Nick Timothy

Timothy was born in Birmingham, the son of a steel worker and a school secretary.{{cite news|title=The sage of Birmingham: Theresa May's pugnacious chief-of-staff prescribes a new direction for the Conservative Party|url=https://www.economist.com/news/britain/21703391-theresa-mays-pugnacious-chief-staff-prescribes-new-direction-conservative-party|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=24 August 2016}} He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Aston, Birmingham,{{cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/theresa-mays-top-advisor-brummie-11613394|title=Theresa May's top advisor is a Brummie who loves Aston Villa|first=Jonathan|last=Walker|date=14 July 2016|access-date=10 June 2017}} and at the University of Sheffield, where he gained a first in politics.{{cite web |last1=McInerney |first1=Laura |date=22 March 2016 |title=Profiles: Nick Timothy |url=http://schoolsweek.co.uk/nick-timothy/ |access-date=15 July 2016 |website=Schools Week}}{{cite news|last1=Richardson|first1=Hannah|title=School selection plans could undo years of reform – Morgan|date=9 September 2016|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37322295|publisher=BBC News|access-date=9 September 2016}} He was the first member of his family to attend university.

Timothy has cited as his inspiration in politics the Birmingham-born Liberal Unionist politician Joseph Chamberlain, of whom he wrote a short biography for the Conservative History Group.{{cite web|title=Conservative History Group: Books|url=https://conservativehistory.wordpress.com/books/|website=Conservative History Group|date=31 July 2013|quote=Joseph Chamberlain was one of the dominant figures of Victorian and Edwardian Britain – but while he is remembered for his record as Mayor of Birmingham, his role in committing the Conservative Party to social reform has been neglected by modern Tories. In this study, Nick Timothy explores the many roles Chamberlain played during his political life – Radical and Unionist; outsider and Cabinet Minister – and argues that his legacy is every bit as important to modern Conservatism as Disraeli's 'One Nation' approach and Randolph Churchill's Tory Democracy|access-date=24 August 2016}} He has supported conservative philosophies which he believes promote strong communities that make markets work and has argued the Conservative Party should focus on benefiting all citizens and regions.{{cite web|last1=Gimson|first1=Andrew|title=Profile: Nick Timothy, May's thinker-in-chief and co-Chief of Staff|url=http://www.conservativehome.com/highlights/2016/07/profile-nick-timothy-mays-thinker-in-chief-and-co-chief-of-staff.html|website=ConservativeHome|date=15 July 2016 |access-date=15 July 2016}}

Following his graduation, Timothy worked at the Conservative Research Department (CRD) for three years, from 2001 to 2004. In 2004, Timothy left the Conservative Research Department to work as corporate affairs adviser for the Corporation of London. In 2005, Timothy took up a post as a policy adviser for the Association of British Insurers. In 2006, Timothy returned to politics after two years in the financial sector, spending a year working for Theresa May - the first of three posts on May's staff. In 2007, Timothy returned to the CRD, where he worked for a further three years.

In 2010, Theresa May was appointed Secretary of State at the Home Office and appointed Timothy as a special adviser, focusing on police reform, immigration, and counter-terrorism policy. He spent five years working for the Home Secretary, before leaving, in 2015, to become a Director at the New Schools Network (NSN).{{cite web|title=Nick Timothy|url=http://www.csap.cam.ac.uk/network/nick-timothy/|website=Centre for Science and Policy|publisher=University of Cambridge|access-date=15 July 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Parker|first1=George|title=Nick Timothy: Theresa May's political 'brain'|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/29fa0986-49cf-11e6-b387-64ab0a67014c.html|website=Financial Times|date=15 July 2016|access-date=15 July 2016}}

While at the NSN he spoke in favour of ending the 50% Rule which requires oversubscribed Free Schools to allocate half of their places without reference to faith.{{cite news|last1=Coughlan|first1=Sean|title=Call to end limit on religious free schools|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35411525|access-date=27 August 2017|work=BBC|date=28 January 2016}}

In 2015, Timothy wrote an article to express his worry that the People's Republic of China was effectively buying Britain's silence on allegations of Chinese human rights abuse and opposing China's involvement in sensitive sectors such as the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. He criticised David Cameron and George Osborne for "selling our national security to China" and asserted that "the Government seems intent on ignoring the evidence and presumably the advice of the security and intelligence agencies." He warned that security experts were worried that the Chinese could use their role in the programme to build weaknesses into computer systems which would allow them to shut down Britain's energy production at will and argued that "no amount of trade and investment should justify allowing a hostile state easy access to the country's critical national infrastructure."[https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/29/hinkley-point-c-why-has-government-delayed-final-approval Why have ministers delayed final approval for Hinkley Point C?], The Guardian, 29 July 2016[http://www.conservativehome.com/thecolumnists/2015/10/nick-timothy-the-government-is-selling-our-national-security-to-china.html Nick Timothy: The Government is selling our national security to China], Conservative Home, 20 October 2015

