Kevin Hollinrake | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Chairman of the Conservative Party | |
| Assumed office 22 July 2025 | |
| Deputy | Matt Vickers |
| Leader | Kemi Badenoch |
| Preceded by | Nigel Huddleston The Lord Johnson of Lainston |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government | |
| In office 5 November 2024 – 22 July 2025 | |
| Leader | Kemi Badenoch |
| Preceded by | Kemi Badenoch |
| Succeeded by | James Cleverly |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade | |
| In office 8 July 2024 – 5 November 2024 | |
| Leader | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Jonathan Reynolds |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Griffith |
| Minister of State for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business[a] | |
| In office 27 October 2022 – 5 July 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Dean Russell |
| Succeeded by | Justin Madders |
| Member of Parliament forThirsk and Malton | |
| Assumed office 7 May 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Anne McIntosh |
| Majority | 7,550 (15.1%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kevin Paul Hollinrake (1963-09-28)28 September 1963 (age 62) Easingwold,North Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Sheffield City Polytechnic |
| Website | Official website |
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (born 28 September 1963)[1] is a BritishConservative Party politician and businessman who has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forThirsk and Malton since2015. He has served asChairman of the Conservative Party since July 2025. He has previously served asShadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government between November 2024 and July 2025. He served asShadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade from July to November 2024.[2] He served asMinister of State for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business from 2022 to 2024.[3][4][5][6]
Kevin Hollinrake was born and brought up inNorth Yorkshire. His father was amilkman and his mother was a social worker.[7] He attendedEasingwold School and studied physics atSheffield City Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University), though he did not complete his degree.[8]
After dropping out of Sheffield City Polytechnic, Hollinrake worked forPrudential. He then co-founded the Hunters estate agency inYork in 1992; he previously ownedCrayke Castle.[9] By 2015, the agency had grown to over 150 branches across the country, with Hollinrake holding a 15% stake in the company.[10] The Hunters Property estate agency was admitted to trading onAIM in July 2015 with a market capitalisation of £16.9m.[11] In February 2015, the company issued an IPO (initial public offering) for new investors to raise £2.5 m for capital investment.[12]
In 2009, Hollinrake became a director of Vizzihome from which he resigned in 2013.[13] In 2013 he founded Shoptility Limited where he was the chairman until commencement of voluntary winding up in October 2017, and the company was dissolved in June 2019.[14]
In July 2007, Hollinrake was selected as the Conservative candidate forDewsbury for the2010 general election. In October 2008, however, he resigned his candidacy in order to focus on his business.[15]
Hollinrake was selected to be the Conservative candidate for the seat of Thirsk and Malton at the2015 general election following the de-selection ofAnne McIntosh.[16] Hollinrake was a strong supporter of David Cameron'sNorthern Powerhouse idea, which aims to link the north of England more closely to markets in the south; making it easier to travel, exchange and do business.[17] He was elected with 52.6% of the vote and a majority of 19,456.[18]
In January 2016, Hollinrake was one of 72 MPs who voted down an amendment in Parliament on rental homes being "fit for human habitation" who were themselves landlords who derived an income from a property.[19] He was opposed toBrexit before the2016 referendum.[20]
At the snap2017 general election, Hollinrake was re-elected with an increased vote share of 60.0% but a decreased majority of 19,001.[21]
In 2019, Hollinrake was one of 72 MPs who voted to not permit same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland.[22] He served as theParliamentary Private Secretary toMichael Gove asSecretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from June to December 2019.[23]
At the2019 general election, Hollinrake was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 63.0% and an increased majority of 25,154.[24][25]
In 2020, Hollinrake became one of four Vice-Chairs of theAll Party Parliamentary Group onWhistleblowing.[26] This group has been subject to criticism by some campaigners on whistleblowing law reform.[27]
In September 2020, Hollinrake was criticised for a tweet he made in response to a question about the free school meal campaign run by footballerMarcus Rashford.[28] When asked onTwitter ''why it takes a footballer to make a stand for hungry children in our country'', he replied that ''where they can, it's a parent's job to feed their children.''[29] This prompted a backlash from Rashford and members of the public. Hollinrake defended himself, stating that tax rises would be required for such action.[30]
In April 2021,The Observer revealed that Hollinrake claimed expenses of £2,925 each month between April and November 2020 to pay his own rent despite renting out five residential properties of his own inYork. When asked to comment, Hollinrake acknowledged that he owned other properties, but claimed to have seen a "substantial reduction in earnings" since leaving the private sector and said that he did not think it would be reasonable for him to have to pay for his own accommodation expenses inLondon.[31]
In November 2021, he was one of 13 Conservative MPs who voted against a government-supported amendment to defer the suspension of Conservative MPOwen Paterson who was found to have breached lobbying rules.[32]
In October 2022, Hollinrake was appointed to the post of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Business and Trade. As the Minister for Postal Affairs, he was responsible for Government oversight ofPost Office Limited.[33]
On 26 March 2024, Hollinrake was promoted to minister of state in theDepartment for Business and Trade but kept his responsibility for the postal affairs portfolio.[34]
At the2024 general election, Hollinrake was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 39.2% and a decreased majority of 7,550.[35][36]
Following the subsequent formation of theStarmer ministry, Hollinrake was appointed in July 2024 asShadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade in Rishi Sunak'scaretaker Shadow Cabinet.[37]
In July 2025 Hollinrake was appointed Chairman of the Conservative Party.[38]
On 2 February 2018, Hollinrake authored an article inThe Yorkshire Post titled: "Why I'm supportingfracking in Yorkshire", in which he argued fracking was too good an opportunity to miss and would help tackle climate change.[39] Critics have argued that shale gas is afossil fuel and extracting it will make climate change worse, but Hollinrake has argued it provides part of the transition to a low carbon energy mix. In May 2015, Hollinrake said that he would be writing toAmber Rudd, the Secretary of State for Energy, to declare support for "safe and discreet"fracking, as long as sufficient compensation was received locally.
In January 2016, Hollinrake stood down as Vice Chair of theAll Party Parliamentary Group onUnconventional Oil and Gas after he received complaints from his constituents about funding received from fracking companies.[40] In his resignation statement he said: "A number of constituents have contacted me to express concerns that my involvement with the group is inappropriate, due to the amount of sponsorship it receives from the oil and gas industry."[41]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forThirsk and Malton 2015–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government 2024–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chairman of the Conservative Party 2025–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
