June 2018, Hands resigned his ministerial post to vote against a third runway at Heathrow Airport. Following the third defeat of the Brexit withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons in March 2019, Hands co-chaired the Prosperity UK Alternative Arrangements Commission. This body looked at alternatives to the Irish backstop. Alongside former neighbouring MPs Justine Greening and Zac Goldsmith, Hands has been critical of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham's April 2019 decision to close Hammersmith Bridge to motor vehicles, and has called for the bridge to be promptly repaired and re-opened. During the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election, Hands was one of the first MPs to declare their support for Jeremy Hunt. During the campaign, Hands wrote to Boris Johnson requesting that he review the Government's decision to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport. Hunt ultimately lost the contest to Johnson in the final round. Johnson government Hands was re-elected as MP for Chelsea and Fulham at the 2019 general election. Hands was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy in the second Johnson ministry during the 2020 cabinet reshuffle. In May 2020, Parliament's Standards and Privileges Committee censured Hands for misusing public funds relating to stationery and pre-paid House of Commons envelopes. In November 2021, Hands followed his party three line whip to vote to overhaul the Standards and Privileges Committee. Truss government Hands was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy on 9 October 2022. Sunak government Following the firing of Nadhim Zahawi in January 2023, Hands was appointed as his replacement as Chairman of the Conservative Party in a subsequent cabinet reshuffle. As chairman, Hands is responsible for party administration and the organisation of the Conservative Campaign Headquarters. Personal life Hands has dual American/British nationality. He lives in Fulham with his German wife Irina, and their son and daughter. Hands says that he speaks five European languages, including German and Czech. Hands supports Plymouth Argyle and has appeared as a guest at supporters' association events. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Hands said that his father, Edward Hands, had died with Coronavirus in a UK care home. References External links Official website Greg Hands MP Channel YouTube |- |- |- |- 1965 births Alumni of Robinson College, Cambridge American emigrants to England Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Councillors in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Living people Members of the Privy Council