Editing Mark Simmonds

{{Short description|British politician (born 1964)}}
{{For|the Australian saxophonist|Mark Simmonds (saxophonist)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name = Mark Simmonds
| honorific-suffix = 
| image = High Level Prosperity Partnerships (10950413836).jpg
| caption = Simmonds in 2014
| office = [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Africa]]<br />[[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific]]
| term_start = 5 September 2012
| term_end = 11 August 2014
| primeminister = [[David Cameron]]
| predecessor = [[Henry Bellingham]]
| successor = [[James Duddridge]]
| office2 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br /> for [[Boston and Skegness]]
| term_start2 = 7 June 2001
| term_end2 = 30 March 2015
| predecessor2 = [[Sir Richard Body]]
| successor2 = [[Matt Warman]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|04|12|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Worksop]], [[Nottinghamshire]], [[England]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| nationality = [[United Kingdom|British]]
| spouse = Lizbeth Hanomancin Garcia
| party = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| relations = 
| children = 
| residence = 
| alma_mater = [[Trent Polytechnic]]
| occupation = 
| profession = 
| religion = 
| signature = 
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Mark Jonathon Mortlock Simmonds''' (born 12 April 1964) is a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] politician in the [[United Kingdom]].  He was the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Boston and Skegness]] in [[Lincolnshire]], and was first elected in [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001]], succeeding [[Sir Richard Body]]. He was re-elected in [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005]] and [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010]].

In September 2012 he was appointed to the [[Government of the United Kingdom|Government]] as a [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Asia and the Pacific) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state--23 |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> On 11 August 2014 he resigned this post and confirmed that he would step down as an MP at the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Nicholas |last=Watt |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/11/africa-minister-mark-simmonds-resigns |title=Africa minister Mark Simmonds resigns &#124; Politics |newspaper=The Guardian |accessdate=11 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415024258/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/11/africa-minister-mark-simmonds-resigns |archive-date=15 April 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 2015, he was appointed non-executive director of the [[Alternative Investment Market|AIM]]-listed fertiliser company, African Potash.<ref>{{cite news |title=African Potash appoints former politician to board |url=http://www.mining.com/web/african-potash-appoints-former-politician-to-board/ |accessdate=14 January 2020 |publisher=MINING.COM |date=26 October 2015}}</ref> On 6 January 2020, Simmonds was appointed a non-executive director of the AIM-listed African [[oil exploration]] company, [[Lekoil Limited|LEKOIL]], a week before the company announced that it had been the victim of a US$184m fraud.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/01/13/embarassment-former-africa-minister-mark-simmonds-possible-scam/|title=Ex-minister hired by oil explorer Lekoil left red-faced over fears it has been scammed|last=Millard|first=Rachel|date=2020-01-13|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2020-01-14|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref name="times-scorn">{{cite news |last1=Osborne |first1=Alistair |title=Pouring oil on some troubled waters |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/pouring-oil-on-some-troubled-waters-nrx92glrn |access-date=14 January 2020 |work=The Times |date=14 January 2020}}</ref>

==Early life==
Born in [[Worksop]], Simmonds went to [[Worksop College]], where his father was a House Master, and where his mother also taught, then [[Trent Polytechnic]], where he obtained a [[BSc]] (Hons) degree in urban estate surveying in 1986. He became an associate of the [[Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors]] in 1987. He worked as a surveyor for [[Savills]] from 1986 to 1988 and was a partner in [[Strutt & Parker]] from 1988 to 1996. He was a director of [[Hillier Parker]] from 1997 to 1999 and a chairman of Mortlock Simmonds Brown from 1999 until becoming an MP for Boston and Skegness.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.msblproperty.com/our_people_mark_simmonds.php|title=MSBL {{!}} Retail Specialists in Property {{!}} Mark Simmonds|website=www.msblproperty.com|access-date=2016-06-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624070737/http://www.msblproperty.com/our_people_mark_simmonds.php|archive-date=24 June 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Parliamentary career==
He contested the [[Ashfield (UK Parliament constituency)|Ashfield]] seat in 1997. Simmonds was promoted to Shadow Health Minister in 2007.

