Damian Hinds was elected as Conservative Party MP for East Hampshire in 2010, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 19,696.
The constituency of East Hampshire covers the towns of Alton, Bentley, Liphook, Liss and Petersfield close to the Hampshire border with West Sussex. A largely rural and affluent constituency, the southern part of this seat includes an area of the South Downs National Park at the end of the South Downs Way. The seat contains a high proportion of retired voters, and has income and home ownership levels which are way above the national average. This part of England has long been one of the safest Conservative strongholds in the country, and has been held by party ever since 1886.
Hinds was appointed Minister of State at the Home Office responsible for Security and Borders in September 2021. He previously sat in the Cabinet as Secretary of State of Education between 2018 and 2019, but resigned when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister.
Previously he had served as a junior Minister at the Department of Work and Pensions between 2016 and 2018; as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from 2015 to 2016; and as an Assistant Government Whip between 2014 and 2015.
Hinds supported Michael Gove in the 2019 Conservative Party Leadership contest.
Born in 1969, Hinds was grammar school educated in Altrincham, and then attended Oxford University. Before entering Parliament, Damian spent 18 years working in management in the hospitality sector, having worked in strategy and marketing variously for Greene King, Intercontinental Hotels, and Holiday Inn.
Damian Hinds is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Education Technology. He is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Media Literacy; National Parks; Social Media; Wine; South Western Railway; and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community;
He is married with three children and lives in Alton.
Email: damian.hinds.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.damianhinds.com/
Twitter: @damian57
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/damian.hinds?fref=ts
