David Gauke

David Michael Gauke PC MP (/ɡɔːk/; born 8 October 1971) is a British Conservative Party politician and solicitor. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Hertfordshire and current Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Gauke was educated at Northgate High School in Ipswich, Suffolk before attending St Edmund Hall, Oxford where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in law in 1993, and the College of Law in Chester where he graduated in legal practice in 1995.

He was a researcher to the Conservative MP for Milton Keynes South West Barry Legg in 1993. He worked as a trainee solicitor with Richards Butler from 1995, being admitted as a solicitor in 1997. From 1999 to 2005, he was a solicitor in the financial services group at Macfarlanes, a corporate law firm.

Gauke was elected as the vice chairman of the Brent East Conservative Association for two years from 1998, and contested the seat at the 2001 general election finishing in second place 13,047 votes behind the Labour MP Paul Daisley. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 2005 general election for Hertfordshire South West following the retirement of Richard Page. Gauke won the seat with a majority of 8,473, making his maiden speech on 9 June 2005.

Following his election he served as a member of the Procedure Select Committee between 2005 and 2008. Gauke was a member of the Treasury Select Committee between 2006 and 2007 before joining the Opposition frontbench as a shadow Treasury minister.

Following his re-election at the 2010 general election, he was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury.

In December 2013 Gauke was reported to HM Revenue and Customs after advertising an unpaid six-month "training post" at his constituency office in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.

On 13 July 2016 Gauke was made a member of the Privy Council.

On 14 July 2016 Gauke was made Chief Secretary to the Treasury as part of Theresa May's ministry.

Expenses

Gauke claimed £10,248.32 in stamp duty and fees involved in the purchase of his second home in London, a flat. A Channel 4 Dispatches programme revealed that he was claiming expenses on the flat in central London despite having a property located only one hour away on public transport.

Gauke sold the flat in August 2012, keeping £27,000, the property price having increased by £67,000 since purchase. He paid nearly £40,000 of this to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) as MPs only have to pay back any profit made in the previous two years

He told the UK public that negotiating a price discount with a tradesmen for paying in cash for the purposes of evading tax is morally wrong.

Gauke is married to Rachel, who is a professional support lawyer specialising in corporate tax at legal research provider LexisNexis. They have three sons and live in Chorleywood. He is a lifelong supporter of Ipswich Town F.C.