Frank Zacharias Robin Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith of Richmond Park, (born 20 January 1975) is a British politician,
life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
and journalist who served as
from September 2022 to June 2023. A member of the
Conservative Party, he was its candidate at the
2016 London mayoral election
The 2016 London mayoral election was held on 5 May 2016 to elect the Mayor of London, on the same day as the 2016 London Assembly election, London Assembly election. It was the fifth election to the position of mayor, which was created in 2000 ...
and was
Member of Parliament (MP) for
Richmond Park
Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of Royal Parks of London, London's Royal Parks and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I of England, Cha ...
from
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
to
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
and
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
to
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
. Ideologically characterised as having
liberal and
libertarian
Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
views, he is known for his support for
environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecolog ...
and
localism.
Born in London into the
Goldschmidt family
The Goldschmidt family is a family of German Jewish descent, originally from Frankfurt am Main, known for their success in banking and finance.
With origins tracing back to the 15th century, most members were forced to leave Frankfurt after the ...
, the son of billionaire businessman and financier Sir
James Goldsmith
Sir James Michael Goldsmith (26 February 1933 – 18 July 1997) was a French-British financier and politician who was a member of the Goldsmith family. His controversial business and finance career led to ongoing clashes with British media, fr ...
, he was privately educated at both
Eton College
Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
and the
Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies
The Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies (CCSS) was an independent sixth-form college for boarding and day students aged 15 to 19. The college, which was founded in 1980, owned teaching and residential accommodation in the centre of Cambridg ...
. In 1998, his uncle
Edward Goldsmith
Edward René David Goldsmith (8 November 1928 – 21 August 2009), widely known as Teddy Goldsmith, was an Anglo-French environmentalist, writer and philosopher.
He was a member of the prominent Goldsmith family, the eldest son of Majo ...
made him
editor
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...
of ''
The Ecologist
''The Ecologist'' was a British environmental journal/magazine, published from 1970 to 2009. Founded by Edward Goldsmith, it addressed a wide range of environmental subjects and promoted an ecological systems thinking approach through its news ...
'', a position he retained until 2007. Goldsmith was appointed Deputy Chairman of the
Conservative Quality of Life Policy Group in 2005, co-authoring its report published in 2007. Goldsmith was placed on the
Conservative A-List
The Conservative A-List, also called Priority List, was a list of United Kingdom candidates drawn up by Conservative Central Office at the behest of David Cameron following his 2005 Conservative Party leadership election, election as party lead ...
of potential candidates in 2006 and, in March 2007, was selected through an
open primary
Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pri ...
to contest the constituency of Richmond Park against incumbent
Liberal Democrat MP
Susan Kramer
Susan Veronica Kramer, Baroness Kramer PC (''née'' Richards; born 21 July 1950) is a British politician and life peer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond Park from 2005 to 2010. A member of the Liberal Democrats, she was the ...
. At the
2010 general election, he was elected to Parliament winning the seat with a majority of 4,091 votes.
At the
2015 general election, Goldsmith was returned to the Commons with a
majority
A majority is more than half of a total; however, the term is commonly used with other meanings, as explained in the "#Related terms, Related terms" section below.
It is a subset of a Set (mathematics), set consisting of more than half of the se ...
of 23,015, an increase of almost 19,000 votes since 2010, against his nearest opponent. He was chosen as the
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
candidate for the
2016 election for mayor of London, which he subsequently lost to
Sadiq Khan
Sir Sadiq Aman Khan (, ; born 8 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting (UK Parliament constituency), Tooting ...
of the
Labour Party. Goldsmith announced his resignation as an MP following the government's decision in October 2016 to approve construction of a
third runway at Heathrow Airport. His resignation triggered a
by-election in the Richmond Park constituency in which Goldsmith stood as an
independent candidate
An independent politician or non-affiliated politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent.
Some politicians have polit ...
. He was defeated by
Sarah Olney
Sarah Jane Olney (' McGibbon; born 11 January 1977) is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond Park since 2019, previously holding the seat from 2016 to 2017. Olney has served as the ...
of the Liberal Democrats with a majority of 1,872 votes. After
Theresa May
Theresa Mary May, Baroness May of Maidenhead (; ; born 1 October 1956), is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served as Home Secretar ...
called the
2017 general election, Goldsmith was reselected as the Conservative Party candidate for Richmond Park and won with a narrow majority of 45 votes.
Goldsmith was made
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment and International Development on 27 July 2019 and was promoted to
Minister of State
Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...
with the right to attend
Cabinet on 10 September 2019. He was defeated at the
2019 general election, again by Sarah Olney, with a majority of 7,766 votes. After the election,
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...
awarded Goldsmith with a
life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
age, making him a member of the House of Lords and allowing him to retain his ministerial position. On 13 February 2020, he acquired additional responsibility for
the Pacific. After
Liz Truss
Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth da ...
became Prime Minister in September 2022, Goldsmith became
Minister of State for Asia, Energy, Climate and Environment
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
, later being reappointed by
Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak (born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2022 to 2024. Following his defeat to Keir Starmer's La ...
with new responsibilities for overseas territories and the Commonwealth. He resigned in June 2023 in opposition to what he claimed was the
Sunak ministry
The Sunak ministry began on 25 October 2022 when Rishi Sunak was invited by King Charles III to succeed Liz Truss as prime minister of the United Kingdom. October 2022 United Kingdom government crisis, Truss resigned as Leader of the Conserv ...
's disinterest in environmental policy.
Early life and career
Goldsmith was born on 20 January 1975 at the
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area in West London, England, due south-west of Kilometre zero#Great Britain, Charing Cross by approximately . It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the SW postcode area, south-western p ...
. He is the middle child of
Sir James Goldsmith
Sir James Michael Goldsmith (26 February 1933 – 18 July 1997) was a French-British financier and politician who was a member of the Goldsmith family. His controversial business and finance career led to ongoing clashes with British media, fr ...
