# Robert Syms > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Robert_Syms > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Robert_Syms.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Syms > Source revision: 1351781139 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|British Conservative politician}} {{Distinguish|Robert Simms (disambiguation){{!}}Robert Simms}} {{Use British English|date=October 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Robert Syms | image = Official portrait of Sir Robert Syms MP crop 2.jpg | caption = | office = [Lord Commissioner of the Treasury](/source/Lord_Commissioner_of_the_Treasury) | prime_minister = [Theresa May](/source/Theresa_May) | term_start = 17 July 2016 | term_end = 15 June 2017 | predecessor = [Charlie Elphicke](/source/Charlie_Elphicke) | successor = [Mark Spencer](/source/Mark_Spencer_(British_politician)) | office1 = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom))
for [Poole](/source/Poole_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) | parliament1 = | term_start1 = 1 May 1997 | term_end1 = 30 May 2024 | predecessor1 = [John Devereux Ward](/source/John_Devereux_Ward) | successor1 = [Neil Duncan-Jordan](/source/Neil_Duncan-Jordan) | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|08|15|df=yes}} | birth_place = [Chippenham](/source/Chippenham%2C_Wiltshire), [Wiltshire](/source/Wiltshire), [England](/source/England) | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Nicola Guy
|1991|1999|end=div}} * {{marriage|Fiona Mellersh
|2000|2016|end=div}} }} | party = [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) | relations = | children = 2 | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | signature = | footnotes = | website = | honorific_prefix = Sir }} '''Sir Robert Andrew Raymond Syms''' (born 15 August 1956) is a [Conservative Party](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) politician who was the [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) (MP) for [Poole](/source/Poole_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) from [1997](/source/1997_United_Kingdom_general_election) to [2024](/source/2024_United_Kingdom_general_election). He received a [knighthood](/source/Knight_bachelor) in 2017. ==Early life and career == Robert Syms was born on 15 August 1956 in [Chippenham](/source/Chippenham), [Wiltshire](/source/Wiltshire), and went to [Collegiate School](/source/Collegiate_School_(Bristol)), a [private](/source/Private_school) school in [Bristol](/source/Bristol).{{cite web|title=Robert Syms|url=http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/robert-andrew-raymond-syms|website=Politics.co.uk|access-date=10 August 2016|archive-date=18 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818230848/http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/robert-andrew-raymond-syms|url-status=dead}} He was leader of [North Wiltshire District Council](/source/North_Wiltshire) from 1984 to 1987 and a [Wiltshire County Council](/source/Wiltshire_County_Council)lor from 1985 to 1997. Syms has also been managing director of his family's plant hire firm on Bristol Road in Chippenham, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building. He retains a directorship and shareholding in Marden Holdings Ltd, headquartered in Bristol Road, Chippenham.{{cite web |title=House of Commons - The Register of Members' Financial Interests 5 Mar 2012 |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/120305/syms_robert.htm |access-date=21 March 2012 |work=UK Parliament website |publisher=UK Parliament}} ==Parliamentary career== At the [1992 general election](/source/1992_United_Kingdom_general_election), Syms stood as the [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) candidate in [Walsall North](/source/Walsall_North_(UK_Parliament_constituency)), coming second with 39.4% of the vote behind the incumbent [Labour](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) MP [David Winnick](/source/David_Winnick).{{cite web |title=Election Data 1992 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1992ob.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054418/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1992ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=[Electoral Calculus](/source/Electoral_Calculus)}}{{cite web |date=9 April 1992 |title=Politics Resources |url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm |access-date=2010-12-06 |work=Election 1992 |publisher=Politics Resources}} Syms was elected to Parliament as MP for [Poole](/source/Poole_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) at the [1997 general election](/source/1997_United_Kingdom_general_election) with 42.1% of the vote and a majority of 5,298.{{cite web |title=Election Data 1997 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054424/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=[Electoral Calculus](/source/Electoral_Calculus)}} At the [2001 general election](/source/2001_United_Kingdom_general_election), Syms was re-elected as MP for Poole with an increased vote share of 45.1% and an increased majority of 7,166.