David Gauke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Gauke
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2017
|
|
|
|
| In office 8 January 2018 – 24 July 2019 |
|
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | David Lidington |
| Succeeded by | Robert Buckland |
| Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |
| In office 11 June 2017 – 8 January 2018 |
|
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Damian Green |
| Succeeded by | Esther McVey |
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 14 July 2016 – 11 June 2017 |
|
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Greg Hands |
| Succeeded by | Liz Truss |
| Financial Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 15 July 2014 – 14 July 2016 |
|
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Nicky Morgan |
| Succeeded by | Jane Ellison |
| Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 13 May 2010 – 15 July 2014 |
|
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Sarah McCarthy-Fry |
| Succeeded by | Priti Patel |
| Member of Parliament for South West Hertfordshire |
|
| In office 5 May 2005 – 6 November 2019 |
|
| Preceded by | Richard Page |
| Succeeded by | Gagan Mohindra |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Michael Gauke
8 October 1971 Ipswich, Suffolk, England |
| Political party | Conservative (1990-2019, 2024- present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (2019–2024) |
| Spouse | Rachel Gauke |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | St Edmund Hall, Oxford University of Law |
David Michael Gauke (born 8 October 1971) is a British political writer and former politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Hertfordshire from 2005 to 2019. Before becoming an MP, he worked as a solicitor, which is a type of lawyer.
David Gauke was part of the Cabinet, a group of senior ministers, under Prime Minister Theresa May. He held important roles like Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor from 2018 to 2019. He was first elected as a member of the Conservative Party. However, in 2019, he became an independent politician after disagreeing with his party on a big issue.
He also served in the government of Prime Minister David Cameron. He was the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from 2010 to 2014. Then he became the Financial Secretary to the Treasury from 2014 to 2016. In 2016, he joined Theresa May's government as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Later, in 2017, he became the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. He was appointed Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor in January 2018. He left this role in July 2019.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Gauke grew up in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. He went to Northgate High School. After school, he studied law at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University. He also studied at the College of Law in Chester. He finished his legal studies in 1995.
Starting His Career
In 1993, David Gauke worked as a researcher for Barry Legg. Mr. Legg was a Conservative MP at the time. From 1995, David Gauke trained to be a solicitor. He officially became a solicitor in 1997. He worked for a law firm called Macfarlanes from 1999 to 2005. There, he focused on financial services law.
In 1998, he became the vice-chairman of the Conservative group in Brent East. He ran for MP in the 2001 general election in that area. He came in second place.
Becoming an MP
David Gauke was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2005 general election. He became the MP for South West Hertfordshire. He won the seat after the previous MP, Richard Page, retired. His first speech in Parliament was on 9 June 2005.
Roles in Government
After being re-elected in the 2010 general election, he was given a role in the government. He became the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury. This job involves helping manage the country's money. He held this position for four years.
In 2014, he became the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. This is another important role in managing the country's finances.
In July 2016, David Gauke became a member of the Privy Council. This is a group of important advisors to the King. This gave him the special title "The Right Honourable." The next day, he was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury. This role is also about managing government spending.
In June 2017, he became the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. This job involves looking after policies related to jobs and benefits.
In January 2018, David Gauke took on the roles of Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor. This made him responsible for the justice system in the UK. He was the first solicitor to hold this important position.
Leaving the Government
In 2019, David Gauke decided to resign from his role as Secretary of State. He announced this in July 2019. He said he could not serve under Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. He was concerned about the possibility of the UK leaving the European Union without a deal.
Sitting as an Independent MP
On 3 September 2019, David Gauke and 20 other Conservative MPs voted against the government. They wanted to take control of what Parliament discussed. This vote was about preventing a "no-deal" exit from the European Union. The government had warned that voting against them would mean losing their party membership.
Because they voted against the government on this important issue, David Gauke and the other MPs lost their Conservative Party membership. This meant they were no longer officially Conservative MPs. They then sat in Parliament as independent MPs.
In the general election that followed, David Gauke ran as an independent candidate in his area. He came in second place. The Conservative candidate won the seat.
After Parliament
After leaving Parliament, David Gauke continued his career. In May 2020, he rejoined Macfarlanes, the law firm where he worked before. He became their head of policy.
He also works as a political commentator. He writes articles for the New Statesman magazine. He shares his views on British and international politics. In May 2024, he appeared on a podcast called The Rest Is Politics.
In 2024, David Gauke supported some Conservative candidates in elections. He also supported some independent candidates. In July 2024, he rejoined the Conservative Party. He encouraged other moderate Conservatives to do the same.
In October 2024, it was announced that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would ask David Gauke to lead a review. This review will look into prison sentences.
Personal Life
David Gauke is married to Rachel Gauke. She used to be a lawyer specializing in corporate tax. They have three sons. The family lives in Chorleywood in Hertfordshire.
He is a big fan of the football team Ipswich Town F.C..
