Shadow Cabinet positions


Shadow Home Secretary
In office 19 January 2009 – 11 May 2010
Leader	David Cameron
Preceded by	Dominic Grieve
Succeeded by	Alan Johnson
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
In office 2 July 2007 – 19 January 2009
Leader	David Cameron
Preceded by	Philip Hammond
Succeeded by	Theresa May
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
In office 6 December 2005 – 2 July 2007
Leader	David Cameron
Preceded by	Tim Yeo
Succeeded by	Theresa Villiers
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In office 10 May 2005 – 6 December 2005
Leader	Michael Howard
Preceded by	Oliver Heald
Succeeded by	Theresa May

Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal

Incumbent

Assumed office
20 August 2024
Life peerage

Member of Parliament
for Epsom and Ewell

In office
7 June 2001 – 30 May 2024

Preceded by

Archie Hamilton

Succeeded by

Helen Maguire

Personal details

Born

Christopher Stephen Grayling

1 April 1962 (age 63)
London, England

Political party

Conservative (1988–present)

Other political
affiliations

SDP (before 1988)

Spouse

Susan Dillistone

Children

Alma mater

Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge

Christopher Stephen Grayling, Baron Grayling (born 1 April 1962) is a British politician and author. He has held several important roles in the UK government. These include Secretary of State for Justice (2012–2015), Leader of the House of Commons (2015–2016), and Secretary of State for Transport (2016–2019).

A member of the Conservative Party, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Epsom and Ewell from 2001 to 2024. Before becoming a politician, Grayling worked in television and film. He studied history at Cambridge University and wrote several books. He joined the Conservative Party in 1988, having previously been a member of the Social Democratic Party.

After being elected to Parliament in 2001, he joined the Shadow Cabinet of David Cameron in 2005. This meant he held important roles for the opposition party. After the 2010 general election, he became a Minister of State for Employment. In 2012, he joined the Cabinet as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was the first person without a legal background to be Lord Chancellor in over 400 years.

He later served as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council. From 2016 to 2019, he was the Secretary of State for Transport. In 2024, he stepped down as an MP and was appointed to the House of Lords, becoming a life peer.

Early Life and Career Journey

Grayling was born in London and grew up in Buckinghamshire. He attended the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. He then studied history at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, graduating in 1984.

His career began at BBC News in 1985 as a trainee, becoming a producer in 1986. He then worked at Channel 4 as an editor for a business TV show. He returned to the BBC in 1991 as a business development manager. After leaving the BBC again, he worked for several television production companies. From 1997, he was a public relations consultant with Burson Marsteller until he was elected to Parliament.

Starting His Political Path

Local Councillor Role: 1998–2002

Before becoming an MP, Grayling was a local councillor. He was elected for the Hillside ward in the London Borough of Merton in 1998. He served on the council until 2002.

Becoming a Member of Parliament: 2001

In the 2001 general election, Grayling was elected to the House of Commons. He represented the area of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey. He won the seat with a large majority and continued to be the MP for that area until 2024. He gave his first speech in Parliament on 25 June 2001. In 2019, he announced that Stoneleigh train station would get step-free access, making it easier for everyone to use.

Working in the Shadow Cabinet: 2001–2010

Grayling as Shadow Home Secretary in 2009

From 2001, Grayling served on the Environment, Transport and the Regions Select committee. In 2002, he was promoted to the Opposition Whips' Office. He then became a spokesperson for Health. In 2003, he became a spokesperson for Education and Skills.

After the 2005 general election, he joined the Shadow Cabinet. He was the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. When David Cameron became the leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005, Grayling became the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. In June 2007, he was made Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. In January 2009, he became Shadow Home Secretary.

Grayling was known for challenging leading Labour politicians. He was involved in questioning David Blunkett, then Work and Pensions Secretary, about his business affairs. This led to Blunkett's resignation in 2005. He also questioned Tony Blair and his wife Cherie about money they earned from lectures. He also challenged minister Stephen Byers over his handling of the Railtrack collapse.