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2001 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt |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](/source/Electoral_Calculus)}} He was again re-elected at the [2005 general election](/source/2005_United_Kingdom_general_election), with a decreased vote share of 43.4% and a decreased majority of 5,988.{{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](/source/Electoral_Calculus)}} In May 2009, ''[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)'' reported that Syms had claimed more than £2,000 of furniture for his designated second home in London which was delivered to his parents' address in Wiltshire.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5339776/Robert-Syms-had-furniture-delivered-to-wrong-home-MPs-expenses.html|title=Robert Syms had furniture delivered to 'wrong home': MPs' expenses|last=Gammell|first=Caroline|work=Telegraph.co.uk|date=18 May 2009|access-date=3 May 2017|language=en}} Syms denied any wrongdoing, telling the ''[Bournemouth Echo](/source/Bournemouth_Echo)'': "It was purely a matter of convenience from my point of view". Syms said the furniture was only delivered and assembled at his parents' home, then later transported to his London address.{{cite news|url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4377901.tory-mp-defends-expenses-claim/|title=Tory MP defends expenses claim|date=19 May 2009|work=Bournemouth Echo}} At the [2010 general election](/source/2010_United_Kingdom_general_election), Syms was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 47.5% and an increased majority of 7,541.{{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](/source/Electoral_Calculus)}}{{cite news |title=BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Poole |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/d55.stm |work=BBC News}} Syms was an assistant whip for the Coalition government between 2012 and 2013.{{cite web |title=Robert Syms |url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-robert-syms/245 |access-date=10 August 2016 |website=UK Parliament}} He has served on a variety of [select committees](/source/Select_committee_(United_Kingdom)), acting as chair of the [Regulatory Reform Committee](/source/Regulatory_Reform_Committee) from July 2010 to September 2012 and the High Speed Rail select committee from April 2014 to February 2016. At the [2015 general election](/source/2015_United_Kingdom_general_election), Syms was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 50.1% and an increased majority of 15,789.{{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](/source/Electoral_Calculus)}} Syms organised a letter signed by more than 80 fellow [Eurosceptic](/source/Euroscepticism_in_the_United_Kingdom) Conservative MPs urging [David Cameron](/source/David_Cameron) to continue as Prime Minister regardless of the result of the [EU referendum in 2016](/source/2016_United_Kingdom_European_Union_membership_referendum).{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/23/eurosceptic-tory-mps-and-ministers-sign-letter-urging-david-came/ |title=Eurosceptic Tory MPs and ministers sign letter urging David Cameron to continue as Prime Minister |first1=Peter |last1=Dominiczak |first2=Steven |last2=Swinford |work=The Telegraph |date=24 June 2016}} He backed [Theresa May](/source/Theresa_May)'s leadership bid following Cameron's resignation,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36704241 |title=Conservative Party leadership: Who's backing who? |work=BBC News |date=8 July 2016}} and was appointed as a Government Whip and [Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury](/source/Lords_Commissioners_of_the_Treasury) upon May's succession.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/robert-syms |title=Robert Syms |website=GOV.UK |access-date=27 October 2016}} At the snap [2017 general election](/source/2017_United_Kingdom_general_election), Syms was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 57.9% and a decreased majority of 14,209.{{Cite web |title=Past election and referendum results |url=https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/councillors-committees-and-elections/elections-and-voting/past-election-and-referendum-results |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=BCP |language=en}} In June 2017, Syms was criticised for using aggressive and unprofessional language on [Twitter](/source/Twitter). He replied to a tweet calling the Conservative-DUP deal after the 2017 general election a "coalition" by calling the twitter user a "dick".{{cite web|last1=Nagesh|first1=Ashitha|title=Tory MP calls member of public a 'd*ck' for mistakenly calling DUP deal a coalition|url=http://metro.co.uk/2017/06/11/tory-mp-calls-member-of-public-a-dck-for-mistakenly-calling-dup-deal-a-coalition-6701979/|website=Metro|access-date=11 June 2017|date=11 June 2017}}{{Cite web |last=Grassby |first=Jade |title="It's not a coalition, you d**k": Poole MP Robert Syms criticised for response to Corbyn supporter |url=http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/15341219.