Nick Gibb
Encyclopedia
Nicolas John "Nick" Gibb (born 3 September 1960) is a British Conservative Party
politician. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. Gibb was appointed Minister of State for Schools in the newly formed Department for Education
on 13 May 2010.
, Buckinghamshire and was educated at Bedford Modern School
, Maidstone Grammar School
, Roundhay School
, Leeds
, and Thornes House School, Wakefield
. 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.
In 1982, Gibb joined NatWest as a trainee accountant, before working on Kibbutz
Merom Golam in 1983. In 1984 he joined KPMG
as a chartered accountant
until his election to parliament.
at the 1987 General Election
, and becoming the secretary of the Bethnal Green and Stepney
Conservative Association in 1988, becoming its chairman the following year.
Gibb contested Stoke-on-Trent Central at the 1992 General Election
but was defeated into second place some 13,420 votes behind the sitting Labour
MP Mark Fisher
. In 1994, Gibb was selected to contest the 1994 Rotherham by-election
, caused by the death of James Boyce
, held on 5 May 1994. He finished in third place, 12,263 votes behind the winner Denis MacShane
.
Gibb was selected to stand as the Conservative candidate for the newly created West Sussex
seat of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton at the 1997 General Election
. Gibb won the seat with a majority of 7,321 and has remained the MP there since. He made his maiden speech
on 4 July 1997, in which he spoke of the visit of King George V
in 1929 to Bognor Regis
to take in the sea air, hence the suffix of Regis on the town's name. He recalled also the town of Felpham
which was the home of poet William Blake
.
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.
He was briefly a spokesman on environment, transport and the regions following the 2001 General Election
but resigned under the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith
, reportedly because he was unhappy at his new role. Michael Howard
brought him back to the frontbench following the Conservative Party's defeat in the 2005 General Election
as a spokesman for Education and Young People. Shortly afterwards, the newly elected Conservative Party Leader, David Cameron
, promoted Nick Gibb from within the education team to shadow Minister for Schools.
, Gibb was appointed Minister of State for Schools in the new Department for Education
.
as a method of teaching children to read, and is also a supporter of the motor neurone disease
cause, currently being vice-chair of the All Party Motor Neurone Disease Group in parliament.
Just days after being appointed as Minister for Schools in 2010, Gibb was criticised 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".
's political programmes, The Daily Politics
and Politics Show.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. Gibb was appointed Minister of State for Schools in the newly formed Department for Education
Department for Education
The Department for Education is a department of the UK government responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education....
on 13 May 2010.
Early life
Nick Gibb was born in AmershamAmersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
, Buckinghamshire and was educated at Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School is a British co-educational independent school in the Harpur area of Bedford, in the county of Bedfordshire, in England.Bedford Modern comprises a junior school and a senior school...
, Maidstone Grammar School
Maidstone Grammar School
Maidstone Grammar School is a grammar school located in Maidstone, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1549.-Admissions:The school takes boys at the age of 11 and over by examination and boys and girls at 16+ on their GCSE results. The school currently has almost 1200 students and approximately 120...
, Roundhay School
Roundhay School
Roundhay School is a specialist Technology College and Language College in Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Admissions:...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, and Thornes House School, Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
. He then attended the College of St Hild and St Bede
College of St Hild and St Bede
The College of St Hild and St Bede, commonly known as Hild Bede, is a college of Durham University in England. It is the University's second largest collegiate body, with over 1000 students. The co-educational college was formed in 1975 following the merger of two much older single-sex...
at the University of Durham
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in law in 1981.
In 1982, Gibb joined NatWest as a trainee accountant, before working on Kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
Merom Golam in 1983. In 1984 he joined KPMG
KPMG
KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
as a chartered accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
until his election to parliament.
Political career
Gibb worked as an election agent to Cecil ParkinsonCecil Parkinson
Cecil Parkinson, Baron Parkinson, PC , is a British Conservative politician and former Cabinet Minister.-Early life:...
at the 1987 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, and becoming the secretary of the Bethnal Green and Stepney
Bethnal Green and Stepney (UK Parliament constituency)
Bethnal Green and Stepney was a parliamentary constituency in east London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until it was abolished for the 1997 general election.-History:...
Conservative Association in 1988, becoming its chairman the following year.
