Simon Clarke clashes with Charlie Stayt

       Sir Simon Clarke may have only been an MP since 2017 but as the second-tallest MP – standing at a dizzying six feet, seven inches, he has quickly become a giant of the Westminster scene.

       This morning he grabbed national attention after becoming the second Tory MP to demand his colleagues oust Rishi Sunak, warning that the Prime Minister is now the "main obstacle to our recovery".

       In the Telegraph, he warns Rishi Sunak will usher in a “decade or more” of Keir Starmer Labour government, and changing leader now in a snap contest would “give our country and party a fighting chance”.

       The public call for Mr Sunak to go will be a personal blow to the Prime Minister, not just because of the vote of no confidence, but the personal relationship he has with Sir Simon Clarke.

       The pair are constituency neighbours, with Rishi Sunak winning the safe North Yorkshire seat of Richmond (Yorks) in 2015, followed two years later by Sir Simon taking the bellwether Teesside seat of Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

       READ MORE: Rishi Sunak blasted by Tory MP Simon Clarke demanding he resign

       Sir Simon called on Rishi Sunak to quit last night (Image: The Treasury)

       Sir Simon’s election in 2017 was one of the few Tory victories experienced during the night of Theresa May’s disastrous snap election against Jeremy Corbyn, though foreshadowed the crumbling of the Red Wall seen two years later under Boris Johnson’s leadership.

       While Sir Simon may have increased his majority from 1,020 to 11,626, the current polls show him on course to lose his seat, along with every other Red Wall Tory.

       Early life

       Sir Simon was born in Stockton, and grew up in the Teesside town of Marton that he would later go on to represent in Parliament.

       He was privately educated at both Red House School and the ￡16,000-a-year Yarm School, whose other political alumni include former minister James Wharton and Femi Oluwole the anti-Brexit campaigner.

       He went on to study history at Oxford, during which time he chaired the university’s Conservative Association.

       The pair have rarely seen eye-to-eye (Image: Getty)

       He failed to get elected while standing in the safe Labour seat of Middlesbrough in 2015, during which time he became an aide to the current Net Zero minister Graham Stuart.

       He won his constituency from Labour with a nine-point swing.

       Political career

       Within a year of being elected, Sir Simon marked himself out as a free-thinking MP, submitting a letter of no confidence against Theresa May in 2018 after Boris Johnson and David Davis quit over her so-called ‘Chequers Plan’ to leave Britain aligned with the EU.

       He later faced criticism after withdrawing his letter of no confidence, getting cold feet over the prospect of a leadership vote.

       Sir Simon rapidly climbed the ranks in Westminster, with his loyalty to Boris Johnson paying off after the 2019 election.

       He was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in 2019, while Sajid Javid was still Chancellor.

       After that, he was rapidly promoted, becoming Minister of State for local government, before finally reaching the Cabinet in 2021 as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

       Become an Express Premium member Support fearless journalism Read The Daily Express online, advert free Get super-fast page loading

       Start 30-day

       FREE trial

       Don't miss...

       Tory MPs know Simon Clarke is right but are afraid to act – analysis [LATEST]

       Nicola Sturgeon blasted for Covid ‘cover-up’ [LATEST]

       'Glorifying terrorism' – Rishi Sunak slams Houthi backers in the UK [LATEST]

       Sir Simon was a keen backer of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson (Image: Getty)

       Aged just 37, Sir Simon was the youngest member of Mr Johnson’s Government.

       While Sir Simon worked under Rishi Sunak at the Treasury, it was believed Sir Simon had been given the role so Boris Johnson had eyes and ears in his next-door neighbour’s camp.

       Sir Simon was rewarded with his first Secretary of State role under Liz Truss, after having been an early and vocal supporter of hers throughout the 2022 summer leadership contest.

       He served as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities throughout her short premiership, before returning to the backbenches upon her resignation.

       A strong Brexiteer, and supporter of small government and low taxes, Sir Simon went on to form the Trussite ‘Conservative Growth Group’ to push Rishi Sunak to back a free market agenda.

       Since Rishi Sunak became PM, Sir Simon has proved a frequent rebel, joining other senior MPs to oppose both the Windsor Framework and this month’s Rwanda Bill.

       Simon Clarke was given a knighthood in Boris Johnson's resignation honours (Image: PA)

       What’s Sir Simon said about Rishi Sunak?

       In an op-ed for the Telegraph last night, Sir Simon blasted Rishi Sunak’s “uninspiring leadership”, warning he would bring about a “decade or more” of Keir Starmer and Labour in Government.

       He described Mr Sunak as going “from asset to anchor”.

       Sir Simon warned: It is now beyond doubt that whilst the Prime Minister is far from solely responsible for our present predicament, his uninspiring leadership is the main obstacle to our recovery.

       "Rishi Sunak has sadly gone from asset to anchor. He lags Keir Starmer — himself no Tony Blair — by double digits on the 'Best Prime Minister' metric."

       “We have a clear choice. Stick with Rishi Sunak, take the inevitable electoral consequences, and give the Left a blank cheque to change Britain as they see fit.

       Or we can change leader, and give our country and party a fighting chance.”

