Andrew Stephenson

His father and grandfather worked for British Rail, in the North East of England, before the family moved to the North West in the 1960s.

He attended Poynton High School, a state comprehensive school.

Andrew George Stephenson (born 17 February 1981) is a British politician serving as Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care since November 2023.

Stephenson was born on 17 February 1981 in Manchester, England to Malcolm and Ann Stephenson.

The seat had been previously held by Labour MP Gordon Prentice since 1992.

He was also the chairman of the Royal Holloway's Conservative Future society, from 1999 to 2001.

He served two terms on the National Executive of Conservative Future, and was the organisation's national deputy chairman from 2001 to 2002.

Stephenson was the first in his family to go to university and studied for a degree in Management Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, graduating in 2002.

He has a PGCert from the University of Derby in Sustainability and Environmental Management and an MSc in Engineering Management from the University of Leeds.

While at school, Stephenson had wanted to become a chef.

He took part in the South Trafford College Super Chef competition, was awarded a bronze medal in the Northern Salon culinary competition and participated in the North West Regional Finals of BBC Junior Masterchef.

After graduating from university, Stephenson worked as an insurance broker and later partner at Stephenson & Threader.

Stephenson joined the Conservative Party at the age of 16.

Stephenson was a councillor for Macclesfield Borough Council from 2003 to 2007.

At the age of 25, he became the chair of the Tatton Conservative association, the youngest person to lead a local Conservative association.

He was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for Pendle in September 2006.

Stephenson climbed the Great Wall of China in September 2008, having raised more than £5,000 for charity.

A member of the Conservative Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pendle in Lancashire since 2010.

He was elected in the general election of 2010, with a majority of 3,585 (8.0%) votes.

Stephenson delivered his maiden speech in a debate on 'Building a High-Skilled Economy' on 17 June 2010.

On 13 October 2010, Stephenson was one of 37 Conservative MP's to rebel on a motion to approve Britain's EU budget contribution, voting for an amendment which read "is concerned at the above-inflation increase being made to Britain's EU budget contribution; believes that, at a time when the Government is poised to make reductions in public spending elsewhere, it is wrong to increase that contribution; and calls on the Government to reduce Britain's EU budget contribution."

Stephenson served as a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Youth from 2010 to 2013 He was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), to Robert Halfon, Minister without Portfolio and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party in 2015.

Stephenson later also became PPS to Minister of State for Security Sir John Hayes, and Minister of State for Policing Mike Penning.

In July 2016, he became PPS to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

Stephenson voted for the UK to leave the European Union in the 2016 UK Brexit referendum, campaigning with Vote Leave.

63% of Pendle residents voted to leave the EU.

After the 2017 general election, Stephenson was appointed as an Assistant Government Whip by Prime Minister Theresa May.

In January 2018, Stephenson was promoted to become a Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury in the cabinet reshuffle, before becoming Vice-Chamberlain of the Household in July 2018.

Between January 2018 and April 2019, Stephenson was the Government Pairing Whip, responsible for approving or refusing the absence requests of all Conservative MPs and negotiating ‘pairs’ with opposition Parties.

Stephenson served as Minister of State for Africa from 2019 to 2020 as well as, prior to that, in junior ministerial roles at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Government Whips Office.

In April 2019, Stephenson was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Business and Industry) at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

In this role he was responsible for sectors including aerospace, automotive, materials (including steel), professional and business services, nuclear, infrastructure and construction.

Alongside the Secretary of State, he led the government response to British Steel entering administration in May 2019.

He was also responsible for Sector Deals and launched the Tourism Sector Deal in June 2019.

Stephenson backed Boris Johnson in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election and was his North West Regional MP Campaign Co-ordinator.

In July 2019, after the formation of the first Johnson ministry, Stephenson was appointed as Minister of State for Africa and International Development.

He was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for HS2 at the Department of Transport at the February 2020 cabinet reshuffle.

He was Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio, attending cabinet, from July to September 2022, in the caretaker government of Boris Johnson.

He was subsequently appointed as a member of the Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council on 8 July, entitling him to the style "The Right Honourable" for life.

He then went on to serve as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Communities between September and October 2022 and as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury from October 2022 to November 2023.