{{Short description|British politician}} {{About|the British politician|the Irish hurler|Gareth Johnson (hurler)}} {{Use British English|date=October 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Gareth Johnson | honorific_suffix = | image = Official portrait of Gareth Johnson MP crop 2.jpg | office2 = Member of Parliament <br/> for Dartford | parliament2 = | term_start2 = 6 May 2010 | term_end2 = 30 May 2024 | predecessor2 = Howard Stoate | successor2 = Jim Dickson | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1969|10|12}} | birth_place = Bromley, London, England<ref name="Who's Who">{{cite journal|title=Johnson, Gareth Alan, (born 12 Oct.1969), MP (C) Dartford, since 2010|year=2018|journal=Who's Who|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.251404}}</ref> | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = {{marriage|Wendy Morris|1997}} | party = Conservative | relations = | children = 2 | alma_mater = The College of Law<ref name="Who's Who"/> | occupation = | profession = Solicitor | signature = | website = {{URL|http://www.garethjohnsonmp.co.uk}} | footnotes = | caption = Official portrait, 2019 | office = Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Courts | alongside = Mike Freer | term_start = 20 September 2022 | term_end = 27 October 2022 | prime_minister = Liz Truss | predecessor = Sarah Dines{{efn|As Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice.}} | successor = Mike Freer{{efn|As Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Courts and Legal Services.}} {{Collapsed infobox section begin|last=yes|Whip offices | titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey}}{{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes | office3 = Lord Commissioner of the Treasury | prime_minister3 = Boris Johnson | term_start3 = 9 February 2022 | term_end3 = 20 September 2022 | predecessor3 = Craig Whittaker | successor3 = TBC | office4 = Assistant Government Whip | prime_minister4 = Boris Johnson | term_start4 = 20 September 2021 | term_end4 = 9 February 2022 | successor4 = Sarah Dines | prime_minister5 = Theresa May | term_start5 = 5 November 2018 | term_end5 = 14 January 2019 | predecessor5 = Jeremy Quin | successor5 = Alister Jack {{Collapsed infobox section end}} }} }}
'''Gareth Alan Johnson''' (born 12 October 1969)<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59418 |page=8736 |date=13 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/representatives/profiles/35325.stm |title=Gareth Johnson MP |publisher=BBC |work=BBC Democracy Live |access-date=25 July 2010}}</ref> is a British politician and former lawyer who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dartford from 2010 to 2024. A member of the Conservative party, he served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Courts from September to October 2022 in the Truss ministry.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ministerial Appointments: September 2022 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-september-2022 |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=GOV.UK |date=10 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State - GOV.UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state--180 |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=www.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> Johnson previously served as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury from February to September 2022 and Assistant Government Whip from 2018 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Gareth Johnson MP |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/gareth-johnson |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>
==Early life and career== Gareth Johnson was born in Bromley on 12 October 1969, the son of a milkman. He attended Dartford Grammar School.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2009/04/diary-of-a-ppc-gareth-johnson-dartford.html|title=ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog: Diary of a PPC: Gareth Johnson (Dartford)|website=conservativehome.blogs.com|access-date=12 June 2017}}</ref> Before entering politics, Johnson worked in the Magistrates Court Service and as a solicitor in Dartford. He served for a time on the Board of Governors of Dartford Grammar School for Girls.