___It___s_not_a_coalition__you_d__k_____Poole_MP_Robert_Syms_criticised_for_response_to_Corbyn_supporter/ |access-date=3 May 2017 |website=Bournemouth Echo |language=en}} At the [2019 general election](/source/2019_United_Kingdom_general_election), Syms was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 58.7% and an increased majority of 19,116.{{Cite web |title=SOPN |url=https://live-bcpcouncil-bournemouth.cloud.contensis.com/Council-and-Democratic/Elections-and-voting/Elections/uk-parliamentary-election-general-election-2019/docs/statement-of-persons-nominated-notice-of-poll-poole.pdf}} In 2020, Syms became a "lockdown rebel" and a steering committee member of the lockdown-sceptic [COVID Recovery Group](/source/COVID_Recovery_Group) alongside a group of Conservative MPs who opposed the UK government's [December 2020 lockdown](/source/The_Health_Protection_(Coronavirus%2C_Restrictions)_(All_Tiers)_(England)_Regulations_2020).{{cite news |last1=Hope |first1=Christopher |title=Tory lockdown rebels unite to form Covid Recovery Group |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/11/10/headache-pm-dozens-conservative-mps-set-covid-recovery-group/ |work=The Telegraph |date=10 November 2020}} They have been seen as an "echo" of the Brexiteer [European Research Group](/source/European_Research_Group) (ERG) of MPs, and a response by backbench Conservatives to [Nigel Farage](/source/Nigel_Farage)'s anti-lockdown [Reform UK](/source/Reform_UK) party. At the [2024 general election](/source/2024_United_Kingdom_general_election), Syms lost his seat to Labour's [Neil Duncan-Jordan](/source/Neil_Duncan-Jordan) by a margin of 18 votes.{{Cite web |title=Recount drama in Poole as Dorset's Tory stalwarts lose seats |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ced3ldkvekvo |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=www.bbc.com |date=5 July 2024 |language=en-GB}} Syms's vote share was reduced to 31.8%.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001429 | title=Poole - General election results 2024 | work=BBC News }} This was after multiple recounts.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-05 |title=Six votes separate candidates as recount called |url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/24432522.general-election-recount-poole-six-votes-separate-candidates/ |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=Bournemouth Echo |language=en}} ==Personal life== He is divorced and has two children.{{cite news|title=Tory MP's ex-wife rages at David Cameron over whip's sacking|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/oct/07/reshuffle-tory-whip-twitter-fury|date=7 October 2013|access-date=10 August 2016|work=The Guardian}}{{cite web|title=Robert Syms bio|url=https://www.conservatives.com/OurTeam/Members-of-Parliament/Syms-Robert|website=Conservatives|access-date=10 August 2016|archive-date=11 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811010004/https://www.conservatives.com/OurTeam/Members-of-Parliament/Syms-Robert|url-status=dead}} Syms was appointed [Knight Bachelor](/source/Knight_Bachelor) in October 2017.{{cite web |date=12 October 2017 |title=Knighthoods: Michael Penning and Robert Syms |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/knighthoods-michael-penning-and-robert-syms |access-date=12 October 2017 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=Prime Minister's Office}} == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == {{Commons category}} {{UK MP links |parliament=mr-robert-syms/245 |hansard=mr-robert-syms/ |hansardcurr=4197 |publicwhip=Robert_Syms |theywork=10582/robert_syms/poole}} * [http://www.pooleconservatives.org Poole Conservatives] {{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{s-bef|before=[John Ward](/source/John_Devereux_Ward)}} {{s-ttl|title=[Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) for [Poole](/source/Poole_(UK_Parliament_constituency))|years=[1997](/source/1997_United_Kingdom_general_election)–2024}} {{s-aft|after=[Neil Duncan-Jordan](/source/Neil_Duncan-Jordan)}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Syms, Robert}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:People from Chippenham Category:People educated at Colston's School Category:Leaders of local authorities of England Category:Members of Wiltshire County Council Category:Conservative Party (UK) councillors Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Poole Category:Politics of Dorset Category:UK MPs 1997–2001 Category:UK MPs 2001–2005 Category:UK MPs 2005–2010 Category:UK MPs 2010–2015 Category:UK MPs 2015–2017 Category:UK MPs 2017–2019 Category:UK MPs 2019–2024 Category:Knights Bachelor --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Robert Syms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Syms) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Syms?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.