Richard Holden | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Transport | |
| Assumed office 22 July 2025 | |
| Leader | Kemi Badenoch |
| Preceded by | Gareth Bacon |
| Shadow Paymaster General | |
| Assumed office 8 November 2024 | |
| Leader | Kemi Badenoch |
| Preceded by | John Glen |
| Chairman of the Conservative Party | |
| In office 13 November 2023 – 5 July 2024 | |
| Leader | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Greg Hands |
| Succeeded by | Richard Fuller |
| Minister without Portfolio | |
| In office 13 November 2023 – 5 July 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Greg Hands |
| Succeeded by | Ellie Reeves |
| Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Roads and Local Transport | |
| In office 28 October 2022 – 13 November 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Katherine Fletcher |
| Succeeded by | Guy Opperman |
| Member of Parliament | |
| Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Laura Pidcock |
| Constituency | North West Durham (2019–2024) Basildon and Billericay (2024–present) |
| Majority | 20 (0.05%)[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1985-03-11)11 March 1985 (age 40) Blackburn,Lancashire, England |
| Party | Conservative |
| Domestic partner | Kate Ferguson[2] |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics |
| Website | Official website |
Richard John Holden (born 11 March 1985) is a British politician who has been theMember of Parliament (MP) forBasildon and Billericay since 2024 andShadow Transport Secretary since July 2025. He has also served asShadow Paymaster General since November 2024. A member of theConservative Party, he was previously the Member of Parliament forNorth West Durham from2019 to2024.[3] Holden served as theChairman of the Conservative Party andMinister without Portfolio from November 2023 to July 2024, and asParliamentary Under Secretary of State for Roads and Local Transport from 2022 to 2023.
Richard Holden was born on 11 March 1985 inBlackburn to Mark and Joan Holden.[4][5] He grew up inGrindleton, a village in theRibble Valley, and attended Grindleton Primary School,Ermysted's Grammar School inSkipton andQueen Elizabeth's Grammar School inBlackburn.[6][7] He then went to St Mary's College in Blackburn, before studying at theLondon School of Economics, graduating with a BSc in Government and History in 2007.[5][8] Holden was employed as a waiter and bar staff for Emporium Ltd inClitheroe from 2002 to 2006.[5]
Holden started work atConservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) in August 2007, initially as a Data Entry Officer. The following year, he became a Media Monitoring Officer, and was a Duty Press Officer from 2008 to 2010.[9] Holden was Political Press Advisor from 2010 to 2012, and promoted to Deputy Head of Press in 2012.[10]
After the2015 general election, he became aspecial adviser toLord Privy Seal andLeader of the House of LordsBaroness Stowell of Beeston, before leaving to work forTheresa May's2016 Conservative Party leadership election campaign. He also worked for Stowell's successor as Leader of the House of Lords,Baroness Evans of Bowes Park,[11] before becoming a special adviser to theSecretary of State for Defence,Sir Michael Fallon, between October 2016 and April 2017.[12]
Holden became a special adviser to formerSecretary of State for TransportChris Grayling in December 2018,[13] before leaving to work onBoris Johnson's2019 Conservative Party leadership election campaign. He then worked as a special adviser toSecretary of State for EducationGavin Williamson from August to November 2019.[10] When Parliament was dissolved for the election, Holden began working for CCHQ, before being selected as aprospective parliamentary candidate forNorth West Durham.[14]
At the2015 general election, Holden stood as theConservative candidate inPreston, coming second with 20% of the vote behind the incumbentLabour MPMark Hendrick.[15][16]
Holden was elected to Parliament at the2019 general election as MP forNorth West Durham with 41.9% of the vote and a majority of 1,144.[17]
Holden was a member of thePublic Accounts Committee between March 2020 and March 2022.[18] Since he became an MP he has written a fortnightly column for the political blogConservativeHome.[19]
He was elected to theExecutive of the 1922 Committee in July 2021.[20] He is on the committee of theAll-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling-Related Harm,[21] and has spoken and written extensively about his view that there must be tighter regulation of online gambling.[22][23]
