Sam Gyimah
Sam Gyimah | |
|---|---|
| Born | Samuel Phillip Gyimah August 10, 1976 Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, politician |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | Member of Parliament for East Surrey (2010–2019), Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (2018) |
Samuel Phillip Gyimah (; born 10 August 1976) is a British banker and politician who represented East Surrey as a MP from 2010 until 2019. Initially elected under the Conservative banner, Gyimah opposed a no-deal Brexit, which led to his removal from the Conservative parliamentary group in September 2019. Subsequently, he joined the Liberal Democrats and contested the Kensington seat in the 2019 general election, though he was not elected. Currently, he holds a position on the board of Goldman Sachs International.
Between 2014 and 2018, following appointments including Parliamentary Private Secretary to then-Prime Minister David Cameron and government whip, Gyimah advanced to the role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. From January 2018 until his resignation on 30 November 2018, he served as Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, stepping down in protest against Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal agreement.
Early life
Born on 10 August 1976 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, Gyimah is the son of Samuel, a GP, and Comfort Mainoo, a midwife. After his parents separated when he was six years old, he relocated with his mother and siblings to Ghana, where he attended Achimota School in Accra for a decade. Returning to the United Kingdom later, he completed his GCSEs and A-levels at Freman College in Buntingford, Hertfordshire. He pursued higher education at Somerville College, University of Oxford, studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics, and was elected President of the Oxford Union in 1997.
Life and career
Following graduation, Gyimah entered investment banking with Goldman Sachs, departing in 2003 to co-establish Clearstone Training and Recruitment Limited alongside future Conservative MP Chris Philp. In 2005, he earned recognition as CBI Entrepreneur of the Future. However, Clearstone and its associated companies went into administration in 2007 with debts nearing £4 million. In September 2005, Gyimah edited From the Ashes: the future of the Conservative Party, a report for the Conservative think tank Bow Group, where he also served as chairman between 2006 and 2007. His early political attempts included an unsuccessful bid for Kilburn ward in the 2006 Camden Council election and finishing third in the 2009 Gosport Conservative primary behind Caroline Dinenage.
Conservative MP (2010–2019)
Chosen from the Conservatives' A-List candidates, Gyimah secured election as MP for East Surrey in 2010 and delivered his maiden parliamentary speech that July. He became a member of the International Development Select Committee, concentrating on enhancing private sector participation in international development initiatives. Additionally, Gyimah was actively involved in discussions on education policy, employment issues, and campaigns aimed at preserving local green belt areas.
In 2011, collaborating with think tank NESTA, he co-produced a report promoting alternative financing methods beyond traditional banking for businesses. This made him the first MP advocating credit-easing measures to stimulate Britain's economic recovery.
Gyimah served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Prime Minister David Cameron starting in 2012 before becoming a Government Whip in 2013 during the coalition government led by Cameron and Clegg. He publicly supported remaining within the European Union during the 2016 referendum.
As Childcare and Education Minister, he played a role in shaping the Childcare Bill of 2015–2016 that introduced entitlement to 30 hours per week of subsidized childcare for working parents with young children and required local authorities to publish childcare availability data. The bill was enacted into law in March 2016.
In November 2015, Gyimah employed a filibuster tactic against legislation proposing mandatory first aid training in secondary schools, expressing concerns about overburdening the National Curriculum. Later, in July 2016, he initiated Millie’s Mark—a voluntary accreditation scheme ensuring nurseries train all staff members in pediatric first aid.
Gyimah also filibustered the Sexual Offences (Pardons) Bill (commonly called the "Turing Bill") in October 2016. He opposed automatic pardons for all men convicted under historic sodomy laws due to worries about pardoning serious offenses indiscriminately. Instead, he backed a government amendment that granted automatic pardons only posthumously while requiring living applicants to undergo a "disregard" procedure. This revised legislation was passed in January 2017.
Throughout his tenure, Gyimah consistently supported LGBT rights legislation including same-sex marriage across the United Kingdom.
During his time as Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, Gyimah visited numerous campuses engaging with students and academic staff. He emphasized mental health support for students and raised concerns regarding freedom of speech within universities—though some assertions were subsequently clarified by educational institutions and officials from the Department for Education.
On 30 November 2018, Gyimah resigned from his ministerial role citing opposition to Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal agreement which he described as naive and harmful to UK sovereignty. He advocated against that deal and called for an extended Article 50 period coupled with a second referendum on Brexit. Early in 2019 he co-founded Right to Vote, an organization campaigning for another public vote on Brexit.
On 2 June 2019, Gyimah declared his intention to run in the Conservative Party leadership contest as the only candidate supporting a second referendum on Brexit but withdrew on 10 June prior to formal nominations closing.
Loss of Conservative Whip and Transition to the Liberal Democrats
On 3 September 2019, Gyimah, alongside twenty fellow Conservative MPs who rebelled, voted against a government motion led by Boris Johnson that sought to facilitate a "no deal" Brexit by 31 October. This collective dissent successfully thwarted Johnson's intended strategy. As a consequence, all 21 dissenting MPs were deprived of the Conservative whip, resulting in their expulsion from the party and necessitating that they serve as independents. Gyimah openly criticized Johnson’s tactics, highlighting that parliamentarians were confronted with a dilemma between expressing their convictions or retaining their positions. Furthermore, the Conservative Party prohibited these individuals from standing as candidates under its banner in future elections.
On 14 September, Gyimah formally joined the Liberal Democrats and was named their Shadow Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy the following month. During the December 2019 general election, he contested the Kensington seat representing the Liberal Democrats, where he finished third with 21% of the total votes cast.
Post-Parliamentary Career
In August 2020, Gyimah accepted a position on the board of Oxford University Innovation, an organization specializing in technology transfer and consultancy that supports university spin-out companies. The following month, he hosted a programme on BBC Radio 4 addressing the future prospects of higher education in the UK. By October 2020, Gyimah returned to Goldman Sachs as a non-executive director for both Goldman Sachs International and Goldman Sachs International Bank.
Personal Details
Gyimah married Nicky Black in 2012; the couple has two children—a son and a daughter. Black, who was raised in Hong Kong and is originally from New Zealand, served as president of the Oxford Union and has professional experience with mining firm De Beers. She also held the role of director for social and economic development at the International Council on Mining and Metals.
Gyimah has actively supported various charitable organizations through volunteering and fundraising efforts, including Crisis, the Down's Syndrome Association, and St. Catherine's Hospice located in Surrey. His community involvement extends to serving as a school governor, participating on a housing association board, and contributing to Somerville College’s development board. Additionally, he holds the position of Vice-President at Young Epilepsy charity based in Lingfield, Surrey.