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Sir Mel Stride has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for Central Devon since 2010, representing one of the largest and most rural constituencies in England.

He was appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer by Kemi Badenoch in November 2024 after she became Leader of the Opposition, having stood in the leadership contest himself.

Stride served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in Rishi Sunak’s government, where he drove once in a generation welfare reforms responsible for saving billions of pounds of taxpayer money and seeing over 400,000 fewer people on long term sick and disability benefits and on the path to work.

He has held other prominent government positions, including Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons, as well as serving as Chair of the Treasury Select Committee for three years.

Before entering politics, Stride had a successful career as an entrepreneur, founding and managing companies both in the UK and in the US.

He was awarded a free place at Portsmouth Grammar School and later won a place at Oxford University where he was a keen debater, having been elected as President of the Oxford Union.

Outside of politics, Stride is a keen wild swimmer, and he starts most days with a plunge into cold water. He has a strong interest in history and as a hobby Stride is a qualified tour guide entitled to guide several national sites, including The British Museum and the Tower of London. Stride also holds a pilot’s licence as well as scuba divers licence and has an unpublished novel on the self.

Stride is married to Michelle and is the proud father of three daughters.