Bim Afolami

Bim Afolami
Born	Abimbola Afolami (1986-02-11) February 11, 1986 Crowthorne, Berkshire, England
Occupation(s)	Politician, former corporate lawyer, financial services executive
Years active	2017–2024 (MP)
Known for	Member of Parliament for Hitchin and Harpenden (2017–2024); Economic Secretary to the Treasury (2023–2024)

Abimbola "Bim" Afolami (born 11 February 1986) is a British politician affiliated with the Conservative Party. He represented Hitchin and Harpenden in Hertfordshire as a MP from the 2017 general election until 2024. Between 2023 and 2024, Afolami held the office of Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

Early life

Afolami was born and grew up in Crowthorne, Berkshire. His father, Samuel, is a Nigerian consultant doctor working within the NHS, who relocated to the United Kingdom in his early twenties.

He attended Bishopsgate School in Surrey before progressing to Eton College, a prestigious independent boarding school located in Berkshire. During his youth, Afolami excelled in athletics, becoming a multiple county champion in Berkshire for the 400m sprint and triple jump. He competed at national levels and reached the final of the English Schools Athletics Championships in 2002. His higher education was completed at University College, Oxford, where he studied modern history, served as librarian for the Oxford Union Society, and played football for the university team.

Initially, Afolami supported the Labour Party but later shifted his political allegiance.

Prior to his parliamentary career, he spent a decade working in London's financial district. His early professional experience included roles as a corporate lawyer at firms such as Freshfields and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Subsequently, he advanced to a senior executive position (Vice President) focusing on restructuring and strategy at HSBC.

Political career

In the 2015 general election, Afolami stood as the Conservative candidate for Lewisham Deptford, finishing second with 7,056 votes. He voted to "Remain" during the 2016 referendum on UK membership in the European Union. After incumbent MP Peter Lilley announced his retirement, Afolami was selected as the Conservative nominee for Hitchin and Harpenden for the 2017 general election. He has described Winston Churchill as his foremost inspiration.

In 2018, Afolami was recognized as one of the Young Leaders by the Franco-British Council. That year, he claimed £2,000 in expenses related to a subscription to the European Research Group. He also took part in the tenth Anniversary UK-China Leadership Forum held in Beijing, which concentrated on strengthening UK-China relations amidst ongoing trade disputes.

Afolami joined the centrist Conservative Reform Group in May 2018 and later became a member of the Steering Committee for the Constitution Reform Group, advocating for the Act of Union Bill 2018 introduced in the House of Lords.

His appointment as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) at the Department for Transport came in September 2018. In December of that year, he supported then-Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit agreement. Throughout 2019, he served as PPS to various Secretaries of State: International Development; International Trade (Liz Truss); and Work and Pensions (Thérèse Coffey). His private member's legislation, known as the British Library Board (Power to Borrow) Act 2021, received royal assent in April 2021. In retrospect, former minister Rory Stewart criticized Afolami’s attendance record during his tenure as PPS at International Development.

In September 2021, Afolami was appointed PPS to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, later transitioning to serve as PPS to Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries. He was named Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Youth in February 2022 but resigned from this position in July 2022 amid controversies surrounding Boris Johnson’s government.

Until November 2023, Afolami chaired PRASEG, an all-party parliamentary group focused on Renewable and Sustainable Energy. His appointment as Economic Secretary to the Treasury followed shortly thereafter. Additionally, he led the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Credit Unions and contributed as a Commissioner for the Financial Inclusion Commission.

Afolami actively supports several charitable organizations: he is patron of Harpenden Spotlight on Africa (which promotes health and education initiatives in Uganda), GRIT (Growing Resilience in Teens), and Tilehouse Counselling—mental health charities within his constituency. Furthermore, he holds advisory roles with institutions such as the Social Market Foundation and Ditchley Foundation.

Following boundary adjustments from the 2023 review, Afolami declared his intention to stand for election in the new Hitchin (UK Parliament constituency) at the upcoming 2024 general election. In May 2023, he reimbursed two driving fines amounting to £80 each that had been previously claimed through parliamentary expenses. In November 2023, he voted against a motion calling for a ceasefire during the ongoing Gaza war.

At the general election held in 2024, Afolami contested Hitchin but was defeated by Labour candidate Alistair Strathern.

Ministerial career

In November 2023, Afolami was named Economic Secretary to the Treasury as well as City Minister, with responsibility for financial services oversight. He set a record as the youngest individual to assume the City Minister position. His appointment garnered positive feedback from City stakeholders, who valued his extensive background in financial services both prior to and during his time in Parliament.

Post-parliamentary career

By January 2025, Afolami had taken on the role of Chief of Staff and Strategy at Acrisure, playing a key part in advancing the American financial services company's development. Concurrently, at age 38, he joined the board of HSBC UK, marking him as the youngest director ever appointed to a UK banking institution.