Chris Pincher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Pincher
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Government Deputy Chief Whip Treasurer of the Household |
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| In office 8 February 2022 – 30 June 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson |
| Preceded by | Stuart Andrew |
| Succeeded by | Kelly Tolhurst |
| In office 9 January 2018 – 25 July 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Esther McVey |
| Succeeded by | Amanda Milling |
| Minister of State for Housing | |
| In office 13 February 2020 – 8 February 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson |
| Preceded by | Esther McVey |
| Succeeded by | Stuart Andrew |
| Minister of State for Europe and the Americas | |
| In office 25 July 2019 – 13 February 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson |
| Preceded by | Alan Duncan |
| Succeeded by | Wendy Morton |
| Senior Whip Comptroller of the Household |
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| In office 15 June 2017 – 5 November 2017 |
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| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Mel Stride |
| Succeeded by | Chris Heaton-Harris |
| Member of Parliament for Tamworth |
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| In office 6 May 2010 – 7 September 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Brian Jenkins |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Edwards |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 September 1969 Walsall, Staffordshire, England |
| Political party | Independent (since 2022) |
| Other political affiliations |
Conservative (1987–2022) |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics |
| Occupation | IT consultant |
Christopher John Pincher (born 24 September 1969) is a British former politician. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamworth from 2010 until he resigned in 2023.
Pincher held several important roles in the government. He was the Government Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer of the Household twice. The first time was from 2018 to 2019, and then again from February to June 2022.
He was first elected as the Conservative MP for Tamworth in the 2010 general election. He won the seat from the Labour Party. Before that, he tried to win the seat in 2005. From 2015 to 2016, he worked as a parliamentary private secretary to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.
In January 2018, Theresa May appointed him as Government Deputy Chief Whip. When Boris Johnson became prime minister in July 2019, Pincher was made Minister of State for Europe and the Americas. In February 2020, he became Minister of State for Housing. In February 2022, he returned to his previous role as Government Deputy Chief Whip.
Pincher announced in April 2023 that he would not run in the next UK general election. The Commons Select Committee on Standards investigated his actions. In a report published on 6 July 2023, they said his actions were very damaging to Parliament and to the people involved. The committee suggested he be suspended from Parliament for eight weeks. On 7 September 2023, he announced he would resign as an MP. This led to a special election in Tamworth called the 2023 Tamworth by-election.
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Early Life and Political Start
Pincher was born in Walsall, England. He grew up in Wombourne, Staffordshire. He joined the Conservative Party in 1987.
He was involved in youth politics, becoming deputy director of the Conservative Collegiate Forum. Later, he was chairman of the Islington North Constituency Association. This is the area represented by Jeremy Corbyn. In the 1997 general election, he ran for Parliament in Warley. He came in second place.
Pincher supported Iain Duncan Smith in his successful campaign to become party leader in 2001. In the 2005 election, he first ran for the Tamworth seat. He did not win, but he said he had won the arguments. He had campaigned for more police and better school discipline.
As a candidate, he worked to stop the closure of Queen Elizabeth's Mercian School. He also successfully pushed Persimmon to finish building the Tame Alloys Estate.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Pincher was chosen again to run for Tamworth in the 2010 election. He won the seat with a majority of 6,090 votes. He gave his first speech in the House of Commons in June 2010.
In his first 10 months as an MP, Pincher had one of the highest attendance rates among MPs from the West Midlands. He spoke in 94 debates in his first year. This was the most among MPs from Staffordshire.
Pincher voted in favor of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. This law made same-sex marriage legal in England and Wales.
Key Campaigns and Roles
Pincher campaigned against the building of High Speed 2 (HS2). This high-speed railway was planned to run near Tamworth. He argued that the business case for HS2 was flawed. In December 2010, he said any route through Mile Oak or Hopwas was "not acceptable." The route through Hopwas Ridge was later changed, which Pincher and campaigners welcomed.
He also worked to build stronger ties with Latvia. He met with the Latvian Prime Minister and ambassador. He also opposed moving the clocks forward permanently to Central European Time.
In 2011, he was part of a special committee. This committee looked at the bill that became the Armed Forces Act 2011. He also tried to get the Olympic Torch to pass through Tamworth for the 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay, but it did not happen.
In 2013, he organized a campaign for local people to knit "beanie hats" for soldiers. These were for soldiers of the 3rd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment who were going to Afghanistan. He also helped organize the Tamworth Support our Soldiers (TamworthSOS) campaign. This campaign sent welfare boxes to soldiers for Christmas 2014.
In the 2015 general election, Pincher was re-elected. His majority increased to 11,302 votes.
Government Positions
Pincher rejoined the British government in January 2018 as Treasurer of the Household. He became a member of the Privy Council in November 2018. This is a group of senior advisors to the King.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Pincher as Minister of State for Europe and the Americas in July 2019. During the 2020 British cabinet reshuffle, Pincher became the Minister of State for Housing. He took over from Esther McVey.
On 8 February 2022, during Johnson's cabinet reshuffle, Pincher moved back to his earlier role. He became the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons. Stuart Andrew took over his role as Minister of State for Housing. In July 2022, almost 2,000 people in Pincher's Tamworth area signed a petition for him to be removed as an MP.
Honours
He was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council at Buckingham Palace on 12 December 2018. This means he can use the special title "The Right Honourable" for the rest of his life.
See also
In Spanish: Christopher Pincher para niños
