Bim Afolami facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bim Afolami
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Economic Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 13 November 2023 – 5 July 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Andrew Griffith |
| Succeeded by | Tulip Siddiq |
| Member of Parliament for Hitchin and Harpenden |
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| In office 8 June 2017 – 30 May 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Lilley |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Abimbola Afolami
11 February 1986 Crowthorne, Berkshire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Henrietta (née Jackson-Stops) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Eton College |
| Alma mater | University College, Oxford (BA) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Solicitor, Banker |
Abimbola "Bim" Afolami (born 11 February 1986) is a British politician. He was a Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Hitchin and Harpenden from 2017 until 2024. He also served as the Economic Secretary to the Treasury from 2023 to 2024.
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Early Life and Education
Bim Afolami was born and grew up in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. His father, Samuel, is a doctor from Nigeria who moved to the UK.
Afolami went to Bishopsgate School, a prep school, and then to Eton College. Eton is an all-boys independent boarding school. As a schoolboy, he was a champion in athletics, especially in the 400m race and triple jump. He even competed at a national level.
He later studied modern history at University College, Oxford. While at Oxford, he was involved with the Oxford Union Society and played football for the university team. Before becoming an MP, Afolami worked as a lawyer and then as a senior executive at HSBC, a large bank.
Political Journey
Bim Afolami became a politician with the Conservative Party. He first ran for election in 2015 in Lewisham Deptford. He came in second place in that election.
In 2017, he was chosen to be the Conservative candidate for the Hitchin and Harpenden area. He won this election and became a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is someone elected by people in their local area to represent them in the UK Parliament.
Roles in Parliament
As an MP, Afolami took on several important roles. In 2018, he was named one of the Franco-British Council's Young Leaders. He also joined the Conservative Reform Group, which is a group of Conservative MPs with similar ideas.
He served as a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) in different government departments. A PPS helps a government minister with their work. He was a PPS in the Department for Transport, the Department for International Development, and the Department for International Trade. He also worked for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
In 2021, a special law he introduced, called the British Library Board (Power to Borrow) Act 2021, became law. This law helped the British Library. Later, he became the Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Youth in 2022.
Afolami also led groups in Parliament that focused on specific topics. He was the Chair of PRASEG, a group about renewable energy. He also chaired the group on Credit Unions and worked with the Financial Inclusion Commission. These groups aim to help people with their money and make sure everyone has access to financial services.
He supports many charities too. He is a patron for Harpenden Spotlight on Africa, which helps with health and education in Uganda. He also supports mental health charities in his local area.
Leaving a Party Role
In July 2022, Bim Afolami resigned from his role as Vice Chair of the Conservative Party. He did this during a live television interview due to political issues happening at the time.
2024 General Election
In 2023, Afolami announced he would run for the new Hitchin constituency in the 2024 general election. However, he lost this election to Alistair Strathern from the Labour Party. This meant he was no longer an MP.
Ministerial Role
In November 2023, while still an MP, Afolami was appointed as the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. This role is also known as the City Minister. This job involves looking after financial services in the UK. He was the youngest person ever to be appointed to this specific role. His experience in banking and finance was seen as a good fit for this position. He served in this role until July 2024.
After Parliament
After leaving Parliament in 2024, Bim Afolami took on new roles in the business world. In January 2025, he became the Chief of Staff and Strategy at Acrisure, a large American financial services company.
Also in January 2025, at 38 years old, he joined the board of HSBC UK. This made him the youngest director of a bank in the United Kingdom.
