Julia Lopez | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 5 November 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Kemi Badenoch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jessica Morden | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 8 July 2024 – 5 November 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Rishi Sunak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Thangam Debbonaire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Stuart Andrew | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament forHornchurch and Upminster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 8 June 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Dame Angela Watkinson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 1,943 (4.1%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Julia Louise Dockerill[1] June 1984 (age 40) Harlow,Essex, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Queens' College, Cambridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | julialopez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Julia Louise Lopez (néeDockerill; born June 1984)[2] is a BritishConservative Party politician who has been theMember of Parliament (MP) forHornchurch and Upminster since2017.[3] She has served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition since November 2024, having previously served asShadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport inRishi Sunak's Caretaker Shadow Cabinet.[4]
Before entering theHouse of Commons, she served as alocal councillor on theTower Hamlets London Borough Council, and aparliamentary aide. Lopez previously served as Minister of State for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure from September 2021 to July 2022,[5] and again from September 2022 to February 2023.
Julia Dockerill was born in June 1984 inHarlow[6] and grew up inStansted Mountfitchet with her two sisters. Her mother was a primary school teacher and her father was a businessman.[7] After Bentfield Primary School, she attendedHertfordshire and Essex High School inBishop's Stortford,Hertfordshire, before going toQueens' College, Cambridge, where she studied Social and Political Sciences.[2][8]
Dockerill was a researcher in the parliamentary office of then-MP forCities of London and Westminster,Mark Field. She became his chief of staff and co-authored two of his booksBetween the Crashes andThe Best of Times. Dockerill has also worked as aghostwriter.[9] Whilst Dockerill was Field's parliamentary aide she was photographed in November 2016 carrying confidential notes on aBrexit-related meeting in Downing Street which indicated that the UK would not stay in the single market, and would not seek a transitional deal with the EU.[10][11]
In 2014, Dockerill was elected acouncillor forSt Katharine's and Wapping Ward onTower Hamlets London Borough Council.[9][12]
At the snap2017 general election, Dockerill was elected to Parliament as MP forHornchurch and Upminster with 60.2% of the vote and a majority of 17,723.[13][14][15]
She voted against then Prime MinisterTheresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement in early 2019. In the indicative votes on 27 March, she voted against a referendum on a potential withdrawal agreement.[16] In October, Lopez voted for Prime MinisterBoris Johnson's Brexit withdrawal agreement.[17]
Lopez was re-elected as MP for Hornchurch and Upminster at the2019 general election with an increased vote share of 65.8% and an increased majority of 23,308.[18][19][20]
AParliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office from February 2020 to September 2021, Lopez was appointedMinister of State for Media and Data in the2021 British cabinet reshuffle.[21]
On 6 July 2022, Lopez resigned from government, citingBoris Johnson's handling of theChris Pincher scandal, in a joint statement with fellow MinistersKemi Badenoch,Neil O'Brien,Lee Rowley andAlex Burghart.[22] She then supportedKemi Badenoch in theJuly 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.[23]
In September 2022, Prime MinisterLiz Truss reappointed her to government as a Minister in theDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.[24] In October 2022, she was reappointed by Truss' successor as PMRishi Sunak.[25]
In April 2023, it was announced that Lopez was to take maternity leave from her ministerial posts, under the terms of theMinisterial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021, to be temporarily replaced bySir John Whittingdale.[26]
At the2024 general election, Lopez was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 32.5% and a decreased majority of 1,943.[27] Lopez was appointedShadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport in theShadow Cabinet of Rishi Sunak.[28] After the2024 Conservative Party leadership election, Lopez was appointedParliamentary Private Secretary to theLeader of the Opposition.[29]
Lopez married Lorenzo López in September 2017. The couple have two children.[30]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forHornchurch and Upminster 2017–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office 2020–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded byasMinister of State for Media and Data | Minister of State for Media, Data, and Digital Infrastructure 2021–2022 | Succeeded by |
