John Hayes MP, Advisory Board Member

John Hayes is Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills and Member of Parliament for South Holland and The Deepings. He was born in 1958 and married Susan Hopwell, who he has two sons with, in July 1997. He was educated at Colfe’s Grammar School and University of Nottingham, where he graduated with a BA Hons Politics and a PGCE in History/English. John was elected as Member of Parliament for South Holland and The Deepings in 1997, following 12 years as a Conservative Councillor in Nottinghamshire. Following his election he was appointed Secretary of the Agriculture Select Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Backbench Education Committee before becoming a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party until July 2000. Since then John has been appointed an Opposition Whip, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Shadow Minister for Local & Devolved Government, with particular responsibility for Housing and Planning and Shadow Minister for Transport. He has served as the Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, and has developed a reputation for assiduously progressing the skills and widening participation agenda. John has also been the chairman of the All Party Group on Disability, and secretary of the all party group on brain injury. In his spare time he enjoys travel, reading, history, tennis and jam-making.