In October 2016, the Health Service Journal rated him as the fifth most influential person in the English NHS in 2016.{{cite news|title=HSJ100 2016: The list in full|url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/newsletter/hsj-knowledge/top-leader-lists/hsj100/hsj100-2016-the-list-in-full/7011348.article|access-date=27 October 2016|work=Health Service Journal|date=11 October 2016}}

Timothy has stated that he voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 membership referendum.{{cite web|last1=Timothy|first1=Nick|title=I've already voted Leave – but these wretched campaigns show everything that's wrong with British politics|url=http://www.conservativehome.com/thecolumnists/2016/06/nick-timothy-ive-already-voted-leave-but-i-cant-wait-to-get-away-from-this-bloody-referendum-campaign.html|website=ConservativeHome|date=14 June 2016 |access-date=15 July 2016}}{{cite web |last1=Hardman |first1=Isabel |author-link=Isabel Hardman |title=Beware the aides of May! The people who'll really run the new government |url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/07/mays-man-influence/ |access-date=15 July 2016 |website=The Spectator}}

Following David Cameron's resignation as Prime Minister in the wake of the Brexit referendum result, Timothy took a sabbatical from his position at the NSN to work on Theresa May's 2016 leadership campaign. May's campaign was a success and Timothy was appointed Joint Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister on 14 July 2016.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/15/may-appoints-former-advisers-as-joint-chiefs-of-staff|title=May appoints former advisers as joint chiefs of staff|last=Mason|first=Rowena|date=15 July 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-12-06|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}

In spring 2017, May called a snap general election. As a result of the election, the Conservative Party lost its majority and became a minority government dependent on the Democratic Unionist Party for their majority. Timothy, along with Fiona Hill, faced immediate calls for his removal.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/09/tories-say-theresa-may-must-sack-advisers-fiona-hill-nick-timothy-monsters-sunk-party|title=Tories say Theresa May must sack 'monsters who sunk our party'|author=Anushka Asthana and Rowena Mason|website=The Guardian|date=9 June 2017}} Theresa May was also given an ultimatum by Conservative Members of Parliament, to sack Timothy or face her own leadership challenge.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/09/theresa-mays-clique-blamed-disastrous-result-senior-tories/|title='A toxic clique': Calls for Theresa May's closest advisers, Nick and Fiona, to be sacked or PM will face leadership challenge on Monday|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=9 June 2017|access-date=10 June 2017|last1=Swinford|first1=Steven}} On 9 June 2017, Timothy resigned as Joint Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister.{{Cite news|url=http://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2017/06/nick-timothy-why-i-have-resigned-as-the-prime-ministers-adviser.html|title=Nick Timothy: Why I have resigned as the Prime Minister's adviser|work=Conservative Home|access-date=2017-12-06|language=en-US}} Reflecting in 2020 on the projected cost of adult social care, Timothy wrote "Many things went wrong in that election campaign, but I resigned as joint Chief of Staff in Downing Street because our social care proposal blew up the manifesto."{{Cite journal

|first=Nick

|last=Timothy

|title=The Politics of Elder Care

|journal=RSA Journal

|volume=CLXVI

|issue=2

|year=2020

|pages=20–21

|location=London

|url=http://www.thersa.org

|issn=0958-0433

}}

Since leaving Downing Street, Timothy has worked as a columnist for The Daily Telegraph newspaper{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/nick-timothy/|title=Nick Timothy|work=The Telegraph|access-date=6 December 2017|language=en-GB}} and a sports columnist for The Critic.{{Cite web |last=Timothy |first=Nick |date=12 July 2024 |title=The Critic |url=https://thecritic.co.uk/author/nick-timothy/}} Timothy is the founder and co-editor of the online newsletter The Conservative Reader.{{Cite web |last=Timothy |first=Nick |date=12 July 2024 |title=The Conservative Reader |url=https://conservativereader.substack.com/}} Timothy published a book about the future of conservatism, Remaking One Nation, in 2020.{{Cite book |last=Timothy |first=Nick |title=Remaking one nation: the future of conservatism |date=2020 |publisher=Polity |isbn=978-1-5095-3917-8 |location=Cambridge, UK; Medford, MA}}

He also became a business consultant, founding trustee of a new specialist maths school,{{Cite web |date=12 July 2024 |title=Aston University Maths School |url=https://www.aston.ac.uk/aums}} Chairman of the Future of Conservatism project at Onward,{{Cite web |last=Timothy |first=Nick |last2=Rice |first2=Gavin |date=28 February 2023 |title=There is still hope for Conservatism in Britain |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/28/still-hope-conservatism-britain/ |access-date=12 July 2024}} a Senior Policy Fellow at Policy Exchange,{{Cite web |date=12 July 2024 |title=New additions to our expanded team at Policy Exchange |url=https://policyexchange.org.uk/news/new-additions-to-our-expanded-team-at-policy-exchange/}} a visiting professor at Sheffield University, a visiting fellow at Wadham College, Oxford, and an adviser to the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. In early 2023 he completed an independent review of the Home Office on behalf of the Prime Minister and Home Secretary.

