Ben Gummer

Main article: Tax statements

In 2012, Gummer proposed annual tax statements intended to show itemised spending per department in proportion to the amount the taxpayer paid in the year to date. ^[25] Gummer's proposal was favourably received by the press in the UK and in the US by the Wall Street Journal ^[26] It was included in the 2012 Budget and due for introduction in 2014 with George Osborne calling it "an excellent idea". ^[27] The TaxPayers' Alliance subsequently honoured Gummer as their 'Pin-Up of the Month'. ^[28]

It was also supported by the prime minister. Gummer's breakdown showed that someone with a salary of £25,500 in 2012 would be paying for the following through their income tax and national insurance contributions:

• £2,080 on pensions and benefits (including £212 on housing benefit and £296 on incapacity benefits);
• £1,094 on the NHS;
• £824 on education;
• £339 on defence;
• £160 on the police;
• £92 on roads;
• £71 on railway;
• £59 on overseas aid;
• £44 on prisons; and
• £28 to the European Union.

Gummer emphasised that this would help refute suggestions that most taxation goes to the EU, Africa or Trident. ^[29]

Public debt management

In the financial dailies City AM ^[30] and the Financial Times ^[31] Gummer has called for Swedish style fiscal rules. While other MPs argued for a 'deficit ceiling', ^[32] Gummer argued instead that the government should change the way it sets budgets, ensuring a budget surplus over the medium term. To this end, in the 2012–13 session of Parliament he introduced a Private Members' Bill titled the 'Public Debt Management Bill', the aim of which was to introduce rule whereby the Chancellor of the Exchequer must ensure that the budget is in surplus by at least 1% of over the course of each business cycle. ^[33] The bill was not taken forward, although in 2015 rules along similar lines, with the Office for Budget Responsibility involved in the way Gummer's bill suggested, were adopted by the government. ^[34]

Renaming National Insurance

In February 2014, Gummer brought in a ten minute rule bill to rename National Insurance contributions as an Earnings Tax. ^[35] Although back-benchers were reported to be enthusiastic, the Treasury, which had launched a consultation exercise on it in 2011, is believed to have considered it too expensive. ^[36]

Parliamentary Private Secretary

In May 2012, Gummer was appointed Parliamentary Adviser to Andrew, Lord Feldman, the Conservative Party co-chairman, helping him to develop the relationship between Conservative Campaign Headquarters and Conservative MPs. ^[37] In September 2012, Gummer was promoted to Parliamentary Private Secretary to Alan Duncan, Minister of State for International Development, in the government reshuffle. ^[38] Duncan was responsible for Asia, the Middle East, Caribbean and Overseas Territories, International Finance, International Relations (except the EU), Trade, and Corporate Performance Divisions.^{[ citation needed ]}

In October 2013, he became PPS to the Education Secretary, Michael Gove. ^[39] Following the 2014 reshuffle, Gummer became PPS to Nicky Morgan. In May 2015 he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health. ^[40]

Health Minister

Following the 2015 general election, Gummer became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Care Quality in the Department of Health, one of the broadest junior ministerial briefs. Gummer's ministerial responsibilities included NHS hospitals, the NHS workforce, maternity care, patient safety and end of life care. Gummer's achievements include a new strategy to deal with high levels of stillbirths, ^[41] the government commitment to ensure high quality, compassionate end of life care across the health system by 2020 ^[42] and the introduction of reforms to nursing training and bursaries, which aim to create 10,000 more nursing, midwifery and allied health degree places and launching a consultation on a new nursing associate role. ^[43] His ministerial role also involved him in the Junior Doctors' contract dispute and negotiations with the chair of the BMA junior doctors' committee Dr Johann Malawana. Gummer claimed that the new contract was "fair to all, including protected groups, whilst recognising the importance of the contract continuing to be built on equal pay principles". ^[44] After a series of strikes the BMA returned to the negotiating table and agreed a deal with the government, although its membership rejected the deal, leading to Dr Malawana's resignation. ^[45]

Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General

In July 2016, Gummer was promoted by new prime minister Theresa May to the position of Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General. His ministerial responsibilities included the development, co-ordination and implementation of government policy, management of the functions of government (people, digital, property, procurement and security), oversight of the civil service, constitutional issues, the resilience of the UK's infrastructure and cyber security. A profile of Gummer by Andrew Gimson for Conservative Home described him as "the most important minister whose role you've never heard of…Gummer enjoys the confidence of May and her advisers, who describe him as 'first class'". ^[46]

Constituency projects

Upper Orwell Crossings

In October 2014, Gummer launched the campaign for a new Wet Dock Crossing, as the project was called at the time. ^{[47] [48]} The project consists of three proposed new crossings to the River Orwell close to Ipswich town centre. The purpose of the crossings is to facilitate regeneration and reduce congestion in the town. ^[49] £2 million were awarded by the Government in the 2015 budget to allow detailed plans for the project to be drawn up. ^{[50] [51]} The business case for the crossings, which noted that for every £1 invested, the scheme would yield £5.73 of direct benefits ^[52] was submitted to the governmental administration in January 2016. Gummer lobbied Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne for the money needed^{[ citation needed ]} and in the budget 2016, Osborne announced that the government would be funding the crossings. ^[53]

The project was subsequently renamed the Upper Orwell Crossings. ^[54] Some of the project's supporters include: The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, Ipswich Borough Council, The University of Suffolk, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, Associated British Ports (the landowner), and Suffolk County Council who are responsible for delivering the project. ^[55]

Railways

Gummer lobbied the Chancellor of the Exchequer for £500 million of investment into East Anglia's railways, along with Norwich North MP Chloe Smith and Witham MP Priti Patel, ^[56] and has called for caps on rail fare increases. ^[57]

After politics

In January 2018, Gummer joined McKinsey & Company, and the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University. As of June 2018, he had not spoken in public since the 2017 election. ^[58]

Personal life

Gummer is married to Sarah Langford, a barrister in criminal and family law. They have two sons. ^[59]

The Right Honourable Ben Gummer
Gummer in 2016
Minister for the Cabinet Office
In office 14 July 2016 –11 June 2017

Coat of arms of Ben Gummer

Crest A cock wings elevated and addorsed Or beaked and combed jelloped and legged Gules grasping in the dexter claws a lily of the valley Argent slipped and leaved Or. Escutcheon Gules a cross potent nowy quadrate Argent between four escallops fukes inwards Or. Motto Duc In Altum (Put Out Into The Deep) [60]

Works

• The Scourging Angel: The Black Death in the British Isles. London: The Bodley Head. 2009. ISBN   9780224077675.

References

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2. "Benedict Michael GUMMER – Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
3. "Ben Gummer Summary of Appointments".
4. "Vision for building beautiful places set out at landmark design event".
5. "Who's Who". Ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
6. "The Black Death in the British Isles – a book by Benedict Gummer". The Scourging Angel. Archived from the original on 31 July 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
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8. "The Scourging Angel". Andrew Lownie Literary Agency. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
9. "My books of the year". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
10. White, Roland (19 August 2007). "Ben Gummer has been selected to contest Ipswich for the Tories". The Sunday Times . London. p. 17.
11. "Tony Benn is not the only man with a family dynasty". London Evening Standard . London. 2 October 2007. p. 1.
12. "Ben Gummer fighting for Ipswich". electionleaflets.org. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
13. "Harman must put up or keep quiet". East Anglian Daily Times. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
14. Paul Geater (24 April 2017). "Election 2017: Ipswich MP Gummer writing Tory manifesto for 2017 General Election". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
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22. Andrew Sparrow (5 February 2013). "MPs vote in favour of gay marriage: Politics live blog". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
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24. "Ipswich Star".
25. "House of Commons Hansard Debates". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
26. "Ben Gummer: Where Do Your Taxes Go?". The Wall Street Journal. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
27. Giles, Chris. "Taxpayers to receive personal statements". Financial Times. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
28. "TaxPayers' Alliance announces March's Pin-Up and Pinhead of the Month". Us1.campaign-archive1.com. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
29. Deborah McGurran (21 March 2012). "Success for Ipswich MP's tax plans". BBC. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
30. "Britain needs a Swedish-style fiscal rule to end its yearly Budget farce". City A.M. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
31. Gummer, Ben. "Struggle against public debt must go on". Financial Times. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
32. "Sajid Javid MP: Come on then Ed, back my National Debt Cap Bill now | Conservative Home". Conservative Home. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
33. publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2012-2013/0029/cbill_2012-20130029_en_2.htm#l1g1.
34. Wintour, Patrick, ed. (14 October 2015). "George Osborne's fiscal charter passes as 21 Labour MPs defy whip". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 7 May 2017.
35. Huysman, Margot (24 February 2014). "Conservative backbencher Ben Gummer wants to rename National Insurance". The Independent. London.
36. Mason, Rowena (30 June 2014). "No 10 plays down Tory idea to merge national insurance and income tax". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
37. "The Conservative Party | Lord Feldman appoints Ben Gummer MP as his Parliamentary Adviser". Conservative Partys.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
38. "Good day for the Gummers". East Anglian Daily Times . Ipswich. 13 September 2012.
39. Kilpatrick, Tom (17 October 2013). "MP Gummer's new role as aide to Michael Gove". East Anglian Daily Times . Ipswich.
40. Grant, Katie (13 May 2015). "New health minister opposed to abortion urged to reconsider stance 'that does not reflect the view of the electorate'". The Independent. London. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
41. "Infant death rate 'lowest ever'". BBC News. 19 April 2016.
42. "Government commits to high quality end of life care – GOV.UK". gov.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
43. Gummer, Ben (23 February 2016). "Bursary reform is good for students, nurses and the NHS". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 5 May 2017.
44. . nationalhealthexecutive.com http://www.nationalhealthexecutive.com/Health-Care-New/junior-doctors-contract-is-fair-to-all--ben-gummer . Retrieved 8 May 2017.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
45. "Junior doctors' contract to be forced through after vote to reject new deal". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
46. "Profile: Ben Gummer – the most important Minister whose role you've never heard of | Conservative Home". Conservative Home. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
47. Geater, Paul. "Video: New "Enterprise Island" could transform Ipswich Waterfront". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
48. "Ipswich Waterfront plan 'critical to town's future'". BBC News. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
49. "Upper Orwell Crossings proposal | Suffolk County Council". suffolk.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
50. "Budget 2015" (PDF). gov.uk.
51. Geater, Paul. "Government pledges £2 million for Ipswich wet dock link". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
52. "Suffolk County Council – Wet Dock Crossing Business Case" (PDF).^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
53. "Budget 2016" (PDF).
54. "Ipswich's wet dock crossing gets go-ahead in chancellor's budget". BBC News. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
55. "Upper Orwell Crossings – Final Business Case" (PDF).^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
56. "East Anglia: Rail transformation on the way". East Anglian Daily Times. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
57. "Suffolk/Ipswich: MP Ben Gummer to lead the calls for no 3.5% rail fare increases". East Anglian Daily Times. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
58. "Sarah Langford on life at the bar, a harrowing election loss, and her new book". 27 June 2018.
59. "MP Ben Gummer and his wife Sarah celebrate arrival of their first baby – and it is a boy". Ipswich Star. 18 September 2014. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
60. Debrett's Peerage. 2019. p. 2288.

External links

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Chris Mole	Member of Parliament for Ipswich 2010–2017	Succeeded by Sandy Martin
Political offices
Preceded by Matt Hancock	Minister for the Cabinet Office 2016–2017	Succeeded by Damian Green
	Paymaster General 2016–2017	Succeeded by Mel Stride