, a member of the
Goldsmith family of
German Jewish
The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321 CE, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (c. 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish commu ...
and French descent, and his then
mistress
Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to:
Romance and relationships
* Mistress (lover), a female lover of a married man
** Royal mistress
* Maîtresse-en-titre, official mistress of a ...
and later third wife, the
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...
aristocrat
The aristocracy (''from Greek'' ''ἀριστοκρατία'' ''aristokratía'', "rule of the best"; ''Latin: aristocratia'') is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the ...
,
Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart
Lady Annabel Goldsmith (' Vane-Tempest-Stewart, formerly Birley; born 11 June 1934) is an English socialite and the eponym for a London nightclub of the late 20th century, Annabel's. She was first married for two decades to entrepreneur Mark ...
, the daughter of
the 8th Marquess of Londonderry.
Goldsmith has stated "I was brought up by my father to identify very strongly as
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
." He was raised at
Ormeley Lodge in
Ham
Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term '' ...
with his siblings,
Jemima and
Ben
Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett, Benson or Ebenezer, and is also a given name in its own right.
Ben meaning "son of" is also found in Arabic as ''Ben'' (dialectal Arabic) or ''bin ...
.
He is half-brother to
Robin and
India Jane Birley, his mother's children from her first marriage.
As a child, he was an avid reader of naturalist
Gerald Durrell
Gerald Malcolm Durrell Order of the British Empire, OBE (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservation movement, conservationist, and television presenter. He was born in Jamshedpur in British Ind ...
's works
and developed a committed passion for
David Attenborough
Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the nine nature d ...
's wildlife documentaries.
He later recalled, "He was my hero, and it was his work that made me fall in love with the natural world".
His
ecological
Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...
interests were nurtured further when his father gave him a copy of
Helena Norberg-Hodge's book ''
Ancient Futures'', with a note saying: "This will change your life".
Goldsmith was educated at four independent schools:
King's House School in
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
and
The Mall School in
Twickenham
Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...
, followed by
Hawtreys School, near
Great Bedwyn
Great Bedwyn is a village and civil parish in east Wiltshire, England. The village is on the River Dun about southwest of Hungerford, southeast of Swindon and southeast of Marlborough.
The Kennet and Avon Canal and the Reading to Taunt ...
in
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...
,
and
Eton College
Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
in Berkshire;
he was expelled from Eton after drugs were found in his room. Goldsmith later said of the event "Cannabis and snus were found in my room. I was guilty throughout my time at School, but on this one occasion I was innocent. But it seemed pointless at the time to put up any resistance. I learned my lesson, I think you could say." He went on to achieve four
A-Levels
The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...
at
Cambridge Centre for Sixth-Form Studies
The Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies (CCSS) was an independent sixth-form college for boarding and day students aged 15 to 19. The college, which was founded in 1980, owned teaching and residential accommodation in the centre of Cambridg ...
.
Goldsmith travelled throughout the world with the
International Honours Programme (courtesy of his uncle
Edward Goldsmith
Edward René David Goldsmith (8 November 1928 – 21 August 2009), widely known as Teddy Goldsmith, was an Anglo-French environmentalist, writer and philosopher.
He was a member of the prominent Goldsmith family, the eldest son of Majo ...
), including to
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, New Zealand, Mexico, Hungary and Italy. Goldsmith lived in
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
for two years, working at first for the
think tank
A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...
''Redefining Progress'' from 1995 to 1996, and later as a
researcher
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...
for Norberg-Hodge's
International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC) during 1996–98. While working with ISEC, Goldsmith travelled to India, spending a short time on an
ashram
An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism.
Etymology
The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
and later lived in
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...
for six months, studying
traditional cultures and helping run a
tourist education programme.
In 1997, Goldsmith was appointed reviews editor of ''
The Ecologist
''The Ecologist'' was a British environmental journal/magazine, published from 1970 to 2009. Founded by Edward Goldsmith, it addressed a wide range of environmental subjects and promoted an ecological systems thinking approach through its news ...
'' by his uncle Edward Goldsmith, the magazine's founding editor, owner and publisher.
In 1998, he became
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...
and
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
of ''The Ecologist'' but did not draw a salary.
He relaunched ''The Ecologist'' on 28 March 2000 in a new format, transforming its
academic journal
An academic journal (or scholarly journal or scientific journal) is a periodical publication in which Scholarly method, scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. They serve as permanent and transparent forums for the ...
-style into a
current affairs-magazine format, thereby broadening its appeal and trebling its circulation.
In January 2006, when assuming a post as the reviewer of the Conservative Party's environmental policies, it was announced that he was to step down as editor.
Political career
Joining the Conservatives: 2005–2010

Goldsmith joined the Conservative Party in 2005. He had previously supported the election campaigns of
Michael Gove
Michael Andrew Gove, Baron Gove (; born Graeme Andrew Logan, 26 August 1967) is a British politician and journalist who served in various Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabinet positions under David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rish ...
and
Joanne Cash
Joanne Catherine Cash, Baroness Cash (born 28 December 1969) is a media barrister and life peer. She was the unsuccessful Conservative Party candidate for Westminster North in the 2010 general election.
Early life and education
Cash was bor ...
.
He stated he regarded
Labour as "the party of big business" which had become shaped by big lobbying groups and which had become too authoritarian and centrist.
After the Conservatives lost the
2005 general election to Labour, they elected
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
as their new leader. Goldsmith thought highly of Cameron, expressing the view that while he was generally "cynical about politicians", he felt that Cameron was different. Describing Cameron, he said "I don't know
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
very well...
utI like him. I think you can judge a book by its cover...
ndI think the cover is pretty good." At the 2005 Conservative annual conference, Goldsmith stated he saw no contradiction between his interest in environmental issues and being a Conservative.
