Steve Barclay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Official portrait, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chair of theFinance Committee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 3 December 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Sharon Hodgson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 13 November 2023 – 5 July 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Thérèse Coffey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Steve Reed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Health and Social Care | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 25 October 2022 – 13 November 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Thérèse Coffey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Victoria Atkins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 July 2022 – 6 September 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Sajid Javid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Thérèse Coffey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Downing Street Chief of Staff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 February 2022 – 5 July 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Dan Rosenfield | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mark Fullbrook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 15 September 2021 – 5 July 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Michael Gove | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Kit Malthouse | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for the Cabinet Office | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 15 September 2021 – 8 February 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Michael Gove | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Michael Ellis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 13 February 2020 – 15 September 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Rishi Sunak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Simon Clarke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 16 November 2018 – 31 January 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Theresa May Boris Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Dominic Raab | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Office abolished | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament forNorth East Cambridgeshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Malcolm Moss | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 7,189 (18.4%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Stephen Paul Barclay (1972-05-03)3 May 1972 (age 52) Lytham St Annes,Lancashire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Karen Barclay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | King Edward VII School, Lytham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Peterhouse, Cambridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | stevebarclay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance | United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch/service | British Army | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Second lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unit | Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stephen Paul Barclay (born 3 May 1972)[1][2] is a British politician who served in variouscabinet positions under prime ministersTheresa May,Boris Johnson andRishi Sunak between 2018 and 2024, lastly as theSecretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2023 to 2024. A member of theConservative Party, he has beenMember of Parliament (MP) forNorth East Cambridgeshire since2010, and wasShadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from July to November 2024.[3]
Born in Lancashire and privately educated atKing Edward VII School, Lytham, Barclay attended theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst and served in theBritish Army on agap year commission. He then read history atPeterhouse, Cambridge, before qualifying as asolicitor through theCollege of Law. He worked in the financial sector while being active in the Conservative Party and unsuccessfully contestedManchester Blackley in 1997 andLancaster and Wyre in 2001. Elected at the2010 general election, he served asLord Commissioner of the Treasury from 2016 to 2017 andEconomic Secretary to the Treasury from 2017 to 2018. After the2018 cabinet reshuffle, he becameMinister of State for Health.
Barclay was appointed Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union by Theresa May following the resignation ofDominic Raab in November 2018. He was retained in the position by Boris Johnson and remained in office until the United Kingdom officially left the EU on 31 January 2020. Barclay quickly returned to the Cabinet asChief Secretary to the Treasury in theFebruary 2020 cabinet reshuffle. He was later promoted to Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office in the2021 cabinet reshuffle. In February 2022, Barclay also assumed the responsibilities of theDowning Street Chief of Staff, following the resignation ofDan Rosenfield.In July 2022, he becameSecretary of State for Health and Social Care following the resignation ofSajid Javid; he was removed from the position by Johnson's successorLiz Truss in September 2022. In October 2022, following Truss's resignation, he was reappointed to the role by new prime minister Rishi Sunak. He was later appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in theNovember 2023 British cabinet reshuffle.
