Chris Grayling

The Lord Grayling
Official portrait, 2020
Secretary of State for Transport
In office
14 July 2016 – 24 July 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byPatrick McLoughlin
Succeeded byGrant Shapps
Leader of the House of Commons
In office
9 May 2015 – 13 July 2016
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byWilliam Hague
Succeeded byDavid Lidington
Lord President of the Council
In office
9 May 2015 – 14 July 2016
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byNick Clegg
Succeeded byDavid Lidington
Secretary of State for Justice
Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
In office
4 September 2012 – 9 May 2015
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byKenneth Clarke
Succeeded byMichael Gove
Minister of State for Employment
In office
13 May 2010 – 4 September 2012
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byJim Knight
Succeeded byMark Hoban
Shadow Cabinet positions
Shadow Home Secretary
In office
19 January 2009 – 11 May 2010
LeaderDavid Cameron
Preceded byDominic Grieve
Succeeded byAlan Johnson
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
In office
2 July 2007 – 19 January 2009
LeaderDavid Cameron
Preceded byPhilip Hammond
Succeeded byTheresa May
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
In office
6 December 2005 – 2 July 2007
LeaderDavid Cameron
Preceded byTim Yeo
Succeeded byTheresa Villiers
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In office
10 May 2005 – 6 December 2005
LeaderMichael Howard
Preceded byOliver Heald
Succeeded byTheresa May
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
20 August 2024
Life peerage
Member of Parliament
for Epsom and Ewell
In office
7 June 2001 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byArchie Hamilton
Succeeded byHelen Maguire
Personal details
Born
Christopher Stephen Grayling

(1962-04-01) 1 April 1962 (age 62)
London, England
Political partyConservative (1988–present)
Other political
affiliations
SDP (before 1988)
SpouseSusan Dillistone
Children2
Alma materSidney Sussex College, Cambridge

Christopher Stephen Grayling, Baron Grayling, PC (born 1 April 1962), is a British politician and author who served as Secretary of State for Justice from 2012 to 2015, Leader of the House of Commons from 2015 to 2016 and Secretary of State for Transport from 2016 until 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Epsom and Ewell from 2001 to 2024. Before entering politics, Grayling worked in the television and film industry.

Grayling was born in London and studied history at Cambridge University. He wrote a number of books as well as working for the BBC and Channel 4 before going into politics. A member of the Social Democratic Party until 1988, he then joined the Conservatives. First elected to Parliament in the 2001 general election for Epsom and Ewell, he was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet of David Cameron in 2005 as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. In 2007, he became the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and in 2009 he was appointed Shadow Home Secretary.

Following the 2010 general election and the formation of the Cameron–Clegg coalition, Grayling was made Minister of State for Employment. In September 2012, he was appointed to the Cabinet as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and served until 2015. He was the first non-lawyer to have served as Lord Chancellor for at least 440 years. He was Leader of the House of Commons and the Lord President of the Council from 2015 to 2016. In the majority and minority May governments, Grayling served as Secretary of State for Transport.

Grayling stood down from the Cabinet when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019. Johnson hoped for Grayling to become Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee by being voted in by the Conservative majority on the committee. However, fellow Conservative Julian Lewis defeated Grayling in the ballot by using opposition votes to secure a majority, in what was seen as a blow to Johnson and his adviser Dominic Cummings. Six weeks later, Grayling resigned from the committee apparently due to his failure to become chair. He stood down at the 2024 general election and was appointed to the House of Lords.


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