Ben Spencer (politician) explained

Benjamin Walter Jack Spencer (11 December 1981)^[1] is a British psychiatrist and Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Runnymede and Weybridge since 2019.

Early life and career

Ben Spencer was born on 11 December 1981 in Liverpool. He attended a state grammar school in the West Midlands. He has a master's in mental health law and a PhD on Decision-Making Capacity.^[2]

Spencer worked for ten years as a doctor for the NHS, specialising in mental health.

Parliamentary career

At the snap 2017 general election, Ben Spencer stood in Camberwell and Peckham, coming second with 12.8% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Harriet Harman.^{[3] [4] [5]}

Spencer was elected to Parliament at the 2019 general election as MP for Runnymede and Weybridge with 54.9% of the vote and a majority of 18,270.^[6]

He is a former member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee.^[7]

On 3 October 2022, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister without Portfolio and Chairman of the Conservative Party Jake Berry.^[8] On 25 November 2023, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party for Campaigning and Candidates – Disability and Diversity.^[9]

At the 2024 general election, Spencer was re-elected as MP for Runnymede and Weybridge with a majority of 7,627.^[10]

On 19 July 2024, he was appointed as Shadow Minister of State for Mental Health, Prevention and Public Health.^[11]

Following the election of Kemi Badenoch in the 2024 Conservative Party leadership election, Spencer was made Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Notes and References

1. Book: Brunskill, Ian. The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. 19 March 2020. 978-0-00-839258-1. 317. HarperCollins Publishers Limited . 1129682574.
2. Web site: Reforming the Mental Health Act. 21 April 2021 . Dr Ben Spencer MP for Runnymede and Weybridge. 23 February 2023.
3. News: Camberwell & Peckham parliamentary constituency . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180103113046/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000615 . 2018-01-03 . 2018-06-22 . BBC News.
4. News: Camberwell & Peckham general election results 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180103113046/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000615 . 2018-01-03 . 2018-06-22 . BBC News.
5. Web site: 29 January 2019 . 7 April 2018 . Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191112183438/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7979/CBP-7979.pdf . 12 November 2019 . . Second.
6. News: Runnymede & Weybridge Parliamentary constituency . 27 November 2019 . BBC News . BBC.
7. Web site: 11 current committee members. 23 February 2023. Work and Pensions Committee, House of Commons.
8. Web site: I am delighted that @DrBenSpencer is joining @conservatives, as my Parliamentary Private Secretary. Looking forward to working with him! . 2022-10-03 . Twitter . en.
9. Web site: Latest civil service and public affairs moves – December 4 . Civil Service World . 4 December 2023 . 14 February 2024.
10. News: Runnymede and Weybridge - General election results 2024 . 2024-07-08 . BBC News.
11. News: Shadow Department of Health and Social Care. UK Parliament.