Andrew Stephenson

Andrew Stephenson is a minister of state for transport and has been the Conservative MP for Pendle since 2015. He is a graduate of Royal Holloway College, University of London, graduating in Management Studies. Stephenson has been actively involved with the Conservative Party from a very young age and became a member aged 16. He then went on to serve two terms on the National Executive of Conservative Future, eventually becoming the organisation’s national deputy chairman. Prior to entering parliament, Stephenson ran his own small business in Manchester, working as a self-employed insurance broker. In 2003, Stephenson was elected to Macclesfield borough council, where he served until 2007. He ran for parliament in 2010 and successfully defeated Labour incumbent Gordon Prentice with a majority of 3,585. Following the 2017 general election, in which Stephenson was re-elected for a second time with a reduced majority of 1,279, he became an assistant whip. In April 2019, he joined the government as parliamentary under-secretary for industry within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. After supporting Boris Johnson for party leader in the summer 2019 leadership contest, Stephenson became minister of state for Africa in the Foreign Office and a minister of state at the Department for International Development. At the 2019 general election he increased his majority to a healthy 6,196 and moved in February to the Department for Transport. In his current government post, Stephenson oversees HS2, Northern Powerhouse rail and upgrades to the Transpennine rail route. It is his seventh government post since first joining the payroll three years ago. He has said he is proud to be part of the delivery of the government’s Levelling Up agenda in his current role.

Hot Seat

What was the catalyst for you deciding to enter politics?

I had some outstanding teachers at Poynton County High. Patsy Calton, who went on to be the Lib Dem MP for Cheadle, was one of my teachers.

Which historical figures, political or otherwise, do you take inspiration from?

William Wilberforce.

Is there a song or piece of music you often return to?

Faithless – Insomnia.