Chris Skidmore MP - Who is he?

Chris Skidmore was elected as Conservative MP for Kingswood in 2010, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 11,220.

The Kingswood constituency is found immediately to the west of Bristol. It covers the eastern suburbs of Bristol itself, alongside the town of Kingswood some four miles outside of Bristol, and a small number of surrounding commuter villages. This is an economically active area in which unemployment is low and home ownership is high.

Kingswood is one of the UKs most long standing marginal seats having been held by Labour between 1974 and 1979, the Conservatives between 1979 and 1992, Labour between 1992 and 2010, and the Conservatives since 2010.

Chris Skidmore has served as a Vice Chair of Conservative Party. In late 2022, he detailed his intention to step down from Westminster at the next election.

Skidmore was previously the Minister of State for University, Science, Research and Innovation (2018 – 2020). He was also briefly a Minister of State at the Department of Health (2019), and Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office (2016-2018). He is notable for being the minister that signed the UK’s Net Zero pledge into law.

Liz Truss, during her brief tenure as prime minister, appointed Skidmore to Chair the Independent Government Review on Net Zero. On 16 January 2023, Skidmore published the final report, “Mission Zero”, a 340-page document containing 129 recommendations on how to deliver the UK’s net zero commitments.

Skidmore has been a notable critic of current prime minister Rishi Sunak’s approach to net zero.

Net zero tsar Chris Skidmore intervenes on government ‘Green Day’

Conservative MPs divided over Rishi Sunak’s reported ‘pragmatic’ weakening of net zero pledges

Skidmore was born in 1980. He grew up in Bristol and attended Oxford University. Before entering politics, Chris worked briefly in journalism for the People Magazine and the Western Daily Press.

He also previously worked as an advisor to Michael Gove, and been a research fellow at the think tank, Policy Exchange.

Skidmore has been a historical researcher, and has written a number of books. His first book, a biography of the Tudor king Edward VI was published in 2007. His second book, Death and the Virgin was published in 2010. Before his election, he taught history part-time at Bristol University.

He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

Chris Skidmore is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on University; and Museums. He is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Education Technology; and St George’s Day.

Skidmore is married with two children.