Iain Stewart

After graduating from Exeter with a degree in politics, Scottish-born Iain Stewart trained as an accountant with Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers). Following this, he began his political career with the Scottish Conservatives, taking on various senior roles including head of research and director. Stewart stood for election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, contesting the seat of Glasgow Rutherglen, but was unsuccessful. His electoral bids were then redirected at Milton Keynes South West. He lost to Labour’s Phyllis Starkey in both 2001 and 2005, but in 2010 overcame his great electoral competitor to win the new, but generally equivalent, seat of Milton Keynes South. Stewart is an openly gay politician and is a former deputy chairman of campaign group LGBTory. He has shared his experience of being bullyed at school for being gay, and emphasised the impact of homophobic bullying in schools. Stewart said: “it can leave deep emotional scars”. He was shortlisted as Stonewall’s Politician of the Year Award in 2012. Stewart currently works as an assistant government whip, and is a member of the selection committee. In 2020, he was appointed under-secretary of state for Scotland, along with David Davis.