Richard Drax was first elected as the Conservative MP for South Dorset in 2010 being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 17,153.
The constituency of South Dorset contains a large swathe of Dorset coast. It is dominated by the larger port town of Weymouth, but also includes the smaller town of Swanage and a number of villages. Amongst its many features, this seat contains the large Bovington army camp, Lulworth cove, Corfe Castle, and the Isle of Portland.
Although a traditional Conservative area, this seat was held by Labour between 2001 and 2010, with the local musician Billy Bragg spearheading a prominent anti Conservative tactical voting campaign in the constituency. Some three fifths of the local population here backed Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum.
Born in 1958, Richard Drax was educated at Harrow, and served as a soldier for nine years after leaving school. He was posted across the world, including Germany, Cyprus, Kenya, Brunei, Hong Kong, and the United States. He undertook three operational tours in Northern Ireland.
On leaving the army, he studied land management for three years at the Royal Agricultural College, near Cirencester, before embarking on a career in journalism, which spanned 17 years. As a journalist he worked for the Yorkshire Evening Press, and then later at the BBC Radio Solent and BBC South Today.
Drax supported Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum and backed Boris Johnson in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election.
Richard Drax has four children and is considered to be one of the wealthiest MPs in Parliament.
According to the Register of Members Interests, Drax is the beneficiary of a family trust which owns a significant amount of residential property, agricultural land, woodlands and commercial property in Dorset. He lives in his family’s ancestral seat, Charborough House.
Richard Drax is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Outdoor Learning.
Email: richard.drax.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: www.richarddrax.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/richarddrax_mp
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-Drax/
