Helen Grant (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Grant
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Shadow Solicitor General | |
| Assumed office 6 November 2024 |
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| Leader | Kemi Badenoch |
| Preceded by | Alberto Costa |
| Minister of State for Sport and Tourism | |
| In office 7 October 2013 – 12 May 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Hugh Robertson |
| Succeeded by | Tracey Crouch |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Courts and Victims | |
| In office 4 September 2012 – 7 October 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Jonathan Djanogly |
| Succeeded by | Shailesh Vara |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities | |
| In office 4 September 2012 – 8 May 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Lynne Featherstone |
| Succeeded by | Caroline Dinenage |
| Member of Parliament for Maidstone and Malling Maidstone and The Weald (2010–2024) |
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| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Ann Widdecombe |
| Majority | 1,674 (3.6%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Helen Okuboye
28 September 1961 Willesden, Middlesex, England |
| Political party | Conservative (2006–present) Labour (2004–2006) |
| Spouse | Simon Grant |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Kingswood, Surrey, England Loose, Kent, England |
| Alma mater | University of Hull |
| Occupation | Solicitor |
| Website | helengrant.org |
Helen Grant (born Helen Okuboye on 28 September 1961) is a British politician. She is a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Conservative Party. An MP's job is to represent the people of their local area, called a constituency, in the House of Commons.
From 2010 to 2024, she was the MP for Maidstone and The Weald. After the area's boundaries were changed, she was elected as the MP for the new Maidstone and Malling constituency in July 2024.
When Grant was first elected in 2010, she made history. She became the first black woman to be elected as a Conservative MP. Over the years, she has held several important government jobs, including Minister for Sport and Tourism. In November 2024, she became the Shadow Solicitor General, a role in the opposition party that checks the work of the government's legal officers.
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Early Life and Education
Helen Grant was born in Willesden, London. Her mother was an English nurse and her father was a Nigerian doctor. Her parents separated when she was young, and her father moved to the United States. Grant was raised by her mother in Carlisle, living on a council estate with her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
She has said she had a happy childhood and that her home gave her a good start in life.
A Talented Athlete
As a teenager, Grant was a very talented athlete. At her school, St. Aidan's County High School, she was the captain of the school's tennis and hockey teams. She was so good that she represented her county, Cumbria, in hockey, tennis, athletics, and cross-country running.
She was also a champion in judo. She became the under-16 judo champion for the north of England and southern Scotland.
University and Legal Career
After finishing school, Grant went to the University of Hull to study law. She then trained to become a solicitor, which is a type of lawyer who gives legal advice to people and businesses.
She started her career at a law firm in Carlisle. Later, she moved to Wimbledon and started her own law firm in 1996. Her firm specialised in family law, helping families with legal issues. She said that her work as a lawyer, where she saw the effects of domestic violence, influenced her a lot when she later became a government minister.
Political Career
Grant's journey into politics was unusual. She first joined the Labour Party in 2004. However, she decided it wasn't the right fit for her. In 2006, she joined the Conservative Party.
Before becoming an MP, she worked with the Centre for Social Justice, a think tank, to help create Conservative policies on family issues.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In 2008, the Conservative Party chose Grant to be their candidate for the Maidstone and The Weald seat. This was a big moment, as she was the first black woman selected to run for a "safe" Conservative seat (one the party usually wins).
In the general election of 2010, she won the election and became the MP for the area. This also made her the first-ever black woman to be a Conservative MP.
Roles in Government
As an MP, Grant was given several important jobs in the government. These are often called ministerial roles.
- Minister for Justice and Equalities (2012–2015): In 2012, she was made a junior minister in the Ministry of Justice. Her job was to look after the interests of victims of crime. At the same time, she was also a minister for equalities, working to make sure people are treated fairly.
- Minister for Sport and Tourism (2013–2015): In 2013, she became the Minister for Sport. As a former sports champion, she said that sport was "very much in my DNA." She held this role until 2015.
In January 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed her as his Special Envoy for Girls' Education, a role focused on improving education for girls around the world.
Recent Political Work
Grant was against Brexit before the 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union.
For her work in politics and public service, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours.
In the 2024 general election, she was re-elected to Parliament for the new constituency of Maidstone and Malling. After the election, she was appointed Shadow Solicitor General for the Conservative Party, which was then the main opposition party.
Personal Life
Helen Grant married her husband, Simon Grant, in 1991. They have two sons. One of their sons, Ben, served in the Royal Marines for over five years. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ben travelled to Ukraine to fight against the invasion.
The family has a home in Kingswood, Surrey, and another home in her constituency in Loose, Kent.
