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| David Gauke | |
|---|---|
| Name | David Gauke |
| Birth date | 1971-10-8 |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics, King's College London |
| Occupation | Politician, solicitor |
| Party | Conservative Party (until 2019), Independent (2019) |
| Offices | Chancellor of the Exchequer (acting), Secretary of State for Justice (2018–2019) |
David Gauke is a British solicitor and former Member of Parliament who served in senior roles in the United Kingdom between 2010 and 2019. He held ministerial posts across cabinets led by David Cameron, Theresa May, and briefly under Boris Johnson's premiership; his portfolio included work on fiscal policy, Her Majesty's Treasury, and the Ministry of Justice. Gauke left the Conservative Party whip in 2019 over disagreements concerning Brexit and subsequently lost his seat at the 2019 general election.
Gauke was born in 1971 in Barking and grew up in Dartford, attending local state schools before studying law and politics at the University of Exeter and then at the London School of Economics for postgraduate work. He completed professional legal training at BPP University and qualified as a solicitor after attending King's College London for further legal studies. His formative years involved exposure to local Dartford civic life and early engagement with the Conservative Party youth structures.
After qualification, Gauke worked as a solicitor at private firms including Eversheds and provided advice on taxation and corporate law, representing clients in matters touching on HMRC practice and Financial Services Authority regulation. He later joined the civil service as a lawyer at the Ministry of Defence and undertook roles advising on public procurement alongside teams from the Cabinet Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. His legal career brought him into contact with practitioners from the Law Society, barristers at the Inns of Court and advisers linked to Whitehall policy work.
Gauke was first elected as the Member of Parliament for South West Hertfordshire at the 2010 general election, defeating figures from the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. In the House of Commons he sat on committees and engaged with legislation debated alongside MPs such as George Osborne, Jeremy Hunt, and Theresa May. Re-elected in 2015 and 2017, he served as a parliamentary private secretary and junior minister, collaborating with ministers in departments including the Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice, and Treasury.
Gauke served in succession as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury under George Osborne, Financial Secretary to the Treasury under Philip Hammond, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and finally Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor under Theresa May. During his tenure as Financial Secretary he worked on Corporation Tax policy and liaised with officials from the Office for Budget Responsibility and the Bank of England. As Chief Secretary to the Treasury he participated in budgetary negotiations with figures such as Chancellor Philip Hammond and in cross-departmental spending reviews involving the Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, and Ministry of Defence. As Secretary of State for Justice he presided over reforms touching on Crown Court administration, interactions with the Senior Judiciary and the Supreme Court, and worked with the Ministry of Justice civil servants on policy concerning prisons and sentencing.
Gauke was identified with the one-nation conservatism wing of the Conservative Party and advocated pragmatic approaches to Brexit that favored a close relationship with the European Union. His stance placed him at odds with hardline Leave proponents including members of the European Research Group and led to disputes with figures such as Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg. Controversies during his ministerial career included debates over legal aid changes involving the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 legacy issues, public criticism from the Bar Council and the Law Society, and parliamentary clashes over court backlog management with MPs from the Labour and SNP. His decision to have the whip removed in 2019 amid attempts to ensure parliamentary votes on Brexit was publicly debated across outlets aligned with BBC, The Guardian, and The Telegraph.
After losing his seat at the 2019 general election to a challenger from the Labour Party and sitting as an Independent, Gauke transitioned into roles in the private sector and advisory capacities, taking positions with international law firms, think tanks, and consultancy groups that engage with European Union policy, International Monetary Fund, and multinational corporate governance. He has contributed to panels alongside academics from London School of Economics, former ministers from Conservative and Labour backgrounds, and commentators from Chatham House. Honors and appointments include fellowships and listings in legal directories and invitations to lectures at institutions such as King's College London and University of Oxford.
Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Category:British solicitors