Matthew Hancock's Biography

Matthew Hancock was elected as MP for West Suffolk at the 2010 election. Before moving into politics, he worked for his family business, as an economist at the Bank of England and later as a senior economic adviser and Chief of Staff to George Osborne.

Matthew attended Fandon County Primary School and King’s School Chester. He went on to gain an undergraduate degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford and a masters degree in Economics from Cambridge.

Matthew first worked for his family computer software business, Border Business Systems, before spending five years as an economist at the Bank of England.

In 2005 he was asked to lead George Osborne’s team when he was Shadow Chancellor. Matthew was the senior economic adviser to both George Osborne and David Cameron, and helped draft much of the Conservative Party economic policy. He stepped down from that role in February 2010 when he was selected by open primary as the Conservative Candidate for West Suffolk in the general election.

Matthew is at the forefront of the debate about the future of the economy. In September 2011, he co-authored his first book 'Masters of Nothing' with Nadhim Zahawi MP, which looks at the human behaviour that caused the crash and the changes we need to make to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

Since becoming MP for West Suffolk, Matthew has been elected to the Public Accounts Committee, which scrutinises and questions the way that Government departments spend taxpayers’ money. He is also a member of the Committee on Standards and Privileges that adjudicates on MPs’ conduct.

Matthew is at the forefront of the debate about the future of the economy. In September 2011, he co-authored his first book 'Masters of Nothing' with Nadhim Zahawi MP, which looks at the human behaviour that caused the crash and the changes we need to make to ensure that it doesn't happen again. 

Matthew, 32, is married to Martha, and has two children. Among other things, he enjoys cooking, walking, and spending time with his family. He is also a keen cricket fan and is the secretary of the Lords and Commons Cricket Club. In 2005, Matthew set out on foot to play the northernmost game of cricket on record at the north pole. He didn't make it to the pole, succumbing to frostbite on the Arctic Ocean, but he did succeed in playing the most northerly recorded game of cricket. He retains all of his fingers.