       DON'T MISS

       Powered by

       Simon Clarke's furious call to arms will show if Rishi Sunak's critics have any fight left

       12 Comments

       Tory fury explodes at Simon Clarke's ‘totally mad' demand for Rishi Sunak to resign as PM

       81 Comments

       Rishi Sunak has 48 hours to save his job as Prime Minister with Rwanda Bill rebellion

       663 Comments

       One Parliamentary seat will seal Rishi Sunak's fate with by-election a 'referendum' on PM

       1351 Comments

       Tories face 'worst election since 1997' as new poll reveals huge Labour majority

       1193 Comments

       The Tories will only survive 2024 if they make one dramatic change

       55 Comments

       How Keir Starmer is following the Tony Blair playbook with a 'stealth plan' to seize No10

       196 Comments

       POLL: Do you want David Cameron to come back as Tory leader?

       432 Comments

       Labour accused of plotting to drag UK back to EU after Sadiq Khan demands closer ties

       2844 Comments

       The Rwanda bill is do-or-die for Rishi Sunak, says Tim Newark

       10 Comments

       BBC Question Time audience member shuts down Emily Thornberry over Rwanda row

       1410 Comments

       Tories issue Scottish independence warning as Humza Yousaf invites Keir Starmer for talks

       96 Comments

       Andrea Jenkyns in rallying cry to Tories to submit no-confidence letters in Rishi Sunak

       193 Comments

       Boris Johnson bids for ￡30,000 prop from The Crown but nobody knows where he'll put it

       36 Comments

       'Nobody likes Rishi Sunak!' Tory MPs know Simon Clarke is right but are afraid to act

       674 Comments

       Tories urged to oust Rishi Sunak now as ex-minister reveals exact number of letters needed

       173 Comments

       Tory MPs are already in defection talks with Reform UK, claims leader Richard Tice

       1726 Comments

       Reform UK's olive branch to Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith after Rwanda resignation

       92 Comments

       Rishi Sunak to deploy last-ditch secret weapon with career on knife-edge over crunch vote

       124 Comments

       Hope for Rishi Sunak as shock analysis shows Labour needs to break records to win

       25 Comments

       Simon Clarke's furious call to arms will show if Rishi Sunak's critics have any fight left

       12 Comments

       Tory fury explodes at Simon Clarke's ‘totally mad' demand for Rishi Sunak to resign as PM

       81 Comments

       Rishi Sunak has 48 hours to save his job as Prime Minister with Rwanda Bill rebellion

       663 Comments

       One Parliamentary seat will seal Rishi Sunak's fate with by-election a 'referendum' on PM

       1351 Comments

       Tories face 'worst election since 1997' as new poll reveals huge Labour majority

       1193 Comments

       The Tories will only survive 2024 if they make one dramatic change

       55 Comments

       How Keir Starmer is following the Tony Blair playbook with a 'stealth plan' to seize No10

       196 Comments

       POLL: Do you want David Cameron to come back as Tory leader?

       432 Comments

       Labour accused of plotting to drag UK back to EU after Sadiq Khan demands closer ties

       2844 Comments

       The Rwanda bill is do-or-die for Rishi Sunak, says Tim Newark

       10 Comments

       BBC Question Time audience member shuts down Emily Thornberry over Rwanda row

       1410 Comments

       Tories issue Scottish independence warning as Humza Yousaf invites Keir Starmer for talks

       96 Comments

       Andrea Jenkyns in rallying cry to Tories to submit no-confidence letters in Rishi Sunak

       193 Comments

       Boris Johnson bids for ￡30,000 prop from The Crown but nobody knows where he'll put it

       36 Comments

       'Nobody likes Rishi Sunak!' Tory MPs know Simon Clarke is right but are afraid to act

       674 Comments

       Tories urged to oust Rishi Sunak now as ex-minister reveals exact number of letters needed

       173 Comments

       Tory MPs are already in defection talks with Reform UK, claims leader Richard Tice

       1726 Comments

       Reform UK's olive branch to Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith after Rwanda resignation

       92 Comments

       Rishi Sunak to deploy last-ditch secret weapon with career on knife-edge over crunch vote

       124 Comments

       Hope for Rishi Sunak as shock analysis shows Labour needs to break records to win

       25 Comments

       Simon Clarke's furious call to arms will show if Rishi Sunak's critics have any fight left

       12 Comments

       Tory fury explodes at Simon Clarke's ‘totally mad' demand for Rishi Sunak to resign as PM

       81 Comments

       Rishi Sunak has 48 hours to save his job as Prime Minister with Rwanda Bill rebellion

       663 Comments

       One Parliamentary seat will seal Rishi Sunak's fate with by-election a 'referendum' on PM

       1351 Comments

       Tories face 'worst election since 1997' as new poll reveals huge Labour majority

       1193 Comments

       The Tories will only survive 2024 if they make one dramatic change

       55 Comments

       How Keir Starmer is following the Tony Blair playbook with a 'stealth plan' to seize No10

       196 Comments

       Trending

       Personal life

       Sir Simon lives in Guisborough with his second wife. He also has a son. The Tory MP divorced his previous partner, Hannah, in 2020 after falling in love with a Westminster college, a romance that saw him quit his Government post after advice from the Chief Whip.

       Sir Simon was also notable for not appearing in the Chancellor’s famous pre-Budget photoshoot on the step of No. 11 Downing Street, owning to his agoraphobia.

       He was awarded a knighthood in Boris Johnson’s 2022 resignation honours.

       Related articles Horror 231% tax rise by Lib/ Lab council is 'warning' if Keir Starmer wins power Keir Starmer's 'deal' with Macron to use small boats crisis to reverse Brexit Starmer is following the Tony Blair playbook with a 'stealth plan' to seize No10 Civil servants let slip Labour's plan for tax rises and open borders Lee Anderson rages at Keir Starmer hypocrisy' in schools 'culture war'