In February 2020, he led a campaign to reverse the increase inVehicle Excise Duty (VED) paid on new motorhomes.[24] The tax had been increased in September 2019 in response to EU regulation 2018/1832.[25] In the March 2020 Budget theChancellor of the Exchequer,Rishi Sunak, announced that the VED increase would be reversed, a tax cut worth £25 million a year to consumers and the industry.[26][27]
In March 2021 Holden led a group of 80Conservative MPs in writing to theChancellor of the Exchequer asking him to introduce a new lower duty for beer sold on draught in pubs.[28] He continued his campaign alongside fellow Conservative MPMike Wood in meetings withTreasury Ministers, and in October 2021 he gathered more than 100 Conservative MPs to push the issues ahead of the2021 Budget.[29][30] In the 2021 Budget the government announced a new Draught Beer Duty rate for pubs and clubs 5 per cent lower than standard beer duty, cutting the tax on beer and cider sold in pubs by £100 million a year.[31][32] Rishi Sunak credited both Holden and Wood for campaigning on the issue in his Budget Speech.[33][34]
On 22 April 2022 Holden called forDurham Constabulary to investigateKeir Starmer, theLeader of the Labour Party, following reports in the media regarding potential breaches of COVID-19 regulations by attending astaff gathering during an election campaign that month.[35] Durham Constabulary announced an investigation into the event on 6 May 2022.[36] On 8 July 2022, Durham Constabulary announced that they would not be issuing anyfixed penalty notices as they determined the gathering was covered by the "reasonably necessary work" exception in the regulations.[37]
Holden endorsedRishi Sunak in theJuly–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.[38][39] He was appointed asParliamentary Under Secretary of State for Roads and Local Transport in October 2022.[40] Holden becameChairman of the Conservative Party andMinister without Portfolio on 13 November 2023 as part of acabinet reshuffle.[41][42]
He was sworn in as a member of thePrivy Council on 13 December 2023 atBuckingham Palace following his appointment, entitling him to thehonorific prefix "The Right Honourable" for life.[43]
On 5 June 2024, Holden was controversially made aparachute candidate for the safe Tory seat ofBasildon and Billericay, to the strong opposition of local members.[44] This was despite Holden having stated he was "bloody loyal to the north-east" earlier in the year.[45] At the2024 general election, Holden was elected to Parliament as MP for Basildon and Billericay with 30.6% of the vote and a majority of 20.[46]
On 8 July 2024, Holden resigned as chairman of the Conservative Party, replaced by Richard Fuller as interim chairman.[47] He becameShadow Paymaster General in theOpposition Frontbench of Kemi Badenoch in November 2024.[48]
In December 2024, Holden introduced aten minute rule bill calling for the outlawing ofmarriage between first cousins.[49]
In July 2025, Holden was appointedShadow Transport Secretary, replacingGareth Bacon.[50]
Holden is a member of theCarlton Club in London and the Steel Club inConsett.[5] In May 2021 Holden was fined £100 for dropping a cigarette outside an election count venue during the2021 local elections. He had previously led a litter-picking campaign in 2020.[51]
In 2018, Holden was unanimously acquitted by a jury of a charge of sexual assault made in 2016.[52] The judge in the case told him he "left court without any stain on his character" and Holden received substantial damages and costs following the case.[53] Following the conclusion of the trial, Holden gave interviews and wrote about the case and its impact on him.[54]
Holden is in a relationship with Kate Ferguson, political editor ofThe Sun on Sunday.[2][55]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Richard Holden | 12,905 | 30.6 | −35.2 | |
| Labour | Alex Harrison | 12,885 | 30.6 | +9.0 | |
| Reform | Stephen Conlay | 11,354 | 27.0 | New | |
| Liberal Democrats | Edward Sainsbury | 2,292 | 5.4 | −3.0 | |
| Green | Stewart Goshawk | 2,123 | 5.0 | +2.1 | |
| British Democrats | Christopher Bateman | 373 | 0.9 | New | |
| TUSC | Dave Murray | 192 | 0.5 | New | |
| Majority | 20 | 0.04 | −44.2 | ||
| Turnout | 41,124 | 54.8 | −6.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 76,873 | ||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | −22.2 | |||
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forNorth West Durham 2019–2024 | Constituency abolished |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBasildon and Billericay 2024–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister without Portfolio 2023–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chairman of the Conservative Party 2023–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Cabinet members | .svg) | |
|---|---|---|
| Also attended meetings | ||
| Departures | ||