In local elections Johnson stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate in the Danson ward of the London Borough of Bexley in 1994, before being elected in the Christchurch ward in 1998. He served one term of four years and did not stand for re-election in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bexley Council Election Results 1964-2010 |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Bexley-1964-2010.pdf |access-date=4 August 2018 |publisher=Plymouth University}}</ref> He served as Constituency chairman for the Conservative Party in Bexley.<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Association Chairman returns as Dartford MP | Bexleyheath and Crayford Conservatives |url=http://bexleyheathandcrayford.com/news/former-association-chairman-returns-as-dartford-mp/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128034632/http://bexleyheathandcrayford.com/news/former-association-chairman-returns-as-dartford-mp/ |archive-date=28 January 2016 |access-date=2016-01-22 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
== Parliamentary career == At the 2001 general election, Johnson stood as the Conservative candidate in Lewisham West, coming second with 22.4% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Jim Dowd.<ref name="electoralcalculus2001">{{cite web |title=Election Data 2001 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054450/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}</ref>
Johnson stood in Dartford at the 2005 general election, coming second with 41.1% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Howard Stoate.<ref name="electoralcalculus2005">{{cite web |title=Election Data 2005 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054249/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}</ref>
At the 2010 general election, Johnson was elected to Parliament as MP for Dartford with 48.8% of the vote and a majority of 10,628.<ref name="electoralcalculus2010">{{cite web |title=Election Data 2010 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-date=26 July 2013 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}</ref>
In the 2014 reshuffle he became Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to David Gauke, the newly promoted Financial Secretary to the Treasury.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2014/07/reshuffle-continued-the-full-list-of-every-pps.html |title=Reshuffle (continued): The full list of every PPS |work=Conservativehome.com |date=22 July 2014 |access-date=28 May 2015}}</ref>
Johnson was re-elected as MP for Dartford at the 2015 general election with an increased vote share of 49% and an increased majority of 12,345.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000659 |title=Dartford parliamentary constituency – Election 2015 |access-date=28 May 2015|work=BBC News }}</ref><ref name="electoralcalculus">{{cite web |title=Election Data 2015 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-date=17 October 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}</ref><ref name="electionresults.blogspot.co.uk">{{cite web |title=DARTFORD 2015 |url=https://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/dartford-2015.html |access-date=16 April 2018 |website=electionresults.blogspot.co.uk}}</ref> Following the election, he was made PPS to Matt Hancock, Paymaster General of the Cabinet Office.<ref name="garethjohnsondartford.co.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.garethjohnsondartford.co.uk/about-gareth/ |title=About Gareth - Gareth Johnson - Member of Parliament |website=www.garethjohnsondartford.co.uk |access-date=12 June 2017}}</ref>
Johnson was listed as being the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Dominican Republic in December 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/151223/register-151223.pdf|title= Register Of All-Party Groups|date=23 December 2015 |author=The Committee Office, House of Commons|website= UK Parliament}}</ref> He previously served as the vice-chairman of both the Retail APPG<ref>http://www.parliament.uk/documents/pcfs/all-party-groups/app-register-30-march-2015.pdf p.509</ref> and the British Sikhs APPG.<ref>http://www.parliament.uk/documents/pcfs/all-party-groups/app-register-30-march-2015.pdf p.535</ref> Johnson has also previously been a member of both the Child and Youth Crime APPG<ref>http://www.parliament.uk/documents/pcfs/all-party-groups/app-register-30-march-2015.pdf p.215</ref> and the BBC APPG.<ref>https://meagenda.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/appg-register-at-july-2010.pdf p.120</ref> In January 2016, he led a Westminster Hall debate on congestion at the Dartford Crossing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm160113/halltext/160113h0002.htm#16011321000684|title=House of Commons Hansard Debates for 13 Jan 2016 (pt 0002)|first=Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons|last=Westminster|website=www.publications.parliament.uk|access-date=12 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/883e1244-436c-4e54-a1a8-073f96ec36e8?in=16:00:00&out=16:30:29|title=Parliamentlive.tv|website=parliamentlive.tv|access-date=12 June 2017}}</ref> Johnson previously served on the Justice Select Committee, the Human Rights Joint Committee and the Science and Technology Select Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garethjohnsondartford.co.uk/gareth-johnson-mp-appointed-to-science-and-technology-select-committee/|title=Gareth Johnson MP appointed to Science and Technology Select Committee - Gareth Johnson - Member of Parliament|website=www.garethjohnsondartford.co.uk|access-date=12 June 2017}}</ref><ref name="garethjohnsondartford.co.uk"/>
At the snap 2017 general election, Johnson was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 57.6% and an increased majority of 13,186.<ref>{{cite web |title=Election results for Dartford |url=http://committeedmz.dartford.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=186&RPID=19617117 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601111608/http://committeedmz.dartford.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=186&RPID=19617117 |archive-date=1 June 2021 |access-date=22 July 2021 |website=Dartford Borough Council}}</ref> He was appointed Assistant Government Whip in November 2018, resigning on 14 January 2019 in disagreement with Prime Minister Theresa May's policy for Britain leaving the European Union.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sparrow |first1=Andrew |last2=Sabbagh |first2=Dan |title=Brexit: Tory whip Gareth Johnson resigns because he can't support May's deal – Politics live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2019/jan/14/brexit-latest-news-theresa-may-speech-liam-fox-claims-no-deal-survivable-as-may-launches-last-minute-bid-to-rescue-her-deal-politics-live |access-date=14 January 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=14 January 2019}}</ref>
