Nick Herbert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Herbert of South Downs
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Official portrait, 2010
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| Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice | |
| In office 13 May 2010 – 4 September 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | David Hanson |
| Succeeded by | Damian Green |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | |
| In office 19 January 2009 – 11 May 2010 |
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| Leader | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Peter Ainsworth |
| Succeeded by | Hilary Benn |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Justice | |
| In office 2 July 2007 – 19 January 2009 |
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| Leader | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Oliver Heald |
| Succeeded by | Dominic Grieve |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 8 September 2020 Life Peerage |
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| Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs |
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| In office 5 May 2005 – 6 November 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Howard Flight |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Griffith |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Nicholas Le Quesne Herbert
7 April 1963 Cambridge, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Domestic partner | Jason Eades |
| Alma mater | Magdalene College, Cambridge |
Nicholas Le Quesne Herbert, Baron Herbert of South Downs (born 7 April 1963) is a British politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Arundel and South Downs from 2005 to 2019. He belongs to the Conservative Party.
From 2010 to 2012, he served as the Minister of State for Police and Criminal Justice. This role meant he worked for both the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. In 2019, he decided not to run for re-election. In 2020, he became a member of the House of Lords.
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Early Life and Career
Nicholas Herbert went to Haileybury school. He then studied law at Magdalene College, Cambridge. After university, he worked for the Conservative Party's research department. He focused on rural and environmental issues.
In 1990, he became the director of public affairs for the British Field Sports Society. He stayed in this role for six years. During this time, he helped create the Countryside Movement. This group later became known as the Countryside Alliance.
Campaigning Against the Euro
In 1998, Herbert became the Chief Executive of Business for Sterling. This group was against the UK adopting the Euro currency. He helped launch the "No Campaign" to keep the pound sterling. This campaign was very successful. It helped convince the Conservative Party to promise to "save the pound" in their 2001 election plans.
After this, in 2001, Herbert co-founded a think tank called Reform. A think tank is a group that does research and suggests ideas about public policy. Reform believed that public services could be improved without raising taxes. Herbert was the first director of this group.
Political Journey
Nicholas Herbert first tried to become an MP in 1997. He ran for the Berwick-upon-Tweed seat but did not win. He came in third place in that election.
In 2005, he was chosen to run for the Arundel and South Downs seat. This seat was considered a safe win for the Conservatives. He won the election and became an MP. His first speech in Parliament was on 6 June 2005.
Working in the Shadow Cabinet
After becoming an MP, Herbert joined the Home Affairs Select Committee. This committee looks at issues related to home affairs. In 2005, David Cameron became the leader of the Conservative Party. Herbert was then made a Shadow Minister for home affairs.
In 2007, he joined the Shadow Cabinet. He became the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice. This meant he was the main opposition spokesperson on justice matters. In 2009, he became the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Serving in Government
In May 2010, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition government. Herbert was appointed as a Minister of State. He worked at the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. His main jobs were overseeing policing and criminal justice.
He was also involved in bringing in elected Police and Crime Commissioners. These officials replaced older police authorities. In September 2012, Herbert decided to leave his government role.
Work as a Backbench MP
After leaving government, Herbert continued to be an active MP. He helped create and co-chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global TB. This group works to fight tuberculosis around the world. In 2014, he launched the Global TB Caucus.
In 2014, he also started GovernUp. This was a project that aimed to improve how the government works. He wrote a book called Why Vote Conservative 2015? before the general election that year.
Herbert strongly supported the legalisation of same-sex marriage. He launched the "Freedom to Marry" campaign in 2012. This campaign helped lead to the successful Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. In 2015, he became the first chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT Rights.
In 2016, he campaigned for the UK to remain in the European Union. He was against Brexit before the 2016 referendum. In 2019, he became the chairman of the Countryside Alliance.
In November 2019, Herbert announced he would step down as an MP. He wanted to focus more on his other campaign roles. These included rural issues, government reform, fighting tuberculosis, and securing LGBT rights globally.
After Being an MP
On 1 September 2020, Nicholas Herbert became Baron Herbert of South Downs. This meant he joined the House of Lords. He gave his first speech in the Lords on 1 October 2020.
In January 2021, he was appointed Chair of the College of Policing. This organisation helps train and develop police officers. In May 2021, he was also named the UK's Special Envoy on LGBT Rights. This role involves promoting LGBT rights around the world.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2010
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Herbert as Police Minister speaking at a policing conference, September 2010