In December 2005,
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
approved Goldsmith's appointment as deputy chairman of the
Quality of Life
Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
Policy Group, under former
Environment Secretary John Gummer
John Selwyn Gummer, Baron Deben, FRASE (born 26 November 1939) is a British Conservative Party politician, formerly the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suffolk Coastal and Lewisham West, now a member of the House of Lords. He was Chairman of th ...
.
The group was tasked with examining matters such as carbon emissions, climate change, clean air and transport with a view to formulating
Conservative policy.
The group's 600-page report, jointly authored by Goldsmith and Gummer, was presented at the
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
on 13 September 2007.
Its proposals included a moratorium on airport expansions; taxing short-haul flights and highly polluting vehicles, with proceeds being used to cut the cost of
clean alternatives; and rebates on stamp duty and council tax for people who improved the energy efficiency of their homes.
The report drew criticism from Labour, several Conservative politicians and the aviation industry.
For Cameron, the report was an important part of rebranding the party to escape its reputation as the "Nasty Party" and pledged many of its recommendations would be included in the
manifesto
A manifesto is a written declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party, or government. A manifesto can accept a previously published opinion or public consensus, but many prominent ...
.
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
recognised Goldsmith as a good
prospective parliamentary candidate
In British politics, a prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) is a candidate selected by political parties to contest under individual Westminster constituencies in advance of a general election. The term originally came into use because of ...
and in May 2006 placed him on the
Conservative A-List
The Conservative A-List, also called Priority List, was a list of United Kingdom candidates drawn up by Conservative Central Office at the behest of David Cameron following his 2005 Conservative Party leadership election, election as party lead ...
of young and diverse candidates whom he wanted to stand at the 2010 general election.
The Conservatives initially placed Goldsmith as their candidate for the
safe seat
A safe seat is an electoral district which is regarded as fully secure, for either a certain political party, or the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both. With such seats, there is very little chance of a seat changing h ...
of
East Hampshire
East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Petersfield, although the largest town is Alton. The district also contains the town of Bordon along with many villages and surroundin ...
. Goldsmith felt uneasy about representing this constituency, with which he had no previous connection, and thus pulled out to avoid
carpetbagging
In the history of the United States, carpetbagger is a largely historical pejorative used by Southerners to describe allegedly opportunistic or disruptive Northerners who came to the Southern states after the American Civil War and were per ...
.
He then entered the
Richmond Park Conservative Association's
open primary
Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pri ...
, which he won in March 2007.

In 2007, Goldsmith opposed the opening of a
superstore by supermarket chain
Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is a British supermarket and the second-largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom.
Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company was the largest UK r ...
in
Barnes. He spearheaded a referendum conducted by the
Electoral Reform Society
The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) is an Advocacy group, independent advocacy organisation in the United Kingdom which promotes electoral reform. It seeks to replace first-past-the-post voting with proportional representation, advocating the si ...
to poll local residents on the issue, working closely with a local campaign group. With a turnout of 61.6%, more than 4,000 residents, who made up 85% of the votes cast, came forward to oppose the construction of the store at White Hart Lane. Sainsbury's ultimately opened the branch after revising its planning application.

In 2008 Goldsmith was asked to comment about donations of £7,000 to his Party while not on the
electoral register
An electoral roll (variously called an electoral register, voters roll, voters list, poll book or other description) is a compilation that lists persons who are entitled to vote for particular elections in a particular jurisdiction. The list is ...
. Commenting on the issue, Goldsmith explained: "everything has been declared on time and accurately; however, for a few weeks last year I was not on the Electoral Roll, my name having been removed from Kensington and Chelsea's voter list, given that I was in the process of signing up for Richmond. Whatever was donated in that time may have to be repaid, but there is no suggestion that anything other was improprietous".
In late 2009, the press asserted that Goldsmith had
non-domiciled status and that as a London
resident
Resident may refer to:
People and functions
* Resident minister, a representative of a government in a foreign country
* Resident (medicine), a stage of postgraduate medical training
* Resident (pharmacy), a stage of postgraduate pharmaceut ...
, albeit a discretionary beneficiary, he had use of British properties through a
trust set up by his late father.
["Tory Zac Goldsmith reveals he is a non-dom"](_blank)
, ''The Times'', 29 November 2009 Goldsmith responded, in a statement about the suggestion of tax avoidance, that he has "always chosen to be tax resident in the UK" and virtually all his income was paid into British banks. Of non-dom status as a result of his late father's international status, Goldsmith added that he had already instructed his accountants to relinquish it of his own volition by early 2009. However,
Chris Huhne
Christopher Murray Paul Huhne (born 2 July 1954) is a British energy and climate change consultant, and former journalist, business economist and politician who was the Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Eastleigh ...
, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson, said that Goldsmith was likely to have avoided paying £580,000 per year for each year in the previous decade as a result of his non-dom status.
In February 2016, ''
The Evening Standard
The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free of charge in London, England. It is print ...
'' quoted Goldsmith stating that non-domiciled status let individuals "make lifestyle choices to
avoid paying tax" and saying "I've never been accused of not paying tax."
In 2010, the
Labour government sought to recover its expenditure on a programme of remedial works on the public car parks in
Richmond Park
Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of Royal Parks of London, London's Royal Parks and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I of England, Cha ...
through the introduction of parking fees for visitors to the
royal park. Goldsmith organised a rally attended by over 1,000 people in the royal park on 30 January 2010 in conjunction with other local Conservatives to protest the proposed charging.
Parliamentary career: 2010–2015
Goldsmith defeated the
Liberal Democrat MP
Susan Kramer
Susan Veronica Kramer, Baroness Kramer PC (''née'' Richards; born 21 July 1950) is a British politician and life peer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond Park from 2005 to 2010. A member of the Liberal Democrats, she was the ...
in Richmond Park at the
2010 general election; he saw a 7% swing in the vote go to him.
