Victoria Prentis was first elected as the Conservative MP for Banbury in 2015, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 16,813.
The constituency of Banbury covers a slice across the entirety of northern Oxfordshire. Currently one of the largest constituencies at Westminster based on the size of its electorate, it contains the market towns of Bicester and Banbury. Close to the M40 motorway, this area has traditionally recorded some of the lowest unemployment figures in the UK. The seat contains a mix of agriculture, commuters that travel into London, Oxford or Birmingham, and some light industry.
This constituency has a tradition of being linked to the motorsport industry and has in the past been home to a number of Formula One teams. Ardent Racing founded by the Red Bull racing boss Christian Horner is based here. Banbury is a traditionally very safe Conservative seat which has been held continuously by the party for a hundred years since 1922.
In October 2022, Victoria Prentis was appointed as Attorney General. She is a personal friend and political supporter of prime minister, Rishi Sunak.
Between September and October 2022, Victoria Prentis MP was appointed as Minister of State in the Department for Work and Pensions.
Between 2021 and 2022, Prentis served as Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She was served as Under Secretary of State for Farming, Fisheries and Food between 2020 and 2021. Her father previously held the same government job in the Major government of the mid 1990s.
Born in 1971 Prentis studied English and Law, attending the University of London first, and then at Downing College at Cambridge University.
Before being elected to Westminster, she worked in the Civil Service as a lawyer, and until November 2014 was head of the government’s Justice and Security team. She was one of the team who defended the government at the inquiry into the 7/7 terrorist attacks.
Prentis is considered to be on the left of the Conservative Party. She supported Remain in the 2015 Brexit referendum, and backed Rory Stewart in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election.
Prentis is a Christian who has previously served as a local church warden. She has also been opposed to the HS2 rail project.
She is the daughter of Lord Tim Boswell, Baron of Aynho, who served as MP for nearby Daventry from 1987 to 2010. She is married with two Children. Her husband, Sebastian, is a judge in the insolvency courts.
In 2022, Prentis was one of the first MPs to have taken in a Ukrainian refugee.
Email: victoria.prentis.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://victoriaprentis.com/
Twitter: @VictoriaPrentis
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/victoriaprentis
