Philip Hammond

Philip Hammond, Baron Hammond of Runnymede (born 4 December 1955) is a British politician and life peer who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2016 to 2019, Foreign Secretary from 2014 to 2016, and Defence Secretary from 2011 to 2014.

Hammond joined the medical equipment manufacturers Speywood Laboratories Ltd in 1977, becoming a director of Speywood Medical Limited in 1981.

He left in 1983 and, from 1984, served as a director in Castlemead Ltd.

He worked from 1984 as a company director at Castlemead Ltd – a healthcare and nursing company.

Hammond was the Chairman of the Lewisham East Conservative Association for seven years from 1989, and was also a political assistant to Colin Moynihan, then MP for Lewisham East and Minister of Sport.

From 1993 to 1995, he was a partner in CMA Consultants and, from 1994, a director in Castlemead Homes.

He had many business interests including house building and property, manufacturing, healthcare, and oil and gas.

He contested the 1994 Newham North East by-election following the death of sitting Labour MP Ron Leighton, losing in this rock-solid Labour seat to Stephen Timms by 11,818 votes, Hammond only polling 14.5% of the vote.

From 1995 to 1997, he acted as an adviser to the government of Malawi before his election to Parliament.

He worked as a consultant to the Government of Malawi from 1995 until his election to Parliament.

A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Runnymede and Weybridge from 1997 to 2019.

Born in Epping, Essex, Hammond studied Philosophy, politics and economics at University College, Oxford.

He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 general election for the newly created Surrey seat of Runnymede and Weybridge.

He made his maiden speech on 17 June 1997.

In Parliament, he served on the Environment, Transport and the Regions Select committee from 1997 until he was promoted by William Hague as front bench spokesman for Health.

He was moved to become a spokesman for Trade and Industry by Iain Duncan Smith in 2001, and later transferred to Shadow Minister for Local Government and Regions in 2002.

Hammond served in the Shadow Cabinets of Michael Howard and David Cameron as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2005 to 2007 and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2005 and from 2007 to 2010.

Howard promoted Hammond to his Shadow Cabinet following the 2005 general election as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Following the election of David Cameron as Conservative leader later in 2005, Hammond became the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

He was moved back to the role of Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury in David Cameron's reshuffle following Gordon Brown's accession to the premiership.

After the formation of the Coalition Government in May 2010, he was appointed Secretary of State for Transport and was sworn of the Privy Council.

Hammond was appointed Secretary of State for Transport following the formation of the coalition government on 12 May 2010, a position he held until 14 October 2011.

Upon the resignation of Liam Fox over a scandal in October 2011, Hammond was promoted to replace him as Secretary of State for Defence, before being further promoted in July 2014 to become Foreign Secretary.

On 28 September 2011, the government initiated a consultation on plans to raise the speed limit on motorways from 70 mph to 80 mph, to introduce the new limit in 2013.

However, following criticism, including that modelling predicted a 20+% increase in motorway deaths and would alienate women voters, the plans were dropped by his successor.

Hammond became Secretary of State for Defence on 14 October 2011 when Liam Fox resigned.

As Secretary of State for Defence, Hammond became a member of the National Security Council.

In December 2011, women were allowed to serve on Royal Navy submarines.

The first women officers began serving on Vanguard-class submarines in late 2013.

They were due to be followed by female ratings in 2015, when women should also begin serving on the new Astute-class submarines.

In July 2016, after Theresa May succeeded Cameron as Prime Minister, Hammond was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.

As Chancellor, Hammond suggested that the government may begin a reduction in austerity measures.

In July 2019, he spoke in an interview with Andrew Marr of his plans to tender his resignation to Theresa May should Boris Johnson become the new Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister, on the grounds that, should he be part of the Johnson Cabinet, collective responsibility would require him to support a no-deal Brexit.

With the later selection of Johnson as the next Prime Minister, he tendered his resignation to May.

He had the Conservative whip removed in September 2019 for voting against Johnson's government and subsequently sat as an independent MP, whilst remaining a member of the party.

He did not stand for re-election in the 2019 election.

Hammond was born in Epping, Essex, the son of a civil engineer.

He was educated at Shenfield School (now Shenfield High School) in Brentwood, Essex, where he was a classmate of Richard Madeley.

He then read Philosophy, politics and economics at University College, Oxford, where he was an Open Scholar, and graduated with a first-class honours degree.

He won the seat with a majority of 9,875 and remained its MP until 2019.