in may 2012, gummer was appointed parliamentary adviser to lord andrew feldman, the conservative party co-chairman, helping him to develop the relationship between conservative campaign headquarters and conservative mps. in september 2012, gummer was promoted to parliamentary private secretary to alan duncan, minister of state for international development, in the government reshuffle. duncan was responsible for asia, the middle east, caribbean and overseas territories, international finance, international relations (except the eu), trade, and corporate performance divisions.