Graham Stuart (politician)

Graham Charles Stuart (born 12 March 1962) is a British Conservative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness since 2005. He recently served as the Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exports from 2018 to 2021, and Minister of State for Europe from July to September 2022.

Early life and education
Graham Stuart was born on 12 March 1962 in Carlisle, and went to Glenalmond College, an independent school in Perthshire, before studying at Selwyn College, Cambridge, from 1982 to 1985, where he read Philosophy and Law. Stuart failed his degree, after focusing his efforts on developing his "What's on in Cambridge" guide into a profitable business. He remains a non-executive chairman of the company.

He was Chairman of the Cambridge University Conservative Association in 1985.

Political career
Stuart was elected as a member of Cambridge City Council for the Cherry Hinton Ward in the 1998 local elections. He contested the Cambridge constituency as the Conservative Party candidate at the 2001 general election, coming in third place with 9,829 votes, 23% of the share. He was re-elected to Cambridge City Council in the 2002 local elections and served until 2004.

Parliamentary career
Stuart was elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament (MP) for Beverley and Holderness in the 2005 general election with a majority of 2,580. Following his election, he said "I plan to be upfront and have a high profile, not only within the constituency but nationally". He became a member of two select committees: the Environmental Audit Select Committee and the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee. He was elected a member of the Conservative Party Board in 2006.

In 2005, he founded Beverley and Holderness Pensioners Action Group, Community Hospitals Acting Nationally Together (CHANT), a cross-party campaign group, and Hull and Holderness Opposing the Incinerator (HOTI Group). He is vice-chairman of the GLOBE UK branch of Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment. Following the Parliamentary expenses scandal, Stuart defended his expenses in June 2009, which included spending £426 on bed linen and towels.

His campaigns in the 2005–10 Parliament included the defeat of legislation on home education and saving the Beverley Pasture Masters. In the following parliament, he was involved in the successful campaign for lower Humber Bridge tolls, and persuaded the government to improve the A164 and construct the Beverley Bypass. In 2012, he defeated a proposed increase in VAT on static caravans, which are largely manufactured in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

At the 2010 general election Stuart was re-elected, increasing his share of the vote to 47.1% and increasing his majority to 12,987.

In June 2010, Stuart was elected by MPs as Chair of the Education Select Committee. Despite being a Conservative MP, Stuart frequently disagreed with the Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove. His committee produced up to six reports a year ranging from single evidence inquiries to more detailed examinations into Education, Schools and Family policy.

Stuart supports repealing the 2004 Hunting Act to bring back fox hunting, stating in 2010: "I've always said I would vote to reverse the ban".

At the 2015 general election Stuart was again re-elected, increasing his vote share to 48.1%, but saw his majority cut from 12,987 to 12,203. On 27 February 2016, Stuart announced his support for Britain continuing to be a member of the European Union.

In an interview with the journalist Peter Wilby for The Guardian, Stuart described himself as socially liberal, a "deficit hawk" who favours faster cuts to public spending, and an end to welfare dependency. He was appointed an Assistant Whip by the new Prime Minister, Theresa May on 18 July 2016.

At the snap 2017 general election, Stuart was again re-elected, increasing his vote share to 58.4% and increasing his majority to 14,042.

Stuart was promoted to serve as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exports in the January 2019 government reshuffle. He returned to the backbenches in the September 2021 reshuffle.

Stuart was again re-elected at the 2019 general election, increasing his vote share to 62.1% and his majority to 20,448. This was the highest vote share and highest majority ever won by an MP in Beverley and Holderness.

In January 2022 Stuart was appointed as a Trade Envoy to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and held this role until July 2022. He was made Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in July 2022 as part of the caretaker government by outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

He was made Minister of State for Climate in September 2022 as part of the incoming cabinet of Prime Minister Liz Truss. In one of his first interviews in his new position with the BBC, Stuart commented that oil and gas exploration in the North Sea would be "good for the environment". He attended Charles III's accession council on 10 September. He was formally appointed a privy counsellor three days later, granting him the honorific style The Right Honourable. On 19 October 2022, before a controversial vote on fracking that the government had declared a vote of confidence, Stuart suggested that the vote was not actually a confidence vote, apparently communicating a message from a "junior official at 10 Downing Street". The resulting confusion played a significant role in the resignation of Liz Truss the next day. On 27 October 2022, upon the appointment of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister he was reappointed to his position and given the additional Energy portfolio but was removed from Cabinet.

In 2023, reports emerged that Stuart had received £10,000 donation towards his campaign from energy company JR Rix & Sons and an additional  £2,000 from Bostonair, an aviation company, both based in Hull.

In April 2024, Stuart stood down as Energy Minister and Net Zero Minister.

At the 2024 general election, Stuart was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 34.5% and a decreased majority of 124.

Personal life
Graham Stuart lives in Beverley and separated from his wife in January 2022. He enjoys motorcycling, cycling and cricket.