Background

Born in Carlisle, Graham Stuart has a background in publishing, having founded his own company at the age of 22. He went on to become Managing Director of CSL Publishing, a UK based publishing house, only three years later. He remains non-executive chair of the company.

Political Career

"Having contest the seat of Cambridge unsuccessfully at the 2001 election, Stuart was elected as the MP for Beverly and Holderness in 2005, at the time a highly marginal seat. By 2019, his majority had increased to over 20,000.

A long-time backbencher, he was appointed to his first ministerial position in 2016, as an Assistant Whip. In 2018, he moved to the Department for International Trade as a Minister for Investment, before becoming Minister for Exports in 2020. He returned to the backbenches in September 2021, before returning as Minister for Climate – his current role – following Liz Truss’ election as Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister.

Prior to his ministerial career, Stuart sat as a member of two select committees; the Environmental Audit Select Committee and the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee. He was subsequently elected as Chair of the Education Select Committee, the successor to Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, in June 2010."

View on portfolio

"Unlike his superior at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Stuart has a track record of support for climate action, describing global warming as “one of the greatest challenges we will face in this lifetime”.

He has also been particularly vocal about the benefits of renewable energy, both in terms of a cheap source of reliable energy supply and the economic benefits of the industry for the UK more broadly. This view is partly driven by the fact his constituency, based on the North Sea coast, benefits heavily from renewables investment."