Philip Hammond

Philip Hammond (born December 4, 1955) British politician. He is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Runnymede and Weybridge and the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Philip Hammond was born in Epping, Essex, the son of a civil engineer, and educated at Shenfield School, Brentwood, Essex and the University College, Oxford where he was awarded a master's degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He joined the medical equipment manufacturers Speywood Laboratories Ltd in 1977 becoming, in 1981 a director of Speywood Medical Ltd. where, in 1982, an automatic electrocardiograph electrode manufacturing plant figured amongst his notable achievements of the time. He has many business interests including house building. He has acted as an economics consultant to the World Bank in Washington, D.C. since 1986, and was a consultant to the government of Malawi from 1995 until his election to parliament.

He was the chairman of the Lewisham East Conservative Association for seven years from 1989 and contested the 1994 Newham North East by-election caused by the death of the sitting Labour Ron Leighton, losing to Labour's Stephen Timms by 11,818 votes. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 General Election for the new Surrey seat of Runnymede and Weybridge. He won the seat with a majority of 9,875 and has remained the MP there since. He made his maiden speech on June 17, 1997, reminding that it was in his constituency at Runnymede in 1215 when King John signed the Magna Carta, that the basis of constitutional government in England began to emerge.[1]

In parliament he served on the environment, transport and the regions select committee from 1997 until he was promoted to the frontbench by William Hague in 1998 as a spokesman on health. He was moved to become a spokesman on trade and industry by Iain Duncan Smith in 2001, moving to speak on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's responsiblities by Michael Howard in 2003. Howard promoted Hammond to the shadow cabinet following the 2005 general election as the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Following the election of David Cameron later in 2005, he became the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which capacity he currently serves.

He has been married to Susan Carolyn Williams-Walker since 1991 and they have a son and two daughters.

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