| Ben Gummer MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Ipswich |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Chris Mole |
| Majority | 2,079 (4.4%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 February 1978 London |
| Nationality | United Kingdom |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Relations | John Gummer (father) Peter Gummer (uncle) |
| Residence | Ipswich/London |
| Alma mater | Peterhouse, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Website | www.bengummer.com |
The Hon. Benedict Michael (Ben) Gummer[1] is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ipswich. His father is the former Conservative Cabinet minister John Gummer,[2] who was the MP for the nearby constituency of Suffolk Coastal until the 2010 general election.
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Gummer is the eldest child of John Gummer, Baron Deben and Penelope Jane Gardner [3]. He attended St Saviour's Church of England Primary School in Ealing, west London. Between 1987 and 1991 he was a chorister at St John's College, Cambridge, where he sang under George Guest and Christopher Robinson. Gummer was a music scholar at Tonbridge School in Kent. Having won the Vellacott Historical Essay Prize he took a starred double first in History at Peterhouse College, Cambridge University, where he was an exhibitioner and scholar.[4]
After graduating, Gummer ran a small engineering firm,[5] and between 2005 and 2010 was Managing Director of family-owned Sancroft International;[6] in his five year tenure the company's revenues more than doubled.[7]
Gummer published his history of the Black Death, The Scourging Angel, in 2009.[8][9] The book received favourable reviews. In the Times Literary Supplement, Jonathan Sumption commented that Gummer "establishes the facts more thoroughly than any of his predecessors".[10] However, Louise Foxcroft, author of Hot Flushes, Cold Science: The History of the Modern Menopause, criticized the book for its "scholarly dilligence".[11]
Gummer was selected by open primary as the Conservative candidate in August 2007 for the Ipswich constituency.[12] He campaigned largely on public service issues, particularly the retention of services at Ipswich Hospital. Gummer defeated incumbent MP Chris Mole and became MP for the Ipswich constituency in the general election of 2010, enjoying the largest majority of any Conservative in Ipswich since 1935.[13]
In parliament, Gummer has spoken on a wide range of issues,[14] although he has shown a particular interest in prisons policy. He is a member of the Justice Select Committee[15] and the Regulatory Reform Select Committee.[16]
Gummer is also a member of the UK parliamentary delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and a patron of the Longford Trust.[17]
Gummer claims to have won £72.9m of investment in his first year as the town's MP.[18] He was criticized for lacking a website in the first year, although he has argued that he wanted to pay for it from private fund-raising rather than taxpayer funds.[19]
Gummer claimed limited expenses in his first months as MP.[20] His constituency office is in Fore Street, Ipswich, and has itself attracted some controversy.[21]
Gummer is portrayed as a Lego character in a local website by an anonymous poster.[22]
Gummer used his maiden speech to argue for rapid deficit and debt reduction and penal reform.[23] Gummer has spoken strongly against sovereignty being transferred to the European Union[24] and against votes for prisoners,[25] but in favour of more constructive prison and probation sentences.[26] He also takes a keen interest in defence and transport matters.[27] He has described himself as "a libertarian" and is a supporter of gay marriage.[28] He has also defended free speech, adding his name to an amendment to clause one of the Protection of Freedoms Bill, which calls for the word 'insulting' to be dropped from clause five of the Public Order Act.[29]
Gummer lives in Ipswich, not far from Portman Road, and London. He is a member of The Ipswich Society, the Ipswich Maritime Trust, and is a season ticket holder of Ipswich Town Football Club.[30]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Chris Mole |
Member of Parliament for Ipswich 2010–present |
Incumbent |