Stephen Barclay was born on 3 May 1972 inLytham,Lancashire.[4] His father worked in IT for 55 years, during which he was seconded for three years to the company's staff association, which later became theBanking and Insurance Union. His mother worked full-time as a civil service administrator.[5] He is the youngest of three brothers.[6]
Barclay was educated atKing Edward VII School, an independent school inLytham St Annes. After completing hisA levels, he joined theBritish Army on agap year commission. He attended theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he was granted a short service limited commission as asecond lieutenant (on probation) in theRoyal Regiment of Fusiliers on 6 April 1991.[7] After five months of service, he resigned his commission on 7 September 1991.[8]
After his gap year, he read history atPeterhouse, Cambridge, graduating with aBachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1994.[4] He then studied at theCollege of Law at itsChester campus, to qualify as a solicitor in 1998.[5]
Barclay completed histraining contract with a large London law firm before working successively atAxa Insurance, theFinancial Services Authority, andBarclays.[9]
After leaving university in 1994, Barclay joined the Conservative Party, when he was a member of theConservative A-List.[10]
In 2007, Barclay took over as organiser of theCarlton Club political dinner, which raises funds for the Conservative Party's target seats.[9]
Barclay stood inManchester Blackley at the1997 general election, coming second with 15.3% of the vote behind theLabour candidateGraham Stringer.[11]
He stood inLancaster and Wyre at the2001 general election, coming second with 42.2% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MPHilton Dawson.[12]
At the2010 general election, Barclay was elected to Parliament as MP forNorth East Cambridgeshire with 51.4% of the vote and a majority of 16,425.[13]
ConservativeHome named him in September 2012 as one of a minority of loyal Conservative backbench MPs not to have voted against the government in any substantive rebellions.[14]
Barclay was re-elected as MP for North East Cambridgeshire at the2015 general election with an increased vote share of 55.1% and an increased majority of 16,874.[15] He was again re-elected at the snap2017 general election with an increased vote share of 64.4% and an increased majority of 21,270.[16]
Barclay was appointed asSecretary of State for Exiting the European Union in November 2018 following the resignation ofDominic Raab. It was reported that Barclay would focus on the domestic preparations rather than negotiations forBrexit.[17] He retained his role as Brexit Secretary inBoris Johnson'sfirst andsecond cabinets.[18]
At the2019 general election, Barclay was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 72.5% and an increased majority of 29,993.[19]
He ceased to be Brexit Secretary at 11:00 pm on 31 January 2020, the moment theDepartment for Exiting the European Union was closed down as the UK formally left the EU.
Barclay was appointed as theChief Secretary to the Treasury in February 2020, replacingRishi Sunak who had been appointedChancellor of the Exchequer following the resignation ofSajid Javid.
In May 2020, Barclay appeared on BBC'sQuestion Time and was corrected by presenterFiona Bruce about the number of people who had received the Government'sCOVID-19 testing.[20]
Ina cabinet reshuffle on 15 September 2021, Barclay succeededMichael Gove asChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster andMinister for the Cabinet Office.[21]
On 5 February 2022, Barclay was appointed by Johnson as his newChief of Staff,[22] following the resignation ofDan Rosenfield.[23] He became the first serving MP to hold this position. He said he would pursue a "smaller state" in his new role.[24] Barclay ceased to hold either office after his appointment asSecretary of State for Health and Social Care.
On 5 July 2022, Barclay was appointed Health Secretary after Sajid Javid's resignation on 3 July.[25] According to the editor of theHealth Service Journal "never has a politician arrived in the post of health secretary trailing a worse reputation among NHS leaders".[26]
In August 2022, Barclay announced that more than 50 new surgical hubs would open in England to help tackle a backlog of treatments following theCOVID-19 pandemic.[27]
On 6 September 2022, Barclay left the government and returned to the backbenches.[28]
He was reappointed by Rishi Sunak when Sunak became prime minister on 25 October 2022. Chief executive officer of the NHS Confederation,Matthew Taylor, said: "Mr Barclay would do well to remember that he is taking on one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the world".[29] In April 2023,The Guardian reported that unnamed sources said concerns had been raised about Barclay's alleged conduct towards civil servants. The Department of Health and Social Care said it had not received any formal complaints about the behaviour of its ministers.[30] On 13 November 2023, he left his role as Health Secretary to take up a different cabinet position.[31]
On 13 November 2023 in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's November cabinet reshuffle Barclay was appointedSecretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,[31] considered to be a demotion from his former Health role.[32] Conflict-of-interest concerns were immediately raised by his appointment, as his wife was an executive ofAnglian Water, one of the UK water companies perceived to be responsible for widespread and prolonged environmental damage. He also had final say on the Development Consent Order (DCO) forAnglian Water's relocation to the Cambridge green belt of the current fully functional Waste Water Treatment Plant costing hundreds of millions of pounds.[33]
Despite these concerns, in 2024 he announced a block on bonuses' payouts to executives of water companies which are polluting rivers, lakes and seas.[34]
Following the Conservative Party's defeat in the2024 general election and the subsequent formation of theStarmer ministry, Barclay was appointed Shadow Environment Secretary in Rishi Sunak'scaretaker Shadow Cabinet. Following Sunak's departure,Kemi Badenoch did not appoint Barclay to her initialShadow Cabinet. Barclay became Chair of theFinance Committee in December 2024.[35]
Barclay and his wife Karen[33] have a son and a daughter.[2] Barclay is a rugby fan.[36]
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