About Mel Stride
Sir Melvyn John Stride (born 30 September 1961) is a British politician who has served as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in Kemi Badenoch's Shadow Cabinet since November 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Devon since 2010. He previously served in the May government as Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General from 2017 to 2019 and as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council from May to July 2019. From 2019 to 2022 he sat as a backbencher, serving as Chair of the Treasury Select Committee. From October 2022 to July 2024, during the government of Rishi Sunak, Stride served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Following the Conservative Party's defeat in the 2024 general election, Stride was appointed Sunak's Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. On Sunak's departure he launched his bid to become Leader of the Conservative Party, but was eliminated on the second ballot of MPs. Following Kemi Badenoch's victory in the 2024 leadership election she appointed Stride as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. Stride was selected as the prospective Conservative candidate for Central Devon in June 2006 after his name was added to the new Conservative A-List in 2006; he was the first A-Lister to be selected. Stride became well known for his frequent media appearances during the 2024 general election campaign, making more appearances on morning television programs than any other Conservative minister. During the first MPs' ballot, Stride achieved the second lowest number of votes of the six candidates, at 16. The Conservative Party suffered a landslide defeat at the 2024 general election and Stride's constituency became one of the country's most marginal, with his majority falling to just 61 votes.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.