Who is Stephen Barclay? New Brexit Secretary, former Government whip and MP for North East Cambridgeshire

Here's what we know about the new boy in the post as he becomes the third person to hold the title in two years.

Who is Stephen Barclay?

Stephen Paul Barclay has been MP for North East Cambridge since May 2010.

The 46-year-old grew up in Lancashire before joining the Army and attending Sandhurst.

He served as a Second Lieutenant with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers for five months.

After his short military career he read history at Cambridge University before training as a lawyer and going on to a career in The City.

He joined the Conservative Party in 1994 after leaving Cambridge and was twice an unsuccessful parliamentary candidate, contesting Manchester Blackley in 1997 and Lancaster & Wyre in 2001.

In 2007 he became Organiser of the Carlton Political Dinner which raises funds for the Conservative Party’s target seats.

Barclay was selected in January 2008 to replace outgoing North East Cambridgeshire MP, Malcolm Moss and was voted at the 2010 general election with a majority of 16,425.

After getting to parliament Barclay was elected by fellow MPs to become a member of the Public Accounts Committee.

How did he get the job?

Theresa May appointed the obscure junior minister to be the next Brexit Secretary after Michael Gove turned the job down – fearing it would prove a poisoned chalice.

The PM asked Barclay, a Leave-voting Health Minister, to take over from Dominic Raab as a leadership crisis swirled around her.

Mrs May revealed that Barclay, 46, will be the next Brexit Secretary but won't be involved in talks with Brussels.

The role, previously one of the most powerful in the Cabinet, has been downgraded and will now only involve preparing Britain for our EU exit.

Mr Barclay was "The Prime Minster's choice for the job", according to her representatives, but they declined to say whether or not he was her first choice for the role.

 

 

Why have few people heard of him?

With 11 Cabinet ministers reportedly bad-mouthing the deal in private, the PM hasn't had a huge selection of willing candidates.

Michael Gove reportedly turned down the job, saying that he would only take it if he could renegotiate the 585-page deal.

This will be his first Cabinet job.

He is believed to have landed the job because he is one of the few Brexit-voting ministers left in the Government.

Environment Secretary Mr Gove reportedly refused because he didn't want the responsibility of promoting Mrs May's deal.

 



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