Discussions on Crime and Communities

In August 2009, as Shadow Home Secretary, Grayling made comments comparing Manchester's Moss Side area to the American TV crime drama The Wire. He had spent a day with the police and observed the aftermath of a shooting. He described seeing "symptoms of a gang conflict" that he found "profoundly disturbing."

These comments led to an angry response from some Manchester locals and criticism from the police. Police stated that gang-related shootings in Greater Manchester had significantly decreased. A local councillor, Roy Walters, felt Moss Side was unfairly targeted. Grayling defended his comments, saying he did not mean Moss Side was exactly like Baltimore, but that it showed signs of gang conflict.

Early Government Roles

On 13 May 2010, Grayling was appointed Minister of State for Employment. He became a member of the Privy Council on 28 May. In this role, he was responsible for jobcentres. Measures were introduced to reduce costs and help people find work. He spoke about helping families who had been unemployed for generations. He also supported work programs for prisoners.

Becoming a Cabinet Minister

Grayling was promoted to the Cabinet on 4 September 2012. He became Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was sworn in as Lord Chancellor on 1 October 2012. He was the first non-lawyer to hold this position in over 400 years. His appointment was seen as a move towards a tougher approach to justice.

Changes to Prisoner Rehabilitation

One of Grayling's first actions at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was to change how offenders were rehabilitated. The goal was to reduce the number of former prisoners who re-offend. This new system involved private companies and charities helping offenders after they left prison.

Grayling also introduced a ban on parcels, including books, being sent into UK prisons. This was criticized by many groups, including the Howard League for Penal Reform and famous authors. They argued that books are important for rehabilitation. The ban was defended as a way to stop illegal items from entering prisons. In December 2015, the High Court ruled this ban illegal.

In March 2019, the UK National Audit Office reported on Grayling's probation system reforms. They said the Ministry had "set itself up to fail" due to "rushed implementation." Reoffending rates had "increased significantly," and costs were higher than predicted. However, a later report from the MoJ in January 2020 stated that reoffending rates for adults and young people had decreased due to his reforms. In May 2019, the next Justice Secretary, David Gauke, announced that offender supervision would return to government control.

Prison Staffing and Safety

In 2012, Grayling introduced a program to reduce costs in public sector prisons. This involved reducing the number of prison officers. From 2012 to 2015, officer numbers fell from about 23,000 to 18,000.

In 2015, the Justice Select Committee criticized justice ministers for not addressing a rise in prison deaths. The committee concluded that cost savings and staff shortages had made prisons less safe. However, the committee praised Grayling's goal of creating a network of resettlement prisons. These prisons would help inmates prepare for life back in their communities.

Court System Changes

Grayling proposed cuts to legal aid, which helps people pay for legal advice. This was widely criticized by lawyers. In May 2013, many senior lawyers signed a letter calling the cuts "unjust." They argued the cuts would harm the fairness of trials. In January 2014, barristers and solicitors went on strike for the first time in British history to protest these cuts.

In October 2014, Grayling announced the Conservative Party's plans to reform human rights laws. The aim was to reduce the influence of the European Court of Human Rights on British court rulings.

In December 2013, Alan Turing, a famous mathematician, was granted a pardon by the Queen. This process was started by Grayling as Lord Chancellor. In April 2015, Grayling introduced mandatory flat-fee court charges for magistrates' courts. The lowest fee was £150 for a guilty plea. Lawyers worried that defendants might plead guilty just to avoid debt. The charges for the Crown Court were increased to £1,200.

Justice Department Data Loss

In January 2015, the Justice Department lost sensitive data in the post. This data related to three fatal police shootings. It included details about police marksmen and the families of the deceased. This incident was seen as embarrassing for Grayling's department.

Protests at His Home

On several occasions in 2014 and 2015, Fathers 4 Justice protesters targeted Grayling's home in Ashtead, Surrey. This included a protest camp set up outside his house.

Leading the House of Commons

After the 2015 general election, Grayling was appointed Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council. Michael Gove took over his previous roles.

Grayling led Theresa May's campaign to become the leader of the Conservative Party. This also meant she would become Prime Minister after David Cameron resigned in June 2016. May won the leadership contest.

