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 28 September 1961) is a British politician. She is a Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone and Malling. Before 2024, she was the MP for Maidstone and The Weald from 2010.
Helen Grant is a member of the Conservative Party. She became the first black woman of mixed heritage to be elected as a Conservative MP. She has held several important roles in the government. These include being a junior minister for Women and Equalities, Justice, and Sport and Tourism. Since November 2024, she has been the Shadow Solicitor General. This means she is part of the main opposition party, checking the government's legal work.
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Early Life and Education
Helen Grant was born in Willesden, London. Her mother was English, and her father was a Nigerian surgeon. She grew up in Carlisle with her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her parents separated when she was young. Helen did not get to know her father until she was 16 years old.
She lived on a council estate in Carlisle. She has good memories of her childhood home. She said there was pride in the community where she grew up.
Helen was very active in sports at school. She was captain of her school's tennis and hockey teams. She also represented her area in hockey, tennis, athletics, and cross-country. She was even an under-16 judo champion for northern England and southern Scotland.
She studied law at the University of Hull. After that, she trained to become a solicitor at the College of Law in Guildford.
Career as a Solicitor
After her studies, Helen Grant became a solicitor. A solicitor is a type of lawyer who gives legal advice and represents people in court. She started her training at a law firm in Carlisle. Later, she worked in Wimbledon, focusing on family law. In 1996, she started her own law practice, also specializing in family law.
Helen Grant saw many cases of domestic violence during her time as a lawyer. This experience had a big impact on her later work as a minister.
She joined the Labour Party in 2004 for a short time. Then, in 2006, she joined the Conservative Party. She also worked with the Centre for Social Justice. This group helps to create new policies for the Conservative Party, especially on issues like family support.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Helen Grant decided she wanted to become an MP. In 2008, she was chosen to be the Conservative candidate for Maidstone and The Weald. This was a very important step. She was the first black woman to be chosen to run for a Conservative seat that the party was expected to win.
In the 2010 general election, Helen Grant was elected as the MP for Maidstone and The Weald. This made her the first black woman MP for the Conservative Party. As an MP, she represents the people in her local area in the House of Commons.
In June 2010, she joined the Justice Select Committee. This committee checks the work of the UK's Ministry of Justice.
Government Roles and Achievements
In September 2012, Helen Grant was appointed as a junior minister for Justice. She also became a junior minister for Women and Equalities. In these roles, she worked on laws and policies related to justice, and on making sure everyone has fair opportunities.
In October 2013, she became the Minister for Sport and Equalities. This role was a good fit for her, as she had been a champion judo player herself. She held this position until after the 2015 general election.
In January 2021, she was given a special role by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. She became his Special Envoy on Girls' Education. This meant she worked to help more girls around the world get an education.
Helen Grant was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2023. This is a special award given by the King or Queen for great achievements and service to the country.
In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, her constituency changed its name to Maidstone and Malling. She was re-elected as the MP for this new area. In November 2024, she was appointed Shadow Solicitor General.
Personal Life
Helen Grant is married to Simon Juliana Grant, and they have two sons. Their son, Ben, served in the Royal Marines as a commando. He later traveled to Ukraine to help in the conflict there. The family has homes in Kingswood, Surrey and Loose, Kent.
