Neil Hudson | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | |
| Assumed office 8 November 2024 | |
| Leader | Kemi Badenoch |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Member of Parliament | |
| Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Rory Stewart |
| Constituency | Penrith and The Border (2019–2024) Epping Forest (2024–present) |
| Majority | 5,682 (13.6%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1969 (age 56–57) Islington, London, England |
| Party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge University of Edinburgh |
| Occupation |
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| Website | www |
Neil Peter Hammerton Hudson[1]FRCVS (born 1969) is a BritishConservative Party politician, academic, and veterinary surgeon who has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forEpping Forest since2024, and previously forPenrith and The Border from2019 to 2024. He served on theEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee for four years, beginning in 2020, and was appointed Shadow Minister forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs in November 2024. He is the firstvet elected to the House of Commons since 1884.[2]
Neil Hudson was born in 1969 inIslington,north London.[3][4] He is the son ofobstetrics and gynaecology professor Christopher Hudson and nurse Caryl Shaw. Hudson has a sister Jayne who works as a physiotherapist and brother Grahame who is an associate head atDe Montfort University.[5][6] He studied atChigwell School andQueens' College, Cambridge, which was the alma mater of his father,[7] qualifying from the veterinary school in 1994. While there he was in theFootlights theatrical group and was in charge of auditions.[8] He later performed four times at theEdinburgh Festival Fringe.[9]
Hudson completed an internship at theUniversity of Sydney, gaining a diploma in 1995, and later a PhD in Grass Sickness and Equine Gastroenterology at theUniversity of Edinburgh.[10] Hudson is a senior lecturer at theRoyal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies but, after becoming an MP, he has been on sabbatical leave since January 2020.[11] He became a Fellow of theRoyal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2018.[10]
Hudson reports that he first became interested in becoming a politician following the2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak.[12]
At the2005 general election, Hudson stood as theConservative candidate inNewcastle upon Tyne North, coming third with 15.7% of the vote behind the incumbentLabour MPDoug Henderson and theLiberal Democrat candidate.[13][14]
Hudson stood inEdinburgh South at the2010 general election, coming third with 21.6% of the vote behind the Labour candidateIan Murray and the Liberal Democrat candidate.[15][16][17] In the 2010 election, his brother Grahame also stood as a candidate but for theLiberal Democrats inRutland and Melton.[8]
Hudson was elected to Parliament as MP forPenrith and The Border at the2019 general election with 60.4% of the vote and a majority of 18,519.[18][19]
Upon his election to Parliament, Hudson became a member of theEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.[20]
Hudson announced in September 2021 that he no longer supported the building of theWoodhouse Colliery, a proposed coal mine in Cumbria.[21][22] The project was approved by the government in December 2022.[23]
As part of the2023 review of Westminster constituencies, Penrith and The Border was abolished and he lost selection for the new seat ofPenrith and Solway in February 2023 to fellow Conservative MPMark Jenkinson.[24] Hudson also lost out on the selection for theWest Suffolk seat in July 2023 to former political adviserNick Timothy.[25] West Suffolk MPMatt Hancock had previously announced that he would stand down at the2024 general election in December 2022.[26]
At the2024 general election, Hudson was elected to Parliament as MP forEpping Forest with 43.2% of the vote and a majority of 5,682.[27][28][29]
Hudson is married to Nicola Chedgey. They have two children.[7][30] His late father Professor Chris Hudson was a councillor inNorth Weald, Essex.[31]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forPenrith and The Border 2019–2024 | Constituency abolished |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forEpping Forest 2024–present | Incumbent |