The election resulted in a
hung parliament
A hung parliament is a term used in legislatures primarily under the Westminster system (typically employing Majoritarian representation, majoritarian electoral systems) to describe a situation in which no single political party or pre-existing ...
and the formation of a
coalition government
A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...
led by Cameron and the Conservatives. At the
next general election, in May 2015, he increased his majority from 4,091 to 23,015 votes. He achieved an increase of 8.5 percent of the share of the vote from the 2010 general election, receiving a total of 58.2 percent of all votes cast by his constituents. This was the biggest increase in
majority
A majority is more than half of a total; however, the term is commonly used with other meanings, as explained in the "#Related terms, Related terms" section below.
It is a subset of a Set (mathematics), set consisting of more than half of the se ...
of any MP at the 2015 general election.
In July 2010, ''
Channel 4 News
''Channel 4 News'' is the main news programme on British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since Channel 4's launch in November 1982.
Current productions ''Channel 4 News''
''Channel 4 News'' ...
'' questioned whether Goldsmith had under-reported the sums spent on signs, stickers and jackets used in his campaign and claimed his campaign spending was much higher than other MPs they investigated. They presented their case online including scans of the spending documents. He insisted he had followed the same procedures as other candidates and countered by stating Channel 4 engaged in sleazy unethical journalism. He argued expenditure was being spread across multiple campaigns: "The formula we used is exactly the same formula ... as used by MPs and candidates around the country. Every decision we took was approved by electoral experts at Conservative Central Office". It was debated whether signs that said "Vote Zac Goldsmith" and "Vote Conservative" could be charged to the election budget for a local election candidate when that other candidate was not mentioned on the sign. Goldsmith responded that it had been "checked" and was "standard practice" across the country. The second question was about jackets with "I back Zac" stickers on the back. "They cost £2,168 but you only said you paid (spent) £170". Goldsmith said the stickers cost £170 and the jackets were "off the shelf" and would be reused for other campaigns. Goldsmith clashed with presenter
Jon Snow, who accused him of "prevaricating" in a confrontational live interview on ''
Channel 4 News
''Channel 4 News'' is the main news programme on British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since Channel 4's launch in November 1982.
Current productions ''Channel 4 News''
''Channel 4 News'' ...
''.
Both parties criticised each other in the aftermath. Snow suggested Goldsmith take the matter to
Ofcom
The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, internet, telecommunications and mail, postal industries of the United Kingdom.
Ofcom has wide-rang ...
, which rejected Goldsmith's complaint about Snow and ''Channel 4 News conduct.
The
Bureau of Investigative Journalism
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, typically abbreviated to TBIJ or "the Bureau", is a nonprofit news organisation based in London that was founded in 2010 to pursue "public interest" investigations. The Bureau works with publishers and bro ...
complained to the
Electoral Commission
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
over the report about Goldsmith's expenses. The Commission announced, following their initial 5-day assessment, they had decided to upgrade the investigation to the status of "case under review" and to make enquiries "in order to establish the facts of the matter". They reported in December 2010, deciding in "the absence of any evidence of intentional circumvention of the rules, we do not consider that a referral to the police is appropriate." However, they did observe the cost-sharing between general election and local election contests was "not consistent with the Commission's guidance or good practice", the submission was "unclear in places" and Goldsmith's campaign may have overspent by £966 in the short campaign.
[Zac Goldsmith spared police probe over election cash](_blank)
, BBC News, 22 December 2010["Case Summary: Case review concerning campaign expenditure return in respect of Zac Goldsmith MP"](_blank)
, The Electoral Commission website; accessed 16 May 2016.
Goldsmith co-ordinated a cross-party group of MPs to call for a Hillsborough-style inquiry into
child sex abuse
Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whet ...
. He co-wrote a letter to Home Secretary
Theresa May
Theresa Mary May, Baroness May of Maidenhead (; ; born 1 October 1956), is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served as Home Secretar ...
demanding a full independent inquiry with six other MPs:
Tim Loughton
Timothy Paul Loughton, ( ; born 30 May 1962) is a British politician and former banker who served as Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for East Worthing and Shoreham (UK Parliament constituency), East Worthing an ...
,
Tom Watson,
Simon Danczuk
Simon Christopher Danczuk ( ; born 24 October 1966) is a British author and former Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) who represented the constituency of Rochdale (UK Parliament constituency), Rochdale between 2010 ...
,
John Hemming,
Tessa Munt and
Caroline Lucas
Caroline Patricia Lucas (born 9 December 1960) is a British politician who was the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2003 to 2006, 2007 to 2012, and 2016 to 2018. She was Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parli ...
. The Prime Minister,
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
, initially rejected the call but was subsequently forced to concede, after 145 further MPs added their names to Goldsmith ''et al.s letter.
In December 2015, Goldsmith voted in support of the government's plans to expand the aerial bombing of
Islamic State
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
targets. He also endorsed a government bill that would have restricted trade unions in their ability to strike.
London mayoral campaign
Goldsmith had initially ruled out standing as a candidate in the
2016 London mayoral election
The 2016 London mayoral election was held on 5 May 2016 to elect the Mayor of London, on the same day as the 2016 London Assembly election, London Assembly election. It was the fifth election to the position of mayor, which was created in 2000 ...
, stating that "I think people have had quite enough of white male Etonians". However, as the election approached, it became apparent that he was the Conservatives' strongest potential candidate. On 9 June 2015, Goldsmith announced his interest in running for the
mayoralty of London after encouragement both from members of his own party and others (notably the former Green Party Candidate
Jenny Jones, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
Jennifer Helen Jones, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, (born 23 December 1949) is a British politician who served as Deputy Mayor of London from 2003 to 2004. A member of the Green Party of England and Wales, she was until September 2019 the s ...
). Before declaring himself as a nominee, Goldsmith spent around £50,000 of his own money sending a
postal ballot to his 77,000 Richmond Park
constituents, asking them if they would consent to him standing for Mayor. A majority who responded supported him. On 23 June 2015, he formally put his name forward with his three rivals being
Andrew Boff,
Syed Kamall
Syed Salah Kamall, Baron Kamall (born 15 February 1967) is a British politician and academic, who from September to October 2022 served in HM Government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media an ...
