Damian Hinds


Damian Patrick George Hinds is a British Conservative Party politician who served as Secretary of State for Education from 2018 to 2019. He has been the Member of Parliament for East Hampshire since the 2010 general election.
Hinds served as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from 12 May 2015 until he was made Employment Minister at the Department for Work and Pensions by Prime Minister Theresa May on 17 July 2016. Following the 2018 cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed Education Secretary, succeeding Justine Greening.
Hinds resigned from his government position as Secretary of State for Education on 24 July 2019 following the appointment of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.

Early life and career

Hinds was educated at St. Ambrose College, a Voluntary Aided Roman Catholic Grammar school in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester.
Hinds read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Trinity College, University of Oxford, attaining a first class degree. He served as the President of the Oxford Union.
He stood in Stretford and Urmston at the 2005 general election, coming second to incumbent MP Beverley Hughes, gaining 30.4% of the vote.
Before becoming an MP, Hinds spent 18 years working in the pubs/brewing and hotel industries, in Britain and abroad.
Hinds was Chairman of the Bow Group in 2001–02.

Parliamentary career

At the 2010 General Election, Hinds was elected Member of Parliament for East Hampshire, getting 56.8% of the vote and achieving a swing from the Liberal Democrats to the Conservative Party of 6.6%. The previous Conservative MP, Michael Mates, stepped down at the 2010 General Election.
Hinds sat on the Education Select Committee between 2010 and 2012. He was also a member of the Public Bill Committee for the Defence Reform Act 2014
In January 2018, he was appointed Education Secretary, following Justine Greening, who resigned, rather than changing position.
Parliament lists Hinds' political interests as education, welfare, affordable credit, and social mobility. He has demonstrated a particular interest in the Catholic education sector and the admissions rules that apply to faith free schools.

Education Secretary

During his tenure as Education Secretary Hinds introduced First Aid and CPR courses to school curriculums, and launched a campaign to increase awareness of the importance of technical skills and apprenticeships' education.