Secretary of State for Transport

Grayling as Secretary of State for Transport in Tokyo

Grayling became Secretary of State for Transport in July 2016 when Theresa May became Prime Minister. During his time in this role, he faced criticism for various issues. These included accidentally injuring a cyclist by opening his car door in October 2016. He was also criticized for the way public funds were spent during his time as Transport Secretary.

London Metro Services: December 2016

In December 2016, Grayling blocked a plan by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. The plan was to give control of metro services run by Southeastern to Transport for London. A leaked letter from 2013 showed Grayling had previously opposed such a move. He wrote that it could put services "in the clutches of a Labour mayor." This led to accusations that he put his party's political interests before public benefit.

Railway Electrification Changes: 2017–2018

Official portrait of Chris Grayling in 2017

In 2017, Grayling confirmed he had cancelled several railway electrification projects in the north of England. These projects had been promised by previous leaders. In January 2018, he was criticized by passengers and a parliamentary committee for this decision. It later emerged that he had made the decision earlier in 2017 but had not announced it during the 2017 general election.

Railway Timetable Problems: May–June 2018

In summer 2018, a new railway timetable caused widespread disruption. About 10% of trains on Northern and Thameslink were cancelled. The head of Govia Thameslink Railway resigned. Grayling faced a vote of confidence in the House of Commons on 19 June 2018. He won the vote, 305 to 285.

Gatwick Airport Drone Incident: December 2018

After the December 2018 Gatwick Airport drone incident, reports suggested Grayling had ignored warnings about drone threats. It was claimed he delayed new laws about drones. This meant civil servants were moved to work on Brexit-related tasks instead.

Seaborne Freight Contract: 2018–2019

In December 2018, Grayling's department awarded contracts to ferry companies. These contracts were to provide extra cross-channel freight capacity in case of a "no-deal" Brexit. One of these contracts, worth £13.8 million, went to a British firm called Seaborne Freight.

On 2 January 2019, it was reported that Seaborne Freight had never run a ferry service and owned no ships. The Road Haulage Association said the company had an impossible timeline to prepare. Despite Grayling's assurances, it was later revealed that the company's terms and conditions were for a food delivery business. Its chief executive had also run a previous business that went into liquidation.

Seaborne Freight's contract was cancelled on 8 February 2019. This happened after the Irish firm meant to run the contract pulled out. The cancellation led to calls for Grayling's dismissal from both sides of Parliament. Eurotunnel, which operates the Channel Tunnel, took legal action. They claimed the ferry contracts were awarded unfairly. The matter was settled out of court, with Eurotunnel receiving £33 million.

Delays with New Class 800 Trains

In March 2019, there was criticism about delays in introducing Class 800 trains on the East Coast Mainline. The trains were ordered ten years before they started service. Delays occurred because the trains interfered with trackside signalling equipment. Grayling stated that these new trains would improve passenger travel across Britain. However, the service planned to run to Swansea only reached Cardiff. Grayling traveled on the first Class 800 train operated by Great Western Railway. It arrived late and had no working air-conditioning.

After His Ministerial Roles

When Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019, Grayling left the Cabinet. Johnson reportedly hoped Grayling would become Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. However, another Conservative MP, Julian Lewis, won the vote for the position. This was seen as a setback for Johnson. Six weeks later, Grayling resigned from the committee.

In May 2020, Grayling was appointed as a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery. He was reappointed for another four-year term in December 2023.

In September 2020, it was announced that Grayling had taken a job advising Hutchison Port Holdings Limited. This role involved advising on environmental strategy and local business engagement.

In October 2023, Grayling announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He stated that the treatment was successful, but it made him decide not to seek re-election in the 2024 general election. In March 2024, he asked South Western Railway to increase train services in his area during rush hours. In May 2024, he received an award for his work on reducing deforestation and protecting British wildlife.

Becoming a Peer

After stepping down as an MP, Grayling was nominated for a life peerage. This means he would become a member of the House of Lords for life. He was given the title of Baron Grayling of Ashtead on 20 August 2024.

Personal Life

Grayling is married to Susan Dillistone, and they have two children. As of 2016, he lives in Ashtead.

Images for kids

Official portrait of Chris Grayling in 2017

Chris Grayling facts for kids

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