, and
Stephen Greenhalgh. The
London Conservatives
The London Conservatives are the regional party of the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party that operates in Greater London.
Party strength
The party's main competition is with the larger London Labour Party for office.
The Conservat ...
held an open primary, in which 9,227 votes were cast; of these, 6,514 went to Goldsmith. In October, Goldsmith's selection as Conservative Mayoral candidate was announced in a press release without accompanying ceremony.
During his campaign, Goldsmith repeatedly spoke out against
proposed expansion of
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdo ...
. He stated that he was confident that the Cameron government would reject Heathrow expansion but that if they did not then he would resign as an MP and trigger a by-election. In July 2015, he also condemned the
Airports Commission
The Airports Commission was an independent commission established in September 2012 by the Government of the United Kingdom to consider how the UK could "maintain its status as an international hub for aviation and immediate actions to improve ...
report written by the economist
Howard Davies which backed Heathrow expansion; Goldsmith claimed that Davies had already decided on his conclusion before producing the three-year study. Davies responded by alleging that Goldsmith was lying, but the latter stood by his claim, as evidence citing that information he supplied to Davies' commission was not taken seriously.
A key issue in the campaign was London's housing shortage. To deal with the problem, Goldsmith suggested building "high density, low-rise buildings which are in keeping with communities" on publicly owned land currently controlled by the boroughs or
Transport for London
Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom.
TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...
. He went against prevailing opinion in London by welcoming foreign investment into the property market, arguing that this investment could help to finance more house building. He ruled out supporting development on London's
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy, and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wilderness, wild, or agricultural landscape, land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts ...
, although stated that option might need to be considered in ten or fifteen years hence if the city's population continued to rise. He also suggested an expansion of the
London congestion zone, and endorsed
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...
's plans to construct a
Garden Bridge
The Garden Bridge project was an unsuccessful private proposal for a pedestrian bridge over the River Thames in London, England. Originally an idea of Joanna Lumley, and strongly supported by then-Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the designer T ...
across the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...
.

Goldsmith hired
Lynton Crosby
Sir Lynton Keith Crosby (born 23 August 1956)''Who's Who in Australia 2015'', ConnectWeb. is an Australian political strategist who has managed election campaigns for right-of-centre parties in several countries.
Crosby has been described as ...
's company to run his campaign and appointed Mark Fulbrook as his campaign director. Goldsmith's campaign emphasised connections between
London Labour
London Labour is the devolved, regional part of the Labour Party in Greater London. It is the largest political party in London, currently holding a majority of the executive mayoralties, a majority of local councils, council seats and parli ...
candidate
Sadiq Khan
Sir Sadiq Aman Khan (, ; born 8 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting (UK Parliament constituency), Tooting ...
and newly elected socialist Labour leader
Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...
, despite Khan's own attempts to distance himself from Corbyn. Both the Conservative campaign and several Conservative-aligned newspapers sought to tar Khan as an apologist for, or even sympathiser with, Islamic extremism. Goldsmith's campaign material referred to Khan as "radical and divisive", while comments on the Conservatives'
Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
campaign material often displayed anti-Muslim sentiment.
Labour accused Goldsmith's campaign of using '
dog-whistle politics
In politics, a dog whistle is the use of coded or suggestive language in political messaging to garner support from a particular group without provoking opposition. The concept is named after ultrasonic dog whistles, which are audible to dogs ...
' and racist or Islamophobic campaigning. In April 2016, Labour MP
Yvette Cooper
Yvette Cooper (born 20 March 1969) is a British politician who has served as Home Secretary since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, Cooper has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), member of parliament (MP) for Po ...
wrote "What started as a subtle dog-whistle is becoming a full blown racist scream". Conservative politician
Baroness Warsi also criticised Goldsmith for using an image of the bus destroyed in the
7/7 terrorist attacks to illustrate an article he wrote. Goldsmith was also accused of 'racial profiling' voters in the London mayoral campaign. Goldsmith strongly denied claims his campaign had been racist and accused his rival Khan of 'playing the race card'. The Conservatives responded it was "utterly predictable that Labour label their opponents as racists", citing the fact that during the 2008 mayoral campaign, the party had also accused Johnson of employing racist rhetoric.
Khan's campaign emphasised Goldsmith's comparative lack of political experience and employment history. Khan portrayed Goldsmith as a spoiled dilettante, stating that he "never finished anything he starts ... he's somebody who before becoming a member of parliament has had one proper job, which was given to him by his uncle."
Goldsmith went on to lose the election to Sadiq Khan in the second round by 315,529 votes. Khan achieved 57% of the vote to Goldsmith's 43% and polled a record number of votes after second round votes were counted. Goldsmith's campaign was later criticised by Labour MP
David Lammy
David Lindon Lammy FRSA (born 19 July 1972) is a British politician who has served as Foreign Secretary since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Tottenham since 2000. Lammy previously held vario ...
for being "divisive" by focusing on attempts to link Khan to Islamist extremists.
By-election and political return: 2016–2019
Goldsmith had promised, as far back as a June 2012 edition of the BBC's ''
Sunday Politics'' programme, he would not stand as a Conservative candidate at the next election if the Conservative Party backed the expansion of Heathrow Airport, an issue to which he was strongly opposed. In December 2016, he lost a
by-election in Richmond Park he had initiated by the act of resigning his seat. He stood as an independent instead of as a Conservative but was endorsed by UKIP. Neither UKIP nor the Conservatives stood a candidate in the by-election.
He lost to
Sarah Olney
Sarah Jane Olney (' McGibbon; born 11 January 1977) is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond Park since 2019, previously holding the seat from 2016 to 2017. Olney has served as the ...
of the Liberal Democrats, who overturned his majority of 23,000.
In April 2017, Goldsmith was reselected as the Conservative Party candidate for Richmond Park prior to the
upcoming snap general election to be held on 8 June. He regained the constituency as a Conservative candidate but winning with a majority of just 45 votes, the fifth-slimmest in the election. Following Boris Johnson's election as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister in July 2019, Goldsmith was appointed as
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at both the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for environmental quality, environmenta ...
and
Department for International Development
The Department for International Development (DFID) was a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom, from 1997 to 2020. It was responsible for administering foreign aid ...
. After
Amber Rudd
Amber Augusta Rudd (born 1 August 1963) is a British former politician who served as Home Secretary from 2016 to 2018 and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2018 to 2019. She was a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Pa ...
's resignation as
Work and Pensions Secretary
The secretary of state for work and pensions, also referred to as the work and pensions secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the busin ...
in September 2019, Johnson reshuffled his frontbench and promoted Goldsmith to
Minister of State
Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...
with the right to attend
Cabinet.
Upon his promotion, he was sworn in as a member of the
Privy Council, giving him the
honorific title "
The Right Honourable
''The Right Honourable'' (abbreviation: The Rt Hon. or variations) is an honorific Style (form of address), style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire, and the Commonwealt ...
" for life. He appeared at number 98 on the 'Top 100 Most Influential Conservatives of 2019' by
LBC
LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadc ...
's
Iain Dale
Iain Dale (born 15 July 1962) is a British broadcaster, author, political commentator, and a former publisher and book retailer. He has been a blogger since 2002. He was the publisher of the ''Total Politics'' magazine between 2008 and 2012, a ...
.
Liberal Democrat
Sarah Olney
Sarah Jane Olney (' McGibbon; born 11 January 1977) is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond Park since 2019, previously holding the seat from 2016 to 2017. Olney has served as the ...
defeated Goldsmith by 7,766 votes in the
12 December 2019 snap general election (despite the election providing the Conservative Party's largest share of votes since
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
) and won back the Richmond Park seat. Shortly after his electoral defeat, it was announced he would continue to serve as a minister in the government by being awarded a
life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
age and sitting as a member of the
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
.
House of Lords: 2020–present
On 7 January 2020, Goldsmith was created Baron Goldsmith of Richmond Park, ''of
Richmond Park
Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of Royal Parks of London, London's Royal Parks and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I of England, Cha ...
in the
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames () in south-west Greater London, London, England, forms part of Outer London and is the only London boroughs, London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller ...
.'' His ennoblement to the House of Lords was criticised by the
Muslim Council of Britain
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is an umbrella body of Muslim organisations in the United Kingdom, with over 500 affiliated mosques and organisations. It was formed in 1994 in response to British government's expressed wish for a single r ...
as "rewarding racism", and by opposition politicians as being "cronyist" and "hypocritical" in light of a tweet Goldsmith had made in 2012 which described the
House of Lords Reform Bill as being one that promoted "party apparatchiks" and "insulated" them from "democratic pressure". However, Labour MP and former
Shadow Environment Secretary Kerry McCarthy
Kerry Gillian McCarthy (born 26 March 1965) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Bristol East since 2005. A member of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, she was Shadow S ...
said she believed Goldsmith was committed to the government's promise to maintain standards in environmental regulation after Brexit, adding: "because of that I welcome the fact that he is still around to carry on and do that work".
In his maiden speech in the House of Lords, Goldsmith rebutted accusations of cronyism, saying "One political rival described me as a 'turd that won't flush' – a phrase my children are very unlikely to let me forget. But equally I know many of those heroic people engaged in the battle to protect this extraordinary planet and the species it holds are cheered by having another voice in Parliament and it is an enormous privilege."
In
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...
's
post-Brexit reshuffle, Goldsmith was given the additional role of
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs with responsibility for
the Pacific.
In June 2020, Johnson announced the Department for International Development would be merged with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to form the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the ministry of foreign affairs and a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom.
The office was created on 2 ...
which was subsequently created in September of that year.
On 1 June 2020, the
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is an officer of the British House of Commons. The work of the officer is overseen by the Commons Select Committee on Standards.
The current commissioner is Daniel Greenberg.
Duties
The commissio ...
concluded Goldsmith had breached the standards commission's code of conduct by his use of publicly-funded stationery and postage for political purposes around 1 November 2019, shortly before the 2019 general election. The commission released a report in June upholding an allegation made against Goldsmith on 5 November 2019. The report said they had considered the "timing, tone, and content of the letter and concluded that it was of a party-political nature rather than a communication for parliamentary purposes". He accepted the commission's finding and agreed to re-pay £8,954.33 to cover the mailing costs.
In September 2022, Goldsmith was appointed
Minister of State for Asia, Energy, Climate and Environment
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
by
Liz Truss
Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth da ...
. He was reappointed by
Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak (born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2022 to 2024. Following his defeat to Keir Starmer's La ...
with new responsibilities for overseas territories and the Commonwealth.
On 30 June 2023, Goldsmith resigned from his ministerial position, saying the government showed "apathy" towards environmental issues and that Sunak's "simply uninterested" attitude had paralysed policymaking.
A day earlier, he had been named as one of 10 parliamentarians accused of waging a "co-ordinated campaign" to interfere with a
Commons investigation into Boris Johnson,
which led opposition parties to call for Goldsmith's dismissal.
The report from the
Privileges Committee cited a retweet from 9 June in which Goldsmith commented that the outcome of the investigation was predetermined.
In a letter to Goldsmith, Sunak said that Goldsmith had "decided to take a different course" after being asked to apologise for the tweet. Speaking to the BBC, Goldsmith said that he was happy to apologise for his public comments as a minister, but that his resignation was "a long time coming".
Political positions and views
''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' described Goldsmith as "a bit of a liberal and a bit of a libertarian" on social issues, who has also gained a reputation for environmentalism due to his opposition to his government's plans to expand Heathrow airport.
Journalist Dave Hill noted that the "young Goldsmith was pro-small business and small communities, localist and conservationist" and was "against overbearing government from whatever the source". Goldsmith has spoken and written about environmental causes in Britain and has twice been invited to debate at the
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest unive ...
, where he has delivered keynote addresses.
As a contributing author of the book ''We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples'', published in late 2009, Goldsmith has explored global diversities and threats facing humankind. Among the other contributors are western writers, such as
Laurens van der Post
Sir Laurens Jan van der Post, (13 December 1906 – 15 December 1996) was a South African Afrikaner writer, farmer, soldier, educator, journalist, humanitarian, philosopher, explorer and conservationist. He was noted for his interest in Jungi ...
,
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a ...
,
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss ( ; ; 28 November 1908 – 30 October 2009) was a Belgian-born French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theories of structuralism and structural anthropology. He held the chair o ...
and indigenous persons, such as
Davi Kopenawa Yanomami and
Roy Sesana
Roy Sesana (born c. 1950) is a San activist who worked together with the First People of the Kalahari for the rights of his people.
Biography
Sesana lives in New Xade in the central Kalahari and works as a traditional medicine man. He moved t ...
. The book is composed of a collection of photographs, statements from tribal people, and essays from international authors, politicians, philosophers, poets, artists, journalists, anthropologists, environmentalists and photojournalists. In his essay, Goldsmith writes about how his travel around the world in his youth gave him first-hand experience of the misery brought by the promise of western "progress" and "development". He reflects on the culture of tribal people and, in reverence to it, urges people in the modern world to question what "progress" can really mean.
Goldsmith advocates greater
direct democracy
Direct democracy or pure democracy is a form of democracy in which the Election#Electorate, electorate directly decides on policy initiatives, without legislator, elected representatives as proxies, as opposed to the representative democracy m ...
, such as
Switzerland's model of using referendums. Goldsmith believes that direct democracy would help combat feelings of
disenfranchisement
Disfranchisement, also disenfranchisement (which has become more common since 1982) or voter disqualification, is the restriction of suffrage (the right to vote) of a person or group of people, or a practice that has the effect of preventing someo ...
among people and increase accountability.
He has also argued in favour of introducing measures so that MPs can be subject to recall referendums midway through their term if a sufficiently large number of their constituents petition for it.
Goldsmith is a long-standing Eurosceptic and supporter of
Brexit
Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU).
Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...
. He first announced he was in favour of the UK leaving the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
in 2013 and has consistently voted against UK membership of the EU in Parliament. In March 2019, he was one of 265 Conservative MPs that backed a no-deal Brexit being left on the table.
Among Goldsmith's key interests is education; in an interview with
Fairtrade
A fair trade certification is a product certification within the market-based movement of fair trade. The most widely used fair trade certification is FLO International's, the International Fairtrade Certification Mark, used in Europe, Africa ...
fashion designers ''
People Tree'', he said "I've put a big emphasis on schools. One campaign is to ensure every school
sfitted with a proper kitchen that can double up as a classroom. Children need to know where their food comes from and how to cook it. We're also trying to help every school source its food sustainably and locally".
Less than 24 hours after the
2017 Barcelona attacks
On the afternoon of 17 August 2017, 22-year-old Younes Abouyaaqoub drove a van Vehicle-ramming attack, into pedestrians on La Rambla, Barcelona, La Rambla street in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, killing 13 people and injuring at least 130 others, ...
, Goldsmith shared his brother's controversial post on social media which compared
ISIS
Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
's
antisemitism
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
to the views of the left-wing British campaign group
Momentum
In Newtonian mechanics, momentum (: momenta or momentums; more specifically linear momentum or translational momentum) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. ...
.
Fundraising
Goldsmith funded the Organic Targets Bill Campaign to promote organic farming in 1999.
He has been a member of the advisory board of the JMG Foundation, which disburses grants globally to a range of environmental advocacy groups using the financial legacy left by James Goldsmith.
He is also on the
National Gardens Scheme
The National Garden Scheme opens privately owned gardens in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and the Channel Islands on selected dates for charity. It was founded in 1927 with the aim of "opening gardens of quality, character and interest to th ...
's Council of Trustees as one of four Ambassadors.
He is a Patron of the
Mihai Eminescu Trust which conserves and maintains communities in
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
and the
Maramureş, and the
philanthropic organization
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material g ...
, ''Fortune Forum'' (together with Jimmy Wales).
He is a longstanding donor to the
Soil Association
The Soil Association is a British registered charity focused on the effect of agriculture on the environment. It was established in 1946. Their activities include campaigning for local purchasing, public education on nutrition and certificat ...
. In 2007, he was a participant at the Soil Association Annual Conference, during which he competed in an organic fashion show on 25 January
and afterwards debating on a
''Question Time'' panel on 27 January.
Family and personal life
Goldsmith has been described as having a "soft voice and unhurried manner". Referring to Goldsmith's actions in the 2016 Mayoral campaign, journalist Dave Hill described Goldsmith as "the courtly patrician who
ould havehired a heavy mob to do his fighting for him".
After his father's death in 1997, Goldsmith is believed to have inherited between £200 million and £300 million out of the reported £1.2 billion
estate.
In a 2009 article in ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', some tax experts speculated his income could amount to £5 million per year from the trust left to him alone. He was the second richest member in the 2010–2015 Parliament after
Richard Benyon
Richard Henry Ronald Benyon, Baron Benyon, (born 21 October 1960), is a British politician who has served as Lord Chamberlain of the Household since 4 November 2024. He previously was Minister of State for Climate, Environment and Energy from ...
. He enjoys
gambling
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...
; in 2004 he won £53,000 in a televised card game and he has had a financial stake in the
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...