In January 2019 Timothy was appointed as a member of the organising committee of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, to be held in his home city of Birmingham.{{cite web |last=Brown |first=Rivkah |date=23 January 2019 |title=People like Nick Timothy don't get fired: they just fail into great new jobs |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/2019/01/people-nick-timothy-don-t-get-fired-they-just-fail-great-new-jobs |access-date=23 January 2019 |website=New Statesman}} Timothy also served as a board member of the Department for Education and the Government’s £250 million Sports Survival Package.{{Cite web |date=12 July 2024 |title=Nick Timothy |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/nick-timothy |website=Gov.UK}}

In February 2018, Timothy denied allegations of antisemitism{{cite news|last=Weich|first=Ben|url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/brexit-nick-timothy-aide-theresa-may-accused-antisemitic-slur-1.458334|title=Theresa May's former aide accused of using antisemitic slur in Brexit article on George Soros|work=The Jewish Chronicle|date=8 February 2018|access-date=8 February 2018}} following the publication of an article of which he was the principal author that claimed the existence of a "secret plot" to stop Brexit by the Jewish philanthropist George Soros.{{Cite news|last=Bush|first=Stephen|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2018/02/nick-timothy-telegraph-george-soros-anti-semitic|title=Why is Nick Timothy's Telegraph column on anti-Brexit billionaire George Soros so disturbing?|work=New Statesman|date=8 February 2018|language=en|access-date=8 February 2018}} In response, Timothy tweeted: "Throughout my career I’ve campaigned against antisemitism, helped secure more funding for security at synagogues and Jewish schools". When the Jewish Chronicle reported on Theresa May's pro-Israel stance as Prime Minister, a source said "If [Timothy] was a journalist, and he was Jewish, you could imagine him editing the JC."{{Cite web |last=Pollard |first=Stephen |date=1 April 2017 |title=Mrs May ‘more pro-Israel even than Harper’ |url=https://www.thejc.com/lets-talk/analysis/mrs-may-more-pro-israel-even-than-harper-vzamutyt |access-date=12 July 2024}}

In November 2019, Timothy failed to be selected as the Conservative candidate for the Meriden constituency in the West Midlands, for the 2019 general election.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-50311030 |title=Ex Downing Street chief Nick Timothy rejected as Meriden candidate - BBC News |work=BBC News |date= 6 November 2019|accessdate=2021-02-08}} The seat had previously been held by Dame Caroline Spelman, who opted to stand down as an MP over the "intensity of abuse arising out of Brexit".{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-49593559 |title=Dame Caroline Spelman standing down over 'Brexit abuse' - BBC News |work=BBC News |date= 5 September 2019|accessdate=2021-02-08}}

In February 2022, The New York Times released a podcast entitled "The Trojan Horse Affair" which was created by Brian Reed and Hamza Syed.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/podcasts/trojan-horse-affair.html|title = The Trojan Horse Affair|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 27 January 2022}} The podcast claimed that Nick Timothy contributed to the scandal when he emailed a Birmingham community centre which was due to host an event entitled "Trojan Horse or Trojan Hoax" in order to shut down the event. In the email it is alleged that Nick insinuated that the owners of the community centre would be associated with terrorism if they allowed the event to go ahead. Timothy and Michael Gove wrote a joint foreword for a Policy Exchange report with their own account of how hardline activists had taken over several state schools in an attempt to impose, in the words of one of the several official inquiries, an “intolerant and aggressive Islamic ethos”.{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Dr Damon L. |last2=Stott |first2=Dr Paul |date=11 December 2022 |title=The Trojan Horse Affair: A Documentary Record |url=https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/The-Trojan-Horse-Affair.pdf |access-date=12 July 2024 |website=}} The podcast has also since been criticised by Observer columnist Sonia Sodha who argued that it "presents a one-sided account that minimises child protection concerns, misogyny and homophobia in order to exonerate the podcast’s hero, a man called Tahir Alam. In doing so, it breaches the standards the public have the right to expect of journalists, with cruel consequences for those it uses and abuses along the way."{{Cite web |last=Sodha |first=Sonia |date=20 February 2022 |title=The Trojan Horse Affair: how Serial podcast got it so wrong |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/20/the-trojan-horse-affair-how-serial-podcast-got-it-so-wrong |access-date=12 July 2024}}

