page_title: Nigel Adams
section_title: Political career
hierarchical_section_title: Nigel Adams / Political career
caption_attribution_description: English: Shops with archway, High Street, Tadcaster
context_page_description: Nigel Adams is a British Conservative politician serving as the Member of Parliament for Selby and Ainsty since 2010. Adams was appointed as the Minister for Asia at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development in February 2020.
  He had previous held various government ministerial posts. These have included as an Assistant Government Whip on two occasions, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales and most recently Minister for Sport, Media and Creative Industries.
context_section_description: Adams joined the Conservative Party (UK) in 1992.
  He was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in May 2018. Following the Government reshuffle in January 2018, Adams was promoted to Lord Commissioner to HM Treasury in the Government Whips Office, a role he undertakes alongside his ministerial duties. Adams was first appointed to the Government following his successful re-election in June 2017 where he became Assistant Government Whip. His departmental responsibilities included Department for Environment, Food and rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Northern Ireland Office (NIO)
  In 2016, Adams was one of the key figures in the unsuccessful Conservative Party leadership bid by Boris Johnson and still remains a close ally. Adams appeared in the 2017 BBC docudrama Theresa vs Boris, How May became PM
  He contested the marginal Rossendale and Darwen seat at the 2005 general election, coming second with a swing to the Conservatives of 1.9% compared to the 3.1% average they achieved nationally. Adams was then selected as the candidate for the Conservative Party in the newly created seat of Selby and Ainsty in 2006. Four years later at the 2010 general election, Adams was elected with a 23.71% majority.
  Following his election to Parliament, Adams was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the House of Lords and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, The Lord Strathclyde, and subsequently to his successor, The Lord Hill of Oareford until his resignation in August 2014. In September 2014 Adams was appointed to the Number 10 Policy Board with responsibility for economic affairs.
  Adams was re-elected as Member of Parliament for Selby and Ainsty at the 2015 general election with 27,725 votes, a majority of 13,557 votes and 52.5% of the total votes cast, a swing from Labour of 1.0% compared to a negative national swing of 0.4%. He was re-elected again at the snap election on 8 June 2017 with 32,921 votes and an increased majority and vote share of 13,772 and 58.7% respectively.
  In January 2016, the Labour Party unsuccessfully proposed an amendment in Parliament that would have required private landlords to make their homes "fit for human habitation". According to Parliament's register of interests, Adams was one of 72 Conservative MPs who voted against the amendment who personally derived an income from renting out property. The Conservative Government had responded to the amendment that they  believed homes should be fit for human habitation but did not want to pass the new law that would explicitly require it.
  Until June 2017, Adams was Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Biomass Group and in 2013 he wrote an article describing the benefits of biomass. He regards wind and solar generation as relatively expensive and inflexible methods of renewable energy. Whilst coal is reliable and available, it is not renewable and converts inactive carbon stored underground into carbon dioxide thus increasing CO
  2 levels. Drax and Eggborough power stations are major UK electricity producers in his constituency. Both power stations are capable of burning biomass. In January 2015, Adams introduced the Onshore wind subsidies (abolition) bill to Parliament which passed to the next stage following a close vote. The Conservative government has announced new onshore wind subsidies will end on 1 April 2016. He has however faced criticism for accepting more than £50,000 in political donations and hospitality from companies in the biomass sector.
  Until June 2017, Adams was Chairman of the All Party Group for Music and in November 2015 he instigated several Parliamentary debates on the difficulties facing UK musicians accessing visas for touring the US. The group has additionally held a session on the State of Access report aimed at improving access to live music for deaf and disabled people. Adams has campaigned to change the law on Secondary Ticketing and he successfully persuaded the government to  outlaw the use of bots for the purpose of purchasing event tickets for resale. He also successf
caption: Adams' constituency office in Tadcaster; the second largest town in his constituency
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