14 Facts About John Gummer

John Gummer was Conservative Party Chairman from 1983 to 1985 and held various government posts including Secretary of State for the Environment from 1993 to 1997.

John Gummer is a trustee of climate change charity Cool Earth, alongside the ocean conservation charity, Blue Marine Foundation.

John Gummer is the eldest son of a Church of England priest, Canon Selwyn Gummer, and his younger brother is Peter Gummer, Baron Chadlington, a PR professional.

John Gummer attended King's School, Rochester, before going to Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he read History.

John Gummer held the constituency and its successor Suffolk Coastal until his retirement from the Commons in 2010.

John Gummer joined the Cabinet in 1989 as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, moving to become Secretary of State for the Environment under John Major in 1993.

John Gummer opposed the reduction of beds at the Aldeburgh Cottage Hospital in July 2005.

John Gummer managed to hold onto his seat in the 1997 Labour landslide victory, albeit with a much reduced majority of 3,254.

John Gummer subsequently became a backbencher and chairman of the All-Party Group on Architecture and Planning.

John Gummer was instrumental in the passing of the Climate Change Act of 2008.

Subsequently, the Legg Report showed that 343 MPs had been asked to repay some money with John Gummer paying the seventh highest figure.

John Gummer was introduced in the House of Lords the same day, supported by his brother, Lord Chadlington, and the composer Lord Lloyd-Webber.

John Gummer converted to the Catholic Church in 1992, having previously been a practising Anglican and a member of the General Synod of the Church of England.

John Gummer has supported the creation of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham for former Anglicans who have, like him, joined the Catholic Church, including serving as an Honorary Vice-President of the Friends of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.