Greg Clark was first elected as the Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells in 2005, and was re-elected in 2019 with a majority of 14,645.
The constituency of Tunbridge Wells in western Kent spreads out from the town of Tunbridge Wells and its satellite suburb of Southborough, to include the smaller towns of Hawkhurst and Paddock Wood, alongside a number of affluent villages close to the Sussex border. It contains a high number of London bound commuters as well as a large base for the financial services firm Axa.
This seat was formerly represented by the Conservative Northern Ireland Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, and then briefly by the Asda supermarket supremo, Archie Norman. The seat has always backed the Conservatives, as per the “disgusted” of Tunbridge Wells stereotype, but like many other spa towns, it often been at the edges of the Liberal Democrat radar. The Conservatives lost 10 seats in Tunbridge Wells in the 2022 local elections.
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Greg Clarke who hails from the north east was briefly brought back into the Cabinet by Boris Johnson in July 2022, He served as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities between July and September 2022, before being dismissed by Liz Truss.
Clark served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Business between 2016 and 2019, and as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Prior to that he was a junior Minister with responsibility for Universities and Science (2014-2015), the Minister of Construction (2013-2014), Financial Secretary to the Treasury (2012-2013), and Minister for Decentralization (2010-2012).
He is currently the Chairman of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee.
Born in Middlesbrough in 1967, Greg Clark attended the local St Peter’s Comprehensive, South Bank. He went on to study Economics at Cambridge University and was awarded his PhD at the London School of Economics. He was President of the SDP at Cambridge University.
Before entering politics, Greg worked for the Boston Consulting Group, and then for the BBC as head of Commercial Policy He then worked as Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for Trade & Industry – the Rt Hon Ian Lang MP – from 1996 until the General Election in 1997.
Greg was Director of Policy for the Conservative Party from March 2001 for three successive Leaders – William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard.
Clarke lost the Conservative whip having voted against Boris Johnson’s approach to Brexit in 2019. It was restored shortly before the General Election. Clarke was a strong supporter of Britain remaining in the European Union. He supported Jeremy Hunt in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election.
Greg Clark is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Colombia; Italy; Motor; and the Chemical Industry.
Clarke is married with three children.
Email: greg@gregclark.co.uk
Personal Website: http://www.gregclark.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregclarkmp
