Damian Hinds
A steady, pragmatic minister who navigated the turbulent politics of British education, focusing on school funding and technical training reforms.
Born 1969 (age 57)·British politician·Birthday: November 27·Generation X
Biography
Damian Hinds entered Parliament in 2010, bringing a background in business and hospitality rather than the traditional political career path. His rise to Secretary of State for Education in 2018 placed him at the helm during a period of intense scrutiny over school budgets and standards. Hinds approached the role with a measured, data-focused style, championing initiatives to boost teacher recruitment and retention, and placing a significant emphasis on developing T-levels as a rigorous technical alternative to A-levels. While his tenure was shorter than some, marked by the political upheaval of Brexit, he maintained a reputation as a competent administrator who avoided ideological flashpoints in favor of incremental, practical change within the department.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Damian was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Damian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Damian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Secretary of State for Education from January 2018 to July 2019 under Prime Minister Theresa May.
- Oversaw the introduction and development of T-levels, new technical qualifications for 16-19 year olds in England.
- Launched the first voluntary national guidelines to help schools and parents manage students' use of social media and technology.
- Secured a multi-billion pound funding settlement for schools in the 2019 spending review.
Did You Know?
Before politics, he was the managing director of a pub company.
He served as the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, a junior Treasury minister, prior to his education role.
He is a member of the Conservative Party's moderate 'One Nation' caucus.
“Education is the single most important determinant of social mobility.”
