Grant Shapps facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grant Shapps
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Official portrait, 2022
|
|
| Secretary of State for Defence | |
| In office 31 August 2023 – 5 July 2024 |
|
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Ben Wallace |
| Succeeded by | John Healey |
| Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero | |
| In office 7 February 2023 – 31 August 2023 |
|
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Claire Coutinho |
| Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | |
| In office 25 October 2022 – 7 February 2023 |
|
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Jacob Rees-Mogg |
| Succeeded by | Kemi Badenoch |
| Home Secretary | |
| In office 19 October 2022 – 25 October 2022 |
|
| Prime Minister | Liz Truss |
| Preceded by | Suella Braverman |
| Succeeded by | Suella Braverman |
| Secretary of State for Transport | |
| In office 24 July 2019 – 6 September 2022 |
|
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson |
| Preceded by | Chris Grayling |
| Succeeded by | Anne-Marie Trevelyan |
| Minister of State for International Development | |
| In office 11 May 2015 – 28 November 2015 |
|
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Desmond Swayne |
| Succeeded by | Nick Hurd |
| Chairman of the Conservative Party | |
| In office 4 September 2012 – 11 May 2015 Serving with The Lord Feldman of Elstree
|
|
| Leader | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | The Baroness Warsi |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Feldman of Elstree |
| Minister without portfolio | |
| In office 4 September 2012 – 11 May 2015 |
|
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | The Baroness Warsi |
| Succeeded by | Robert Halfon |
| Minister of State for Housing and Local Government | |
| In office 13 May 2010 – 4 September 2012 |
|
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | John Healey Rosie Winterton |
| Succeeded by | Mark Prisk |
| Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning | |
| In office 20 December 2007 – 6 May 2010 |
|
| Leader | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Michael Gove |
| Succeeded by | John Healey |
| Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield |
|
| In office 5 May 2005 – 30 May 2024 |
|
| Preceded by | Melanie Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Lewin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 September 1968 Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Belinda Goldstone
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Manchester Polytechnic (HND) |
| Signature |  |
Grant Shapps (born 14 September 1968) is a British politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Welwyn Hatfield from 2005 to 2024. He has held several important jobs in the UK government.
Shapps served as Secretary of State for Defence from August 2023 to July 2024. Before that, he was the Energy Secretary, Business Secretary, Home Secretary, and Transport Secretary. He worked under Prime Ministers David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak. He is a member of the Conservative Party.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Grant Shapps was born on 14 September 1968 in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, England. His father, Tony Shapps, ran a business. Grant's family is Jewish.
He went to Yorke Mead Primary School and Watford Grammar School for Boys. He also studied business and finance at West Herts College and Manchester Polytechnic. He earned a Higher National Diploma.
When he was 21, in 1989, he was in a car crash in the United States. He was in a coma for a week but recovered.
Starting a Business
Shapps began his career selling photocopiers. In 1990, when he was 22, he started his own company called PrintHouse Corporation. This business focused on design, printing, and creating websites. He stopped being a director in 2009 but kept most of the company shares.
Later, he also started a web publishing business with his wife. This was while he was recovering from cancer.
Political Journey
Grant Shapps decided to get involved in politics. He first ran as a Conservative candidate in local elections in Manchester in 1990. He also ran in London in 1994, but he did not win either time.
Becoming an MP
Shapps first tried to become a Member of Parliament in 1997 and again in 2001. He was not successful in those elections.
In the 2005 general election, Shapps was elected as the MP for Welwyn Hatfield. He won with a good majority of votes.
After David Cameron became the leader of the Conservative Party, Shapps was made vice chairman. His job was to help with election campaigns. He was re-elected as MP for Welwyn Hatfield in 2010, 2015, 2017, and 2019.
Before the 2016 EU referendum, Shapps supported staying in the European Union. However, after the public voted to leave, he said he would respect the result. He encouraged other MPs to do the same.
Housing Minister
In June 2007, Shapps became the Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning. This meant he was the main spokesperson for his party on housing matters while they were not in power.
When the Cameron–Clegg coalition government was formed in May 2010, Shapps became the Minister of State for Housing and Local Government. In this role, he worked on housing policies.
- He helped stop a rule called Home Information Pack (HIP) legislation.
- He led a group that worked to prevent homelessness. They introduced a policy called 'No Second Night Out'.
- He supported plans for flexible rent and changed rules about social housing.
- He also started the New Homes Bonus, which gave money to councils that built more homes.
- In 2012, he launched StreetLink, a website and phone app to help rough sleepers.
Conservative Party Co-Chairman
In September 2012, Shapps was promoted to Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party. This was part of a big change in David Cameron's government. His job was to help lead the party.
In this role, he defended some government policies. For example, he spoke about changes to welfare benefits. He also talked about the BBC, saying it needed to be careful with public money.
Minister for International Development
In May 2015, Shapps was appointed as Minister of State at the Department for International Development. This role involved working on international aid and helping other countries.
He stepped down from this job in November 2015.
Secretary of State for Transport
Boris Johnson made Shapps the Secretary of State for Transport in July 2019. He kept this job after a government reshuffle in February 2020.
In this role, Shapps worked on many transport projects. He announced the Active Travel Fund in May 2020, which helped fund new paths for walking and cycling. He also unveiled plans for £250 million investment in cycle lanes and trials for e-scooters.
When the Thomas Cook Group travel company went out of business in September 2019, Shapps was involved in helping more than 150,000 British tourists get back home. The government decided not to give money to the company to save it.
Leadership Bid and Cabinet Roles
In July 2022, after Boris Johnson resigned, Shapps announced he would run to become the leader of the Conservative Party. However, he later withdrew and supported Rishi Sunak.
Home Secretary
On 19 October 2022, Shapps was appointed Home Secretary. This is a very important job, in charge of policing, immigration, and national security. He held this role for only six days, making him the shortest-serving Home Secretary in British history.
.jpg)
Business Secretary
On 25 October 2022, Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister and appointed Shapps as Business Secretary.
Energy Secretary
In February 2023, Shapps became the first Energy Secretary since 2016. This new government department focuses on making sure the UK has enough energy and reaches its goals for clean energy.
.jpg)
Defence Secretary
On 31 August 2023, Shapps was appointed Secretary of State for Defence. In this role, he was responsible for the UK's armed forces and national security. He warned that Europe needed to focus on its own security. He also announced a new plan with Norway to help Ukraine with its maritime (sea) defence.
Personal Life
Grant Shapps married Belinda Goldstone in 1997. They have three children together.
In 1999, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. He had treatment and recovered the following year.
Shapps is a keen pilot and enjoys flying planes. He is Jewish and follows Jewish traditions.
Honours
- He became a member of the Privy Council on 21 July 2010. This gave him the special title "The Right Honourable" for life.
Images for kids
-
Logo for Shapps' leadership bid
See also
In Spanish: Grant Shapps para niños