Johnson was again re-elected at the 2019 general election with an increased vote share of 62.9% and an increased majority of 19,160.<ref>{{cite web |title=Election results for Dartford |url=http://committeedmz.dartford.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=291&RPID=34479411 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121053420/http://committeedmz.dartford.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=291&RPID=34479411 |archive-date=21 January 2021 |access-date=22 July 2021 |website=Dartford Borough Council}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Dartford parliamentary constituency – Election 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000659 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618143409/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000659 |archive-date=18 June 2021 |access-date=22 July 2021 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> He was appointed Assistant Government Whip in the September 2021 cabinet reshuffle. On 9 February 2022, he was appointed Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, succeeding Craig Whittaker.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-11 |title=Latest civil service & public affairs moves – February 14 |url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/latest-civil-service-public-affairs-moves-february-14 |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=Civil Service World |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) - GOV.UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/government-whip-lord-commissioner-of-hm-treasury--13 |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=www.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref>
He endorsed Liz Truss in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Liz Truss backed as next Tory leader by 11 government whips in latest blow for rival Rishi Sunak |url=https://news.sky.com/story/liz-truss-backed-as-next-tory-leader-by-11-government-whips-in-latest-blow-for-rival-rishi-sunak-12674311 |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref>
On 20 September 2022, he was appointed by Truss to be Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice in the Ministry of Justice.<ref name=":0" /> On 27 October, he was dismissed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.<ref name=":1" />
He endorsed Boris Johnson in the October 2022 Conservative Party Leadership Election, but he did not end up standing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tory leadership live: Rishi Sunak passes threshold of 100 supporters as Kemi Badenoch gives her backing – as it happened {{!}} Politics {{!}} The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/oct/22/boris-johnson-rishi-sunak-penny-mordaunt-conservative-tory-leadership-liz-truss-latest-politics-live |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=amp.theguardian.com}}</ref> In March 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed Gareth Johnson as his Trade Envoy to the United Arab Emirates. This was the first time the UK had appointed a Trade Envoy to the UAE.<ref>{{cite web |title=Prime Minister's Trade Envoys |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/trade-envoys |access-date=2023-10-18 |website=Gov.uk}}</ref>
In the 2024 general election, Johnson lost his seat to Labour Party candidate Jim Dickson by 1,192 votes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dartford {{!}} General Election 2024 {{!}} Sky News |url=https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/dartford-178 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=election.news.sky.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == Johnson lives in the village of Hartley with his wife Wendy<ref>{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/110124/part2.htm |title=House of Commons – The Register of Members' Financial Interests – Part 2: Part 2 |publisher=Publications.parliament.uk |access-date=28 May 2015}}</ref> and their two children.
Johnson employs his wife as a part-time Parliamentary Assistant on a salary up to £25,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theipsa.org.uk/mp-costs/your-mp/gareth-johnson/|title=IPSA|publisher=GOV.UK |access-date=4 August 2018}}</ref> He was listed in a 2015 article in ''The Daily Telegraph'' criticising the practice of MPs employing family members, on the lines that it promotes nepotism.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/11706561/One-in-four-MPs-employs-a-family-member-the-full-list-revealed.html|title=One in five MPs employs a family member: the full list revealed|date=2015-06-29|work= The Daily Telegraph|access-date=4 August 2018}}</ref> Although MPs who were first elected in 2017 have been banned from employing family members, the restriction is not retrospective – meaning that Johnson's employment of his wife is lawful.<ref>{{cite news|title=MPs banned from employing spouses after election in expenses crackdown|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/mps-banned-from-employing-spouses-after-election-in-expenses-crackdown-a3520036.html|work=London Evening Standard|access-date=4 August 2018|date=21 April 2017}}</ref>
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == {{commons category}} *[https://www.garethjohnsonmp.co.uk/ Gareth Johnson MP ] Official constituency website *[http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Johnson_Gareth.aspx Gareth Johnson MP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530061036/http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Johnson_Gareth.aspx |date=30 May 2013 }} Conservative Party profile{{UK MP links | parliament = gareth-johnson/3970 | hansard = <!-- mr-gareth-johnson --> | guardian = 5986/gareth-johnson | publicwhip = Gareth_Johnson | theywork = gareth_johnson | record = Gareth-Johnson/Dartford/866 | bbc = 35325.stm | journalisted = }} *[https://www.facebook.com/gareth.johnson.735/ Gareth Johnson on Facebook] Facebook page
{{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{s-bef|before=Howard Stoate}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Dartford|years=2010–2024}} {{s-aft|after=Jim Dickson}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Gareth}} Category:1969 births Category:Alumni of the University of Law Category:Living people Category:People from Bromley Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:UK MPs 2010–2015 Category:UK MPs 2015–2017 Category:UK MPs 2017–2019 Category:UK MPs 2019–2024 Category:British Eurosceptics