On 30 July 2023, Timothy was selected as the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for West Suffolk.{{Cite news |last=Penna |first=Dominic |date=2023-07-30 |title=Nick Timothy selected as Tory candidate for Matt Hancock's seat |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/30/nick-timothy-theresa-may-aide-selected-west-suffolk-seat/ |access-date=2023-07-31 |issn=0307-1235}} This was following Matt Hancock's announcement of standing down from parliament.{{Cite web |title=Theresa May's ex-adviser Nick Timothy picked as Tory candidate to replace Matt Hancock in West Suffolk |url=https://news.sky.com/story/theresa-mays-ex-adviser-picked-as-tory-candidate-to-replace-matt-hancock-in-west-suffolk-12930918 |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=Sky News |language=en}} He defeated incumbent MP for Penrith and The Border Neil Hudson{{Cite web |date=25 July 2023 |title=Penrith MP Neil Hudson linked to Matt Hancock's seat |url=https://cwherald.com/news/penrith-mp-linked-to-matt-hancocks-seat/ |website=Cumberland and Westmorland Herald}}{{Cite web |title=Breaking News Penrith and The Border MP looses second selection bid |url=https://penrith.town/news/breaking-news-penrith-and-the-border-mp-looses-second-selection-bid |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=PenrithTown |language=en}} and former Financial Times journalist Sebastian Payne.{{Cite web |last=Goodman |first=Paul |date=2023-07-31 |title=Nick Timothy and Bradley Thomas are selected to contest West Suffolk and Bromsgove respectively. |url=https://conservativehome.com/2023/07/31/nick-timothy-and-bradley-thomas-are-selected-to-contest-west-sussex-and-bromsgove-respectively/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Conservative Home |language=en-GB}} He said he hoped to "draw a line" under the controversy of Hancock who was suspended from the Conservative Party after he appeared on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.{{Cite news |date=2023-08-01 |title=New West Suffolk candidate to 'draw a line' under Hancock controversy |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-66370560 |access-date=2023-08-05}} Timothy was elected Member of Parliament for West Suffolk at the 2024 General Election.{{Cite web |last=Earth |first=Matthew |date=5 July 2024 |title=Nick Timothy wins West Suffolk in General Election 2024 |url=https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/24432149.nick-timothy-wins-west-suffolk-general-election-2024/ |access-date=12 July 2024}}

In 2024, Timothy criticized the Labour government for approving the development of a large solar farm in his constituency.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-18 |title=The green vs. NIMBY split blowing up British politics |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/the-green-v-nimby-split-blowing-up-british-politics/ |website=POLITICO |language=en-GB}} He called it an "insult" to locals.

Nick Timothy and his family live in West Suffolk. He is also an Aston Villa supporter.

{{Election box begin|title=General election 2024: West Suffolk{{cite news |title=West Suffolk - General Election Results |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001578 |access-date=6 July 2024}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Nick Timothy|votes=15,814|percentage=34.3|change=−30.0}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=Rebecca Denness|votes=12,567|percentage=27.2|change=+5.0}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Reform UK|candidate=David Bull|votes=9,623|percentage=20.8|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Liberal Democrats (UK)|candidate=Henry Batchelor|votes=4,284|percentage=9.3|change=+0.3}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Green Party of England and Wales|candidate=Mark Ereira-Guyer|votes=2,910|percentage=6.3|change=+1.8}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Independent|candidate=Katie Parker|votes=485|percentage=1.1|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Independent|candidate=Luke O'Brien|votes=345|percentage=0.7|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990–present)|candidate=Ivan Kinsman|votes=133|percentage=0.3|change=N/A}}

{{Election box majority|votes=3,247|percentage=7.1|change=−35.1}}

{{Election box turnout|votes=46,331|percentage=60.1|change=−4.6}}

{{Election box registered electors

|reg. electors = 77,149

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|winner=Conservative Party (UK)|swing=−17.5}}

{{Election box end}}

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• {{official website}}

{{UK MP links

| parliament = 5062

| publicwhip = Nick_Timothy

| theywork = 26335

}}

• [https://twitter.com/nickjtimothy Twitter feed]
• [http://www.conservativehome.com/author/nick-timothy Columns] by Timothy for ConservativeHome

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{{s-ttl|title=Downing Street Chief of Staff|with=Fiona Hill|years=2016–2017}}

{{s-aft|after=Gavin Barwell}}

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{{s-bef|before=Matt Hancock}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for West Suffolk|years=2024–present}}

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{{Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister}}

{{British special advisers}}

{{Conservative Party UK MPs}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Timothy, Nick}}

Category:Living people

Category:1980 births

Category:UK MPs 2024–present

Category:British political consultants

Category:Conservative Party (UK) officials

Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:Politicians from Birmingham, West Midlands

Category:Alumni of the University of Sheffield

Category:British special advisers

Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Downing Street chiefs of staff