Since 2010, when you elected me as Member of Parliament for Hastings and Rye, I have worked to champion our area as a place to live in, to work and to invest.

Hastings Old Town has been my home since 2007; I know the concerns and the priorities of our communities and I am determined to deliver on them.

Prior to becoming your MP I studied History at Edinburgh University, and worked in investment banking and venture capital. In these roles my particular focus was on helping small firms to expand and to raise money for development. This is experience I look to use when meeting businesses in the constituency to hear about their plans to succeed and grow. I have also worked in financial journalism and recruitment.

In government, I was appointed as a junior minister in the Department of Energy and Climate Change in July 2014 and, in May 2015, I became Secretary of State. In this role I worked to deliver secure, affordable and clean energy.

From July 2016 to April 2018 I was extremely honoured to serve as Home Secretary. In this role I was responsible for the UK’s security from crime and terrorism, for reducing net migration to sustainable levels, and for taking steps to protect vulnerable people from abuse, violence and modern slavery. I was delighted to rejoin the cabinet in November 2018 when I was appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. I was also re-appointed as Minister for Women and Equalities following a Cabinet reshuffle in July 2019. 

I was re-elected as the MP for Hastings and Rye in June 2017.

I have two grown-up children and, in my spare time, I enjoy visiting theatres and galleries, watching good TV series, catching up with friends in and around the constituency, and trying to fit in trips to the gym.

During my time as the MP for Hastings and Rye the number of businesses in Hastings and Rye has increased, we’re attracting investment, school standards are up and, since 2010, there are over 2,000 people in the constituency no longer claiming the key out of work benefits.

I now want us to build on these successes and continue the fantastic regeneration we have seen in our communities. In this Parliament, I will:

• Continue my work to secure faster train services with greater capacity between London and our area
• Champion our fishing fleets in Hastings and Rye
• Back the ongoing regeneration of Hastings and St Leonards
• Tackle local unemployment and host my annual Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair to showcase opportunities in our towns.
• Support the talented and dedicated staff in our local schools and NHS to deliver the best possible public services to our towns and villages.

I am passionate about our area, its rich history and culture, and I am ambitious about its future.