Kwasi Kwarteng facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kwasi Kwarteng
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Official portrait, 2022
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| Chancellor of the Exchequer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 6 September 2022 – 14 October 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Liz Truss | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Nadhim Zahawi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jeremy Hunt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 8 January 2021 – 6 September 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Alok Sharma | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jacob Rees-Mogg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament for Spelthorne |
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| In office 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024 |
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| Preceded by | David Wilshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Lincoln Jopp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng
26 May 1975 London, England |
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| Political party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Harriet Edwards
(m. 2019) |
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| Children | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Eton College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge (BA, PhD) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  |
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| Scientific career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thesis | The political thought of the recoinage crisis of 1695–7 (2000) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng (born 26 May 1975) is a British politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Spelthorne from 2010 to 2024. He belongs to the Conservative Party.
Kwarteng held important roles in the government. He was the Chancellor of the Exchequer from September to October 2022. Before that, he was the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 2021 to 2022.
He was born in London to parents who moved from Ghana. He went to Eton College and the University of Cambridge. Before becoming an MP, he worked as a writer for The Daily Telegraph and as a financial expert.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng was born in London on 26 May 1975. His parents, Alfred and Charlotte, came from Ghana in the 1960s. His mother is a lawyer, and his father is an economist.
Kwarteng first went to a state primary school. Then, he attended private schools. He went to Colet Court and later to Eton College. At Eton, he was a top student and won important awards.
He studied classics and history at the University of Cambridge. He was part of the team that won the BBC quiz show University Challenge in 1995. He also studied at Harvard University for a year. In 2000, he earned a PhD in economic history from Cambridge.
Early Career and Politics
Before becoming an MP, Kwarteng wrote for The Daily Telegraph. He also worked as a financial analyst for companies like JPMorgan Chase. He wrote a book called Ghosts of Empire in 2011, which was about the history of the British Empire.
Starting in Politics
Kwarteng first tried to become an MP in 2005 for the Brent East area. He finished third in that election. In 2006, he led a conservative group called the Bow Group. The Times newspaper suggested he could become the first black Conservative government minister.
Parliamentary Career
Becoming an MP
In January 2010, Kwarteng was chosen to run for the Spelthorne area. He won the election and became an MP. He was re-elected in 2015 and 2017 with strong support.
In 2014, he published a book called War and Gold: A Five-Hundred-Year History of Empires, Adventures and Debt. This book looked at the history of money and how it can affect societies. In 2015, he released Thatcher's Trial: Six Months That Defined a Leader.
Kwarteng supported the UK leaving the European Union in the 2016 vote.
Early Government Roles
In 2018, Kwarteng became a minister in the department that handled leaving the European Union.
When Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in 2019, Kwarteng was appointed as a Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth. This role involved working on business and energy policies.
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
In January 2021, Kwarteng was promoted to Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This was a very important job where he worked on cutting global emissions to help stop climate change.
Energy Challenges
In 2021, there were high gas prices in Europe. This caused some energy companies in the UK to close down. Kwarteng stated that there would be no power cuts or problems heating homes. He also said the government would not save failing companies.
Chancellor of the Exchequer
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After Boris Johnson resigned in 2022, Kwarteng supported Liz Truss to become the new leader. When Truss became Prime Minister, she made Kwarteng the Chancellor of the Exchequer. This meant he was in charge of the country's money and economy. He was the first black person to hold this position.
On 23 September 2022, Kwarteng announced new economic plans. These plans included cutting some taxes. The changes were called a "mini-budget" by the media. After these announcements, the value of the pound sterling (UK money) fell against the US dollar. This caused some concern about the economy.
Kwarteng was dismissed as Chancellor on 14 October 2022, after 38 days in the job. This made him the second shortest-serving Chancellor. Jeremy Hunt took over his role.
Kwarteng later said that he had warned Liz Truss that her economic plans were "going too fast." He also said it was "mad" for her to dismiss him. In February 2024, Kwarteng announced he would not run for MP again in the 2024 general election.
Political Views
Kwarteng is seen as part of the right wing of the Conservative Party. He is a member of the Free Enterprise Group.
Views on History
Kwarteng believes that people should look at history with more understanding. He has said that modern views on historical events should consider the time period they happened in. He has also called the removal of statues, like that of slave trader Edward Colston, "acts of vandalism."
Economic Ideas
In 2012, Kwarteng wrote a book called Britannia Unchained with other Conservative MPs, including Liz Truss. The book suggested making changes to the welfare state to encourage people to contribute more.
Personal Life
Kwarteng is known for being a private person. He married Harriet Edwards, a lawyer, in December 2019. Their daughter was born in 2021. He lives in Greenwich, London.
See also
In Spanish: Kwasi Kwarteng para niños