On 5 September 2012, he was appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]].<ref>[http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/who-we-are/our-ministers/ "Who we are - our Ministers"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906210937/http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/who-we-are/our-ministers/ |date=6 September 2012 }}. FCO (Official website). Retrieved 6 September 2012.</ref>  In this role, he was also responsible for the [[British Overseas Territories]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2012/09/06/new-o-t-minister-for-cayman |title=New O.T. Minister for Cayman |publisher=Cayman 27 |date=6 September 2012 |accessdate=11 August 2014 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414065711/http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2012/09/06/new-o-t-minister-for-cayman |archive-date=14 April 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> He resigned on 11 August 2014, claiming that he cannot support his family in London on £120k + expenses.<ref name=chris>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11027010/Minister-quits-because-120000-salary-and-expenses-is-not-enough-to-support-his-family-in-London.html|title=Minister quits because £120,000 salary and expenses is not enough to support his family in London|work=Daily Telegraph|author=Christopher Hope|date=11 August 2014|accessdate=12 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811220549/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11027010/Minister-quits-because-120000-salary-and-expenses-is-not-enough-to-support-his-family-in-London.html|archive-date=11 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the ''Telegraph'', although Simmonds legitimately received over £500k from expenses since 2001, changes in the rules following the 2009 [[United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal]] meant he was no longer able to claim mortgage relief on a house in Putney.<ref name=holly>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/11026474/Mark-Simmonds-Expenses-system-gave-Foreign-Office-minister-a-500000-lift.html|title=Mark Simmonds: Expenses system gave Foreign Office minister a £500,000 lift|author=Holly Watt|work=Daily Telegraph|date=11 August 2014|accessdate=12 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813030014/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/11026474/Mark-Simmonds-Expenses-system-gave-Foreign-Office-minister-a-500000-lift.html|archive-date=13 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>  He subsequently sold the house at a profit of £537k and bought [[Swineshead Abbey]] but said it was impossible for "a government minister with children to have a normal family life."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/conservative-mps-expenses/11029709/How-taxpayers-helped-fund-1m-home-of-minister-who-cant-live-on-MPs-pay.html|title=How taxpayers helped fund £1m home of minister who can't live on MP's pay|author=Steven Swinford, and Holly Watt|work=Daily Telegraph|date=12 August 2014|accessdate=13 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813115807/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/conservative-mps-expenses/11029709/How-taxpayers-helped-fund-1m-home-of-minister-who-cant-live-on-MPs-pay.html|archive-date=13 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

He voted against the [[Cameron–Clegg coalition]] government in 2013 on the issue of [[Operation Shader#Airstrikes in Syria|British military intervention]] in the [[Syrian civil war]].<ref>"[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/sep/03/tory-mps-syria-vote-assad-hospitality Nine Tory MPs who did not back Syria strike received Assad's hospitality] ''The Guardian'' September 2013</ref>

Following his decision not to stand again, Simmonds defended charging expenses to the taxpayer purported to total over £10,000 on hoardings and local radio. He claimed the money was necessary to communicate with constituents.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/news/local/mp-mark-simmonds-hits-out-at-ridiculous-story-that-he-has-claimed-more-than-10-0000-in-advertising-back-on-expenses-1-6613545|title=MP Mark Simmonds hits out at 'ridiculous' story that he has claimed more than £10,0000 in advertising back on expenses|date=4 March 2015|accessdate=6 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308174220/http://www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/news/local/mp-mark-simmonds-hits-out-at-ridiculous-story-that-he-has-claimed-more-than-10-0000-in-advertising-back-on-expenses-1-6613545|archive-date=8 March 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The political campaigning website [[38 Degrees]] set up a petition calling for him to pay it back.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/10-000-mark-simmonds-pay-it-back|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402115108/https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/10-000-mark-simmonds-pay-it-back|url-status=live|archive-date=2 April 2015|title=£10,000? Mark Simmonds, pay it back.|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref>

In 2014 he was appointed to the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]], entitling him to the style "[[The Right Honourable]]" for life.<ref name="10Dec14">{{Cite web |title=Orders for 10 Dec 2014 |url=http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/orders-approved-at-privy-council-10-december-2014.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109181220/http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/orders-approved-at-privy-council-10-december-2014.pdf |archive-date=9 November 2015 |access-date=5 August 2022 |publisher=Privy Council Office}}</ref>

==Personal life==
He married Lizbeth Hanomancin Garcia in December 1994 in London, and they have two daughters (born March 1999 and October 2000) and a son (born April 2002). He lives in his former constituency in [[Swineshead, Lincolnshire|Swineshead]] in a house on the former site of [[Swineshead Abbey]].

In 2012 he apologised to Parliament for failing to mention an interest in [[Circle (healthcare partnership)|Circle Healthcare]] when speaking in support of the [[Health and Social Care Act 2012|Health and Social Care Bill]] in Parliament.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17104463 |title=MP apologises for failing to mention interest in health firm |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=21 February 2012 |accessdate=11 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810184156/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17104463 |archive-date=10 August 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Mark Simmonds}}
* {{Official website|https://marksimmonds.uk/}}
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-5786,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Mark Simmonds MP]
* [https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/mark_simmonds/boston_and_skegness TheyWorkForYou.com - Mark Simmonds MP]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXvSvClVc-I Video: Open Road - Mark Simmonds interview], hosted by [[YouTube]]. Mark Simmonds talks about welfare reforms proposed by the coalition Government.

===News items===
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/3096592.stm Concern over gangmasters in 2003]

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Sir Richard Body]]}}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Boston and Skegness]]
        | years  = [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001]]–[[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Matt Warman]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmonds, Mark}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Nottingham Trent University]]
[[Category:People educated at Worksop College]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2001–2005]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2005–2010]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2010–2015]]
[[Category:People from Worksop]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:People from Swineshead, Lincolnshire]]