Sir Simon Richard Clarke[1][2] (born 28 September 1984) is a British Conservative politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland from 2017 to 2024.

Simon Clarke was born on 28 September 1984 in University Hospital of North Tees and grew up in the suburb of Marton, Middlesbrough.

[7] Whilst being employed as a Policy Advisor to the Conservative MP Graham Stuart, he was selected as the candidate for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland in April 2017.

[10] He clashed with both the then-Labour MP for Redcar, Anna Turley and the Labour-run Middlesbrough Council over plans for transport improvements in the local area,[11][12] while he argued against his own party's opposition to onshore windfarms.

[14] At the forefront of this change in policy was Clarke, who, in September 2018, organised a letter signed by more than 130 cross-party MPs which indicated their support for net zero emissions and stressed opportunities for UK businesses, including in the North East.

[18] He said he supported regenerative measures undertaken by private initiatives in his constituency such as the reopening and expanding of Teesside International Airport, alongside the Tees Valley Mayor's plans to redevelop the SSI steelworks site.

In December 2022, Clarke made an amendment to the Levelling Up Bill to ease planning rules for onshore wind farms in England which was signed by 34 Conservative MPs—including former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

As a result of a threatened rebellion led by Clarke, the Government said that a rule requiring new turbines to be built on pre-designated land would be rewritten.