-based bookmakers
Fitzdares. A
backgammon
Backgammon is a two-player board game played with counters and dice on tables boards. It is the most widespread Western member of the large family of tables games, whose ancestors date back at least 1,600 years. The earliest record of backgammo ...
and
poker
Poker is a family of Card game#Comparing games, comparing card games in which Card player, players betting (poker), wager over which poker hand, hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, with varying rules i ...
player, he also pursues other sporting interests including
cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
.
Goldsmith was married for ten years to
Sheherazade Bentley
Sheherazade Ventura Goldsmith (' Bentley; 14 March 1974) is a British environmentalist, jeweller and columnist.
During the 1990s, Goldsmith worked in the fashion industry and, after 2000, engaged in environmental activism undertaking a variet ...
with whom he has three children: two daughters, Uma Romaine and Thyra, and one son, James. The couple married on 5 June 1999 at
St Simon Zelotes Church in London. The Goldsmith couple separated in April 2009, and received a
decree nisi
A decree nisi or rule nisi () is a court order that will come into force at a future date unless a particular condition is met. Unless the condition is met, the ruling becomes a decree absolute (rule absolute), and is binding. Typically, the con ...
on 10 May 2010. Sheherazade and Goldsmith were featured in ''
Vanity Fair'' 67th Annual International Best-Dressed List among "Best-Dressed Couples".
Goldsmith said in 2000 that he wore
Savile Row
Savile Row (pronounced ) is a street in Mayfair, central London. Known principally for its traditional bespoke tailoring for men, the street has had a varied history that has included accommodating the headquarters of the Royal Geographical ...
suits which had belonged to his late father.
His divorce from Bentley was much covered in the gossip columns.
In 2013 at
London Wetland Centre in his constituency, Goldsmith married banking heiress
Alice Miranda Rothschild, the daughter of the late
Amschel Rothschild and his wife, Anita Patience Guinness, of the
Guinness Brewery
St. James's Gate Brewery is a brewery founded in 1759 in Dublin, Ireland, by Arthur Guinness. The company is now a part of Diageo, a company formed from the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan in 1997. The main product of the brewery is ...
family. They have a daughter, Dolly, born in July 2013. Their second child, a son named Max, was born in January 2016.
On 25 April 2017, Alice gave birth to a daughter named Edie.
Alice's sister, Kate Rothschild, and his brother,
Ben Goldsmith, had been married until 2013. In March 2023, Zac and Alice announced they had separated.
Goldsmith was banned from driving for a year after he was caught speeding seven times in 2023. He was also fined £5,500 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £700. In sentencing, District Judge Daniel Sternberg warned that drivers who speed "emit more harmful emissions" even in hybrid and electric cars, a reference to Goldsmith's interest in environmental matters.
He and his family live in
Barnes.
Awards
* In 2003, Goldsmith was awarded the
Beacon Prize as ''Young Philanthropist of the Year'' for his contribution to environmental awareness and protection.
* In 2004, he received the
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
-founded
Green Cross International's ''Global Green Award for International Environmental Leadership''.
* In 2011, he was joint winner of the inaugural ''
BusinessGreen Politician of the Year Award'' with
Tim Yeo MP.
* In 2014, he was also awarded by The Patchwork Foundation for being ''The Best Conservative Newcomer MP of the Year''.
* In October 2022 Goldsmith was awarded the Order of the Etoile Équatoriale by President Ali Bongo Ondimba of the Republic of Gabon in recognition of his international environmental leadership https://www.focusgroupemedia.com/discours-integral-du-chef-de-letat-ali-bongo-ondimba-a-la-levee-du-drapeau-du-gabon-au-commonwealth/
* In 2022 Colombian President Ivan Duque awarded Goldsmith the Order of Boyacá in the Grade of Grand Cross for his international environmental leadership. The Honour was founded by Simon Bolivar and is the highest honour that can be given to a non Colombian national. https://twitter.com/ivanduque/status/1552674311839834119?lang=en
Ancestry
Goldsmith is a member of the prominent
Goldsmith family. Goldsmith's family has a long history in
politics
Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
. His grandfathers were both Conservative Members of Parliament: his paternal grandfather,
Frank Goldsmith, was a Conservative MP, while his mother's father,
The 8th Marquess of Londonderry, represented
County Down
County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the ...
as a
Unionist MP in the
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...
, when he was still styled Viscount Castlereagh. His maternal great-grandfather,
The 7th Marquess of Londonderry, was an Ulster Unionist politician. Another maternal ancestor was
Robert, Viscount Castlereagh,
Chief Secretary for Ireland
The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British Dublin Castle administration, administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Lieutenant, and officially the "Chief Secretar ...
and
British Foreign Secretary. Goldsmith's sister
Jemima was married from 1995–2004 to
Imran Khan
Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He was the founder of the political party Pak ...
, who would go on to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018–2022, with whom she has two sons.
See also
*
Family of Imran Khan
The family of Imran Khan, the 19th Prime Minister of Pakistan and former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, is a prominent family of Pakistani origin with Niazi and Burki Pashtun ancestry. They are active in sports, politics, and the Pakista ...
*
List of people with non-domiciled status in the UK
Bibliography
*
Gummer, John; Goldsmith, Zac (September 2007)
Blueprint for a Green Economy – Submission to the Shadow Cabinet ''Conservative Quality of Life Policy Group''.
Notes
References
Sources
*
External links
*
Zac Goldsmith , Politics , The GuardianZac Goldsmith , Financial Times
, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goldsmith, Zac
1975 births
Living people
People from Barnes, London
People educated at Hawtreys
People educated at The Mall School
People educated at Eton College
People educated at the Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies
Writers from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
British magazine editors
British philanthropists
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
English environmentalists
English male writers
UK MPs 2010–2015
UK MPs 2015–2017
UK MPs 2017–2019
UK MPs who were granted peerages
Zac
British people of French descent
British people of German-Jewish descent
Jewish English writers
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Conservative Party (UK) life peers
Life peers created by Elizabeth II
British Eurosceptics
People from Chelsea, London
Politicians from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Politicians from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Writers from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames