Andrew Russell Bingham^[2] (born 23 June 1962)^[3] is a British Conservative Party politician and former Member of Parliament (MP). He was first elected as the MP for High Peak in Derbyshire^[4] at the 2010 general election, gaining the seat from Labour. Bingham was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Minister of State for the Armed Forces Mark Francois MP in July 2014.^{[citation needed]} He lost his seat to the Labour candidate, Ruth George, at the 2017 general election.^[5]

Since November 2017, Bingham has been the head of the Government Car Service, part of the Department for Transport based in London.^[6]

Bingham was born in Buxton and was raised there before his family moved to Chapel-en-le-Frith. He attended Long Lane Comprehensive School (now known as Chapel-en-le-Frith High School).^[7] He worked as a Director in his father's business before being elected to parliament, supplying engineering equipment to companies across the High Peak and North West England.

Bingham was first elected onto High Peak Borough Council in the 1999 district council elections, and was Councillor for Chapel West ward until the 2011 local elections. When the Conservatives gained control of the council in 2007 he became executive member for Social and Community Development.^[8]

After losing by 735 votes to the incumbent Labour MP Tom Levitt at the 2005 general election, Bingham regained the High Peak seat for the Conservatives at the 2010 general election. He gave his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 8 June 2010, during which he claimed to have the most beautiful constituency in the UK.^[9] In 2010 he was appointed to the Work and Pensions Select Committee.^[10]

Bingham opposed the government's ultimately successful legislation to introduce same-sex marriage.^[11] He stated that he knew his decision would 'upset' people but "felt after much thought and consideration that marriage as the union of one man and woman has existed for thousands of years and [he] couldn't support the changes proposed".^[12]

In July 2014, Bingham was appointed to the Government, to be Parliamentary Private Secretary to the newly promoted Minister of State for the Armed Forces Mark Francois.^[13] Before becoming bound by the Ministerial Code, as a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Mr Bingham's various rebellions against the Government once led to one national newspaper to describe him as a 'serial rebel'.^[14] He was re-elected for his constituency in the 2015 general election with 45% of votes. Following the 2015 general election he was appointed as PPS to Justine Greening, Secretary of State for International Development.

Bingham supported Brexit in the 2016 European Union Referendum.^[15]

During his tenure, Bingham organised a number of local events either to raise money for charity or to support activities in the High Peak.^[46] These included a funding information day for local charities in early 2011,^[47] a sponsored walk with Conservative MEP Emma McClarkin and a charity cricket match in 2013. In 2011 he organised a 'Small Business Day', with the aim of giving local businesses easy access to useful information^[48] and in September 2012 Bingham hosted a 'Business Export Seminar' to help local businesses that wanted to start exporting.^[49]

Bingham follows most sports, particularly cricket and football. He has supported Buxton F.C. since he was a boy, saying that he prefers lower division football over the "glitzy image of the Premiership".^[50]