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'''Sir Simon Richard Clarke'''<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=61961 |date=19 June 2017 |pages=11783–4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=9 June 2023 |title=Boris Johnson resignation honours list published |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-65861936 |access-date=9 June 2023}}</ref> (born 28 September 1984) is a British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] politician who has been the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (UK Parliament constituency)|Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland]] since [[2017
Following [[Boris Johnson]]'s appointment as Prime Minister, Clarke was appointed [[Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury]]. He served as [[Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government]] from February to September 2020. In the [[2021 British cabinet reshuffle|2021 cabinet reshuffle]] he was returned to Government as [[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]], becoming the youngest cabinet minister in that ministry. After Johnson resigned in 2022, Clarke supported [[Liz Truss]]'s bid to become Conservative leader. Following Truss's appointment as Prime Minister, he was appointed [[Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities]], a post he held for 49 days until his resignation prior to the accession of [[Rishi Sunak]] to the Prime Ministership.
== Early life and education ==
Simon Clarke was born on 28 September 1984 in [[University Hospital of North Tees]] and grew up in the suburb of [[Marton, Middlesbrough|Marton]], Middlesbrough. His parents Richard and Jill Clarke were a solicitor and stay-at-home mother.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.simon-clarke.org.uk/about-simon-clarke|title=About Simon Clarke|website=Simon Clarke|access-date=14 June 2017}}</ref><ref name="gazettelive1"/> He was privately educated at [[Red House School]] in [[Norton, County Durham|Norton]],<ref>{{Who's Who | title=Clarke, Simon Richard| id = U2895145| volume = 2018 | edition = February 2018 online | access-date = 13 February 2018 }}</ref> before going on to study History at [[University College, Oxford]]. At university, he was chairman of the [[Oxford University Conservative Association]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ouconservatives.com/past-presidents |title=Past Presidents |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=Oxford University Conservative Association |publisher= |access-date=11 March 2022 }}</ref>
==
Clarke unsuccessfully stood as the Conservative candidate for the [[Middlesbrough (UK Parliament constituency)|Middlesbrough]] constituency at the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]], coming third of five candidates with 16.5%, a swing against his party of 2.3%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000819|title=Election 2017: Middlesbrough|publisher=BBC|date=17 May 2017|access-date=28 July 2023}}</ref> Whilst being employed as a Policy Advisor to the Conservative MP [[Graham Stuart (politician)|Graham Stuart]], he was selected as the candidate for [[Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (UK Parliament constituency)|Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland]] in April 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2017/04/docherty-wins-aldershot-watling-back-for-clacton-latest-candidate-selection-news.html|title=Ford is selected in Chelmsford. Bennett withdraws from Saffron Walden. Latest candidate selection news|date=29 April 2017 |publisher=Conservative Home|access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref> He was elected at the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]],<ref name="gazettelive1">{{cite news |first=Ian |last=Johnson |url=http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/who-simon-clarke-teesside-tory-13160040 |title=Who is Simon Clarke? Teesside Tory MP who loves George Boateng and was nicknamed 'Stilts' at school |work=Teesside Live |date=9 June 2017 |access-date=9 June 2017}}</ref> winning the seat from [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] after the sitting MP [[Tom Blenkinsop]] stood down.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/teesvalley/redcar/15338071.Middlesbrough_South_and_East_Cleveland_elects_Conservative_Simon_Clarke/ |title=Labour seat goes blue as Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland elects Conservative Simon Clarke |work=The Northern Echo |last=Hetherington |first=Graeme |date=9 June 2017 |access-date=9 June 2017}}</ref>
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