Opperman, Guy

Guy Opperman was first elected as Conservative MP for Hexham in 2010, and was reelected in 2019 with a majority of 10,549

The constituency of Hexham is found in the south west of Northumberland, and contains a large section of Hadrians Wall close to the Scottish border. Hexham is the only town of any size in what is otherwise a vast rural constituency, which also contains the Kielder Forest.  Home to some Newcastle commuters in the East, Hexham has been a Conservative seat ever since 1924.

  • Guy Opperman MP was appointed Minister of State in the Department for Work and Pensions in October 2022.  He is the UK pensions minister.

Opperman previously served as the Under Secretary of State for Pensions and Financial Inclusion between 2017 and September 2022, making him Britain’s longest ever serving pensions minister.  Prior to that he was a government whip.

Born in 1965, Opperman grew up in Wiltshire, and went to Buckingham University, and the University of Lille in France.  Before being an MP he worked as a barrister.  He prosecuted and defended in a number of murder and rape trials, as well as in numerous Crown Court trials.

He served as a Director of his family engineering business until 2009.

Opperman supported Remain in the 2016 EU referendum, and supported Michael Gove in the 2019 Conservative leadership election.

In 2011 he suffered from a brain tumour.

Tragically his new born baby twins died during the covid pandemic, with Opperman describing how he was unable to go and see his wife in hospital.

He is in favour of assisted drying, does not support a repeal of the ban on fox hunting, and is in favour of an elected House of Lords.

He is a keen amateur jockey who rides in Point to Point races.

Email: guy.opperman.mp@parliament.uk

Personal Website: http://guyopperman.blogspot.com

Twitter: @GuyOppermanMP

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/guyopperman