Greg Hands has been appointed the new chair of the Conservative Party. (Picture: Michal Wachucik/PA Wire)
If you struggled to keep up with who was in and out of the cabinet last year, you’re unlikely to be alone.
The resignation of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss in short succession saw politics in the UK go through a genuinely turbulent period in 2022.
With Rishi Sunak now installed in the top job, the relative calm did not last long.
Conservative party chairman and former vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi was removed from his governmental position following an investigation into his personal financial arrangements during a brief spell as Chancellor by Laurie Magnus, the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests.
In his dismissal letter, Mr Sunak said: ‘it is clear that there has been a serious breach of the Ministerial Code.’
It was announced that Greg Hands, MP, would replace Mr Zahawi.
As such, it might be worth getting to know the new Tory party Chairmen better.
Who is new Tory Party chairman Greg Hands?
Greg Hands was born in New York to British parents in 1965, making him 57 years old at the time of writing. His family returned to the UK when he was seven.
He attended Dr Challoner’s Grammar School in Amersham before taking a gap year in Berlin. During this time, he worked at a swimming pool, a department store, and at a Mcdonald’s.
Mr Hands went on to study Modern History at Cambridge University, joining the Tory party while he was there.
After university, Greg Hands worked in finance, specifically on trading floors in London and New York, trading and marketing fixed-income derivatives.
He was first elected as the Conservative MP for Hammersmith and Fulham in 2005 and subsequently for Chelsea and Fulham in 2010. Previously, he served as a local councillor.
While the Conservative Party was in opposition, Greg served as Shadow Treasury Minister.
However, upon taking power in the coalition government, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, and subsequently spent time as a government whip.
Since the electorate returned a Conservative majority in 2015, Greg Hands has had several ministerial roles in various administrations, including Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Minister of State in the Department of International Trade, Minister of State for Climate Change, Clean Growth and Energy at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Rishi Sunak appointed him Minister without Portfolio (Party chair) on 7 February 2023.
Who is Greg Hands’ wife?
Greg Hands is married to Irina Hundt, and the couple have two children.
While he rarely speaks publicly about his family, he told HuffPost about the effect the 2016 Brexit referendum had on them, saying: ‘My wife is German, my children are bilingual, and on the day of the referendum, or the day after, my son – who at the time was nine years old – cried over the result.’
What is Greg Hands’ net worth?
Greg Hands’ net worth is reported to be around $5 million, according to ghbade.com.
Greg Hands, Minister without Portfolio and Party Chairman of the Conservative Party will now attend cabinet. (Picture: Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street)
His parliamentary register of interests lists a house in Germany owned jointly with his wife that was registered in June 2015.
What does a party chair do?
As Chairman of the Conservative Party, Greg Hands also becomes ‘Chairman of the Board’, which also features names like Sir Graham Brady MP, Chairman of the 1922 Committee.
The Conservative Party board is responsible for operational matters within the Tory Party at large.
The party’s website states: ‘The Board is the ultimate decision-making body of the Conservative Party. It is responsible for all operational matters including fundraising, membership and candidates.
‘It is made up of representatives from each section of the Party – voluntary, political and professional.’
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The Conservative Party has a new chairman, and he’s no stranger to government roles.
