Ruth Edwards

Ruth Edwards, the Conservative member for Rushcliffe, is a specialist in cyber security straddling politics, business and tech. Having studied international development and security at postgraduate level, Edwards spent a year working as a parliamentary researcher for Crispin Blunt when he was shadow minister for Home Affairs and Counter Terrorism. She then joined Deloitte as a strategy consultant, advising a variety of FTSE 100 companies before returning to Westminster as a specialist adviser to the Home Affairs Select Committee (which she remains a member of). Edwards’ varied career has also included working at the thinktank Policy Exchange researching crime and justice, working as head of cyber, justice and emergency services at TechUK and as head of commercial strategy and public policy at BT’s cyber security business, engaging with civil servants, ministers, and MPs on cyber security issues. Edwards unsuccessfully stood as Conservative candidate for Ceredigion in the 2017 general election, before winning Rushcliffe in October 2019 (succeeding Father of the House and former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kenneth Clarke who had held the seat since 1970). Edwards has recently defended Home Secretary Priti Patel against accusations of bullying in November 2020.