Gibb contested Stoke-on-Trent Central at the 1992 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
but was defeated into second place some 13,420 votes behind the sitting Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP Mark Fisher
Mark Fisher
Mark Fisher is a British Labour Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central from 1983 to 2010 and Minister for the Arts between 1997-98.-Early life:...
. In 1994, Gibb was selected to contest the 1994 Rotherham by-election
Rotherham by-election, 1994
The Rotherham by-election was held on 5 May 1994, following the death of Labour Party Member of Parliament for Rotherham Jimmy Boyce.Boyce had won the seat only at the 1992 general election, but it had been continuously held by Labour since 1933, usually with a large majority...
, caused by the death of James Boyce
James Boyce
James "Jimmy" Boyce was a British Labour politician.He was a member of Sheffield Council from 1984 and was elected Member of Parliament for Rotherham in 1992, but died less than 2 years later.-Personal:...
, held on 5 May 1994. He finished in third place, 12,263 votes behind the winner Denis MacShane
Denis MacShane
Denis MacShane is a British politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Rotherham since the 1994 by-election and served as the Minister for Europe from 2002 until 2005, as well as being a current Policy Council member for Labour Friends of Israel.On 14 October 2010, it was announced...
.
Gibb was selected to stand as the Conservative candidate for the newly created West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
seat of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton at the 1997 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
. Gibb won the seat with a majority of 7,321 and has remained the MP there since. He made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 4 July 1997, in which he spoke of the visit of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in 1929 to Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It is south-south-west of London, west of Brighton, and south-east of the city of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to the...
to take in the sea air, hence the suffix of Regis on the town's name. He recalled also the town of Felpham
Felpham
Felpham is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. Although sometimes considered part of the greater Bognor Regis habitation it is a village and civil parish in its own right, having an area of 4.26 km² with a population of 9611 people and still growing .The...
which was the home of poet William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
.
Opposition
Shortly after his election, Gibb joined the opposition frontbenchFrontbencher
In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then known as being on the frontbench and are described as...
of William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
when he was appointed as the spokesman on trade and industry in 1997, before joining the social security
Department of Social Security
The Department of Social Security is the name of a defunct governmental agency in the United Kingdom.The DSS replaced the older Department of Health and Social Security, from 1988 until 2001, when it was itself largely replaced as a department of the Government of the United Kingdom by the...
select committee later in the year. The following year, in 1998 he rejoined the frontbench as a spokesman on the treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
, moving back to trade and industry in 1999.
He was briefly a spokesman on environment, transport and the regions following the 2001 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
but resigned under the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
, reportedly because he was unhappy at his new role. Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
brought him back to the frontbench following the Conservative Party's defeat in the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
as a spokesman for Education and Young People. Shortly afterwards, the newly elected Conservative Party Leader, David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, promoted Nick Gibb from within the education team to shadow Minister for Schools.
Government
In the wake of the 2010 general election and the formation of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition governmentPremiership of David Cameron
The premiership of David Cameron began on 11 May 2010 when Cameron accepted the Queen's invitation to form a government. This occurred upon the resignation of Cameron's predecessor as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown...
, Gibb was appointed Minister of State for Schools in the new Department for Education
Department for Education
The Department for Education is a department of the UK government responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education....
.
Views and controversy
Gibb is a longstanding advocate of synthetic phonicsSynthetic phonics
Synthetic phonics is a method of teaching reading which first teaches the letter sounds and then builds up to blending these sounds together to achieve full pronunciation of whole words...
as a method of teaching children to read, and is also a supporter of the motor neurone disease
Motor neurone disease
The motor neurone diseases are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body. They are generally progressive in nature, and can cause...
cause, currently being vice-chair of the All Party Motor Neurone Disease Group in parliament.
Just days after being appointed as Minister for Schools in 2010, Gibb was criticised 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".
Personal life
He is the brother of Robbie Gibb, a former spin doctor who is now editor of the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's political programmes, The Daily Politics
The Daily Politics
The Daily Politics is a British television show launched by the BBC in 2003. Presented by Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn, the programme takes an in-depth and sometimes irreverent look at the daily goings on in Westminster and other areas across Britain and the world, and includes interviews with leading...
and Politics Show.
Publications
- 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
External links
- Nick Gibb MP official Conservative Party profile
- BBC News – Nick Gibb MP BBC profile
- Gibb presents a video on the 2011 exam results, hosted by YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on the Department for Education's official channel