On 3 September 2019, he had the whip removed after voting for a bill ruling out leaving the European Union without a deal.[5] However, on 29 October he was one of ten Conservative MPs to have the whip restored.[6]
In 2012, Hammond was the subject of a parliamentary investigation after it was revealed that he had failed to disclose investments in Harwood Film partnership, a legal investment scheme which permitted the deferral of tax payments, in the Register of Members' Interests.[15][16] He subsequently apologised for the "oversight" in not registering the financial interest but was cleared of any wrongdoing.[17]
In 2013, Hammond consistently voted in favour of allowing same-sex couples to marry.[18] Following the confidence and supply arrangement between the Conservatives and the DUP after 2017 general election, Hammond promised to stand up and protect LGBT+ and women's rights from any potential dilution.[19] In 2019, he voted to extend abortion and same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland.[18]
In December 2014, Hammond assumed a second job as an adviser to Inmarsat; he was cleared to do so by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.[20] He had been criticised earlier that year for having been the fourth most frequent user of ministerial chauffeur-driven "top up" cars, at 138 uses per year, during his time in office as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport.[21] Hammond had previously criticised Ken Livingstone in the House of Commons for setting up companies to reduce his tax bill.[16]The Daily Telegraph subsequently alleged that Hammond had sought to avoid tax by registering the ownership of his Portuguese villa through an offshore-registered company, which his lawyers described as a "normal" arrangement that "did not result in tax benefits for him or his wife".[22]
The article about Stephen Hammond on Wikipedia was one of a number edited in May 2015 by computers owned by Parliament in what The Daily Telegraph described as "a deliberate attempt to hide embarrassing information from the electorate." The deleted information concerned his frequent use of chauffeur-driven cars while in government.[23]
Hammond was again re-elected at the 2015 general election with an increased vote share of 52.1% and an increased majority of 12,619.[24][25]
Hammond announced in early 2016 that he would wait until Cameron's renegotiations before endorsing either a Remain vote or a Leave vote in the 2016 referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union.[26] On 14 June 2016, he endorsed a vote to remain in the European Union.[27]
At the snap 2017 general election, Hammond was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 46.5% and a decreased majority of 5,622.[28][29]
On 13 December 2017, Hammond was involved in a rebellion against the government of Theresa May in which the government suffered a defeat on a key Brexit vote about granting MPs a 'meaningful vote' in Parliament. He was subsequently dismissed as the Conservative party vice-chairman over the incident.[4][30]
Since January 2021, he has served as the Deputy Chair of the Conservative European Forum, which proceeded the Conservative Group for Europe. The group calls for close, strategic relationships with Europe advocating for close relationship with European institutions.[37]
In 2021 Hammond was censured by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) for an "unacceptable" breach of the ministerial code[38] for failing to seek their advice before taking a second job with the Public Policy Projects thinktank.
In Parliament, Hammond has been an advocate of giving summer-born and premature children the right to start school a year later, to give them extra time for development. In October 2015 he held an adjournment debate on this issue, arguing that "summer-born children can suffer from long-term development issues and a lag in educational standards". and highlighting the inconsistent treatment of these children by councils. In response, Nick Gibb MP, the Minister of State for Schools, set out plans in a letter to all schools to change the school admissions code to allow summer-born children to start reception class at the age of 5.[41]
In October 2016, Hammond held another adjournment debate on this topic, urging the Government to take action more quickly and to provide a timetable for the changes.
Personal life
Hammond has been married to Sally Hammond since 1991. The couple live in Wimbledon Park and they have one daughter.[42] He employs his wife as his Office Manager on an annual salary of over £45,000,[43][44] making her one of only six MP's assistants paid more than £40,000.[45]
Hammond used to play hockey for a National League team and for his county. He continued to play veterans hockey for Wimbledon.
