022 by Rishi Sunak. His resigned this post on 13 November 2023, and announced that he would stand down from Parliament at the 2024 general election.{{cite web |title=Sussex MP and minister Nick Gibb to stand down at election |url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/23919378.sussex-mp-minister-nick-gibb-stand-election/ |website=The Argus |access-date=13 November 2023 |date=13 November 2023}} This was after he had been reselected in March.{{cite web |last=Gormley |first=Connor |title=Nick Gibb to stand for re-election in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/nick-gibb-to-stand-for-re-election-in-bognor-regis-and-littlehampton-4046305 |website=Sussex Express}}

Gibb is the brother of Sir Robbie Gibb, a former PR consultant and ex-editor of the BBC's political programmes, The Daily Politics and (in an executive capacity) This Week, who was announced as Director of Communications for Prime Minister Theresa May in July 2017.{{cite news|last1=Walker|first1=Peter|last2=Mason|first2=Rowena|title=Theresa May hires BBC's Robbie Gibb as communications chief|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/06/bbcs-robbie-gibb-named-as-theresa-mays-communications-chief|work=The Guardian|date=6 July 2017|access-date=7 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706175608/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/06/bbcs-robbie-gibb-named-as-theresa-mays-communications-chief|archive-date=6 July 2017|url-status=live}} {{registration required}}

In May 2015, Gibb came out as gay and announced his engagement to Michael Simmonds, the chief executive of the Populus polling organisation. Having been together for 29 years they married in 2015.{{cite web|last1=Tan|first1=Sylvia|title=UK schools minister Nick Gibb to marry secret partner of 29 years|url=http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/uk-schools-minister-nick-gibb-marry-secret-partner-29-years060615|website=Gay Star News|access-date=7 June 2015|date=6 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608003230/http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/uk-schools-minister-nick-gibb-marry-secret-partner-29-years060615|archive-date=8 June 2015|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Watt|first1=Nicholas|title=Nick Gibb, schools minister, to marry partner he kept secret for 29 years|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/06/nick-gibb-schools-minister-to-marry-partner-he-kept-secret-for-29-years|access-date=7 June 2015|work=The Guardian|date=6 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150606115008/http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/06/nick-gibb-schools-minister-to-marry-partner-he-kept-secret-for-29-years|archive-date=6 June 2015|url-status=live}}

• Forgotten Closed Shop: Case for Voluntary Membership of Student Unions by Nicholas Gibb and David Neil-Smith, 1985, Cleveland Press {{ISBN|0-948194-01-4}}
• Simplifying Taxes by Nick Gibb, 1987
• Duty to Repeal by Nick Gibb, 1989, Adam Smith Institute {{ISBN|1-870109-71-6}}
• Bucking the Market by Nick Gibb, 1990
• Maintaining Momentum by Nick Gibb, 1992

{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090607010842/http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Gibb_Nick.aspx Nick Gibb MP] Conservative Party
• {{UK MP links | parliament = nick-gibb/111 | hansardcurr = 3420 | hansard = mr-nick-gibb | guardian = 1907/nick-gibb | publicwhip = Nick_Gibb | theywork = nick_gibb | record = Nick-Gibb/Bognor-Regis-and-Littlehampton/712 | journalisted = }}
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRI-Ilk9_lI Nick Gibb: GCSE Results] Department for Education official channel, YouTube
• John Rentoul [https://web.archive.org/web/20120403015023/http://www.ethosjournal.com/home/item/250-an-education An Education – John Rentoul looks at the background and political beliefs of Nick Gibb, Minister of State for Schools] Ethos Journal (Archived)
• {{C-SPAN|44847}}

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{{s-par|uk}}

{{s-new|constituency}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Member of Parliament
for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton

| years = 1997–2024

}}

{{s-aft|after=Alison Griffiths}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef|before=Vernon Coaker}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister of State for School Standards|years=2010–2012}}

{{s-aft|after=David Laws}}

{{s-bef|before=Liz Truss|as= Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
for Education and Childcare}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister of State for School Reform|years=2014–2015}}

{{s-non|reason=Position abolished}}

{{s-bef|before=David Laws}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister of State for School Standards|years=2015–2021}}

{{s-aft|after=Robin Walker}}

{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibb, Nick}}

Category:1960 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham

Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:People educated at Bedford Modern School

Category:People educated at Maidstone Grammar School

Category:People educated at Roundhay School

Category:People from Amersham

Category:People from Littlehampton

Category:UK MPs 1997–2001

Category:UK MPs 2001–2005

Category:UK MPs 2005–2010

Category:UK MPs 2010–2015

Category:UK MPs 2015–2017

Category:UK MPs 2017–2019

Category:UK MPs 2019–2024

Category:English gay politicians

Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom

Category:LGBTQ members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

Category:Knights Bachelor