Iain Stewart (politician)

Early life

Stewart was born in Scotland and grew up in Hamilton. He went to Hutchesons' Grammar School and studied politics at the University of Exeter before training as an accountant with Coopers & Lybrand in Milton Keynes between 1993 and 1994.

Stewart then worked for the Scottish Conservative Party between 1994 and 2006, first as Head of Research, then Deputy Director and finally as Director between 2001 and 2006. He then worked as an associate for executive recruitment company Odgers Berndtson until his election in 2010.

Political career

Stewart first ran for public office in the Scottish Parliament election, 1999, for the Glasgow Rutherglen constituency, finishing fourth. Returning to Milton Keynes, he was selected to fight Milton Keynes South West at the 2001 general election, losing to incumbent Phyllis Starkey by 6,978 votes. Running again at the 2005 election, he lost to Starkey by 4,010 votes. His third candidacy, in the redrawn Milton Keynes South constituency, saw him defeat Starkey by 5,201 votes in the 2010 general election. In the 2015 general election, he was re-elected with an increased vote of 27,601 and majority of 8,672. Stewart was a member of Shenley Brook End parish council between 2005 and 2011.

Transport (especially rail transport), constitutional affairs and education are listed amongst his main political interests. He was a member of the Transport Select Committee of the House of Commons from 2010 to 2013, and was the longest-serving Conservative Member of that Committee. In 2011 he travelled, with various members of the transport committee, around Europe studying various rail links and rail systems. In the October 2013 Ministerial reshuffle, he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport.

Following the 2015 election, he moved to become PPS to Rt Hon David Mundell MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, to assist with the Scotland Bill. He was also re-elected to the Transport Select Committee.

In July 2016 he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP, Secretary of State for the Department for International Trade.

In June 2017 Stewart was returned as the MP for Milton Keynes South with a majority of 1,725 over Labour candidate Hannah O'Neill

Personal life

He is openly gay and was formerly Deputy chairman (Political) of LGBTory, the Conservative LGBT Group. He is now a Patron of the group. In his maiden speech to the house, on 25 June 2010, he paid tribute to Alan Turing, and Gordon Brown's official apology for the state's persecution of Turing. He has spoken about how he was bullied at school for being gay and on the impact of homophobic bullying in schools. He was shortlisted for the Stonewall 'Politician of the Year' 2012.