James Cartlidge

James Cartlidge MP
Official portrait, 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 July 2024
Leader	Rishi Sunak Kemi Badenoch
Preceded by	John Healey
Minister of State for Defence Procurement
In office 21 April 2023 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Alex Chalk
Succeeded by	Maria Eagle
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
In office 28 October 2022 – 21 April 2023
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Felicity Buchan
Succeeded by	Gareth Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
In office 17 September 2021 – 7 July 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Alex Chalk
Succeeded by	Sarah Dines
Member of Parliament for South Suffolk
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 May 2015
Preceded by	Tim Yeo
Majority	3,047 (6.3%)
Personal details
Born	(1974-04-30) 30 April 1974 (age 50) London, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Emily née Howarth
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Manchester (BSc)
Website	Official website

James Roger Cartlidge (born 30 April 1974) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Suffolk since 2015. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been Shadow Secretary of State for Defence since 2024.

He was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Defence by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in July 2024;^[1] when Kemi Badenoch succeeded Sunak as Leader of the Opposition in November 2024 she reappointed Cartlidge to the brief. He previously served as Minister of State for Defence Procurement from 2023 to 2024, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from 2022 to 2023, as well as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice from 2021 to 2022.