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

Residences

Ashtead, Surrey, England

Alma mater

Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge

Christopher Stephen Grayling, Baron Grayling (born 1 April 1962) is a British politician and author. He held several important roles in the UK government. These included 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 to 2019. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Epsom and Ewell from 2001 to 2024. He is a member of the Conservative Party. Before becoming a politician, Grayling worked in television and film.

Early Life and Education
- Career Before Politics
Starting in Politics
Important Government Roles
Life After Being a Minister
- Becoming a Lord
Personal Life
See also

Early Life and Education

Christopher Grayling was born in London on April 1, 1962. He grew up in Buckinghamshire, where he attended the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. After school, he went to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. In 1984, he earned a degree in history.

Career Before Politics

Grayling started his career at BBC News in 1985 as a trainee. He became a producer in 1986. In 1988, he moved to Channel 4 to work as an editor. He returned to the BBC in 1991. Later, he managed several television production companies. Before joining the Conservative Party, Grayling was a member of the Social Democratic Party until 1988. From 1997 until he became an MP, he worked as a public relations consultant.

Starting in Politics

Local Councillor Role

Grayling first tried to become an MP in 1997 but was not elected. However, in 1998, he was elected as a local councillor for the Hillside ward in the London Borough of Merton. He served on the council until 2002.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

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 with a large majority and continued to be the MP for this area until 2024.

Shadow Cabinet Roles

Grayling as Shadow Home Secretary in 2009

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

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

Grayling was known for challenging leading politicians from the Labour Party. He questioned ministers about their business dealings and how they handled important issues.

Debates on Public Spending

Between 2001 and 2009, Grayling claimed expenses for a flat near Parliament. He said he needed it for late working hours. During a time when MPs' expenses were being looked at closely, a newspaper reported that he had spent money on refitting his flat. This caused some discussion, especially since he had previously criticized other politicians for similar issues.

Public Statements and Debates

As Shadow Home Secretary, Grayling made some comments that caused debate. In 2009, he compared an area in Manchester to a TV crime show. Local people and police disagreed with his description, saying that crime rates had actually fallen. Grayling defended his comments, saying he was highlighting serious issues.

He also faced criticism for how the Conservative Party used crime statistics. The UK Statistics Authority said the figures he used could mislead the public. However, a report suggested his claims might have been justified depending on how the numbers were calculated.

Grayling also spoke about the rights of business owners. He said that people running small bed and breakfast businesses from their homes should have the right to choose their customers. This led to a debate about fairness and equality. He later apologized for any offense caused by his comments.

Important Government Roles

Minister for Employment

After the 2010 general election, Grayling was appointed Minister of State for Employment in May 2010. In this role, he was in charge of jobcentres. He introduced measures to reduce costs and help people find work. He also worked on programs to help long-term unemployed people.

Secretary of State for Justice

On September 4, 2012, Grayling was promoted to the Cabinet. He became Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was the first person in at least 440 years to hold the Lord Chancellor role without being a lawyer.

Grayling focused on a "tough justice" approach. This included changes to how offenders were rehabilitated to reduce reoffending. He also introduced new rules for prisons, such as a ban on parcels being sent in, which was later ruled illegal by the High Court. His department also faced criticism for the way probation services were reformed, though later reports showed some positive outcomes.

He also introduced changes to legal aid, which helps people pay for legal advice. These changes were criticized by many in the legal profession. In 2013, Grayling initiated the process that led to Alan Turing receiving a pardon from the Queen.

Leader of the House of Commons

After the 2015 general election, Grayling was appointed Leader of the House of Commons. This role involves managing government business in Parliament. He also became Lord President of the Council.

Grayling played a key role in Theresa May's campaign to become the leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister in 2016.

Secretary of State for Transport

Grayling as Secretary of State for Transport in Tokyo

In July 2016, Grayling became Secretary of State for Transport when Theresa May became Prime Minister. During his time in this role, he faced several challenges and controversies.

Transport Decisions and Challenges

In 2016, he blocked a plan to give control of some London metro services to Transport for London.
In 2017, he cancelled several railway electrification projects in northern England. This decision was criticized by passengers and politicians.
In 2018, a new railway timetable caused widespread disruption and train cancellations. Grayling faced a vote of confidence in Parliament but remained in his position.
Following a drone incident at Gatwick Airport in December 2018, reports suggested he had ignored warnings about drone threats.
His department awarded contracts to ferry companies to prepare for a "no-deal" Brexit. One of these companies, Seaborne Freight, had never run a ferry service and owned no ships. This contract was later cancelled, leading to further criticism.
There were also delays and cost increases with the introduction of new Class 800 trains.

Life After Being a Minister

In July 2019, Grayling left the Cabinet when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister. Johnson hoped Grayling would become the head of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. However, another Conservative MP, Julian Lewis, won the vote instead. Grayling later resigned from the committee.

In May 2020, Grayling was appointed as a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery. He was reappointed in December 2023. In September 2020, he took on a role advising a port company on its environmental strategy.

In October 2023, Grayling announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He said that while his treatment was successful, it made him decide not to seek re-election as an MP in 2024. In March 2024, he asked for more train services in his area during rush hour. In May 2024, he received an award for his work on reducing deforestation and protecting British wildlife.

Becoming a Lord

After stepping down as an MP, Grayling was made a life peer in August 2024. This means he became a member of the House of Lords and is now known as Baron Grayling.

Personal Life

Grayling is married to Susan Dillistone. They have two children. He lives in Ashtead, Surrey.

Chris Grayling facts for kids

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