Edward was first elected as the Member of Parliament for the Charnwood constituency at the 2015 General Election and was re-elected in June 2017, and again in December 2019. In March 2023, he was adopted as the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for the new Melton & Syston constituency, which is created following boundary changes to parliamentary seats in Leicestershire.
Born in 1977, and originally from Kent, Edward attended his local state grammar school before studying for a history degree at Oriel College, Oxford. Both his parents were teachers, his mother originally from a farming family and his father from an army family.
After university Edward moved to London and spent four years working as a Political Adviser to the then Shadow Foreign Secretary focusing on Middle East policy and travelling extensively in the region. After that, he spent almost a decade working for private sector businesses including Hedra, Serco and Mouchel in management consultancy and communications jobs.
Edward has always taken an active role in his community, having previously served as a school governor, a trustee of a regeneration and employment charity, on the board of an NHS Trust and as a City Councillor in Westminster.
Since his election in 2015, he has held a number of positions including Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Education Ministers, as PPS to the Conservative Party Chairman, and PPS to the Home Secretary. In June 2018, Edward was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, and was reappointed to this post by new Prime Minister, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, in July 2019. In September 2019 he was promoted to Minister of State for Health, a role he held until July 2022.
On 6th September 2022 Edward was appointed HM Paymaster General & Minister for the Cabinet Office, attending Cabinet, by the new Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Liz Truss MP. Following this, on 14th October 2022, Edward was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Since his appointment on 27th October 2022 by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Edward has been Minister of State in the Ministry of Justice, currently serving as Minister for Prisons, Probation, & Parole.
Prior to his Ministerial appointments, he also held a number of officer roles on several All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) including the APPG on Dementia, the APPG on Yemen, the APPG on Oman and the APPG on Eye Health and Visual Impairment.
Edward lives locally in the heart of the Charnwood constituency, & in London, and in his free time, enjoys gardening, tennis and watching cricket, and horse racing.
Serving the people of Charnwood
Edward said “It has been a real privilege to represent Charnwood in Parliament as the local MP since I was first elected in 2015.
Like many other residents, I know Leicestershire is a great place to live, and I hope I can continue to really make a difference for our community. I work closely with local councillors and the whole community, irrespective of Party politics, to represent Charnwood and ensure that what always comes first are the best interests of the whole community, and getting a fair deal for the Charnwood constituency and our county.
I have always strived to be a strong local voice and champion for Charnwood, and will continue to be that strong local voice."