Junior ministerial offices

Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office 23 July 1996 – 2 May 1997
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Liam Fox
Succeeded by	Jon Owen Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry
In office 27 May 1993 – 20 July 1994
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Edward Leigh
Succeeded by	Charles Wardle
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment
In office 14 April 1992 – 27 May 1993
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Eric Forth
Succeeded by	Ann Widdecombe
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Roads and Motoring
In office 25 July 1989 – 14 April 1992
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher John Major
Preceded by	Peter Bottomley
Succeeded by	Kenneth Carlisle

Parliamentary offices

Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 September 2020 Life Peerage
Member of Parliament for Derbyshire Dales West Derbyshire (1986–2010)
In office 8 May 1986 – 6 November 2019
Preceded by	Matthew Parris
Succeeded by	Sarah Dines

Chair of Transport for the North

Incumbent

Assumed office
2022

Personal details

Born

Patrick Allen McLoughlin

30 November 1957 (age 67)
Stafford, Staffordshire, England

Political party

Conservative

Spouse

Lynne Newman

(m. 1984)

Children

Alma mater

South Staffordshire College

Signature

Patrick Allen McLoughlin, Baron McLoughlin (born 30 November 1957) is a British politician. He is a member of the Conservative Party. He first became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1986. He represented West Derbyshire and later Derbyshire Dales until 2019.

Before becoming an MP, he worked as a miner. This made him one of the few Conservative politicians who had a manual job before entering Parliament. From 2012 to 2016, he was the Secretary of State for Transport. In 2016, he became Chairman of the Conservative Party and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under Prime Minister Theresa May. He left these roles in 2018. Since 2022, he has been the Chair of Transport for the North.

Early Life and Work
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Leading Transport in the UK
Chairman of the Conservative Party
After Leaving Parliament
- Becoming a Lord
Personal Life
Honours and Titles

Early Life and Work

Patrick McLoughlin was born in Stafford, England, on 30 November 1957. His father and grandfather were both coal miners. He went to school at Cardinal Griffin Roman Catholic School and studied at Staffordshire College of Agriculture.

From 1974, he worked on a farm for five years. After 1979, he worked underground at Littleton Colliery, a coal mine in Cannock. He was a member of the National Union of Mineworkers. He also became a representative for the National Coal Board's marketing team.

McLoughlin started his political career at a local level. He was elected as a councillor on Cannock Chase District Council in 1980, serving for seven years. He also served on Staffordshire County Council from 1981 to 1987. In 1982, he was the Chairman of the National Young Conservatives.

During the miners' strike in 1984–85, McLoughlin did not support the strike. He gained attention when he spoke at the 1984 Conservative Party Conference, saying he was a working miner.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

McLoughlin first tried to become an MP in 1983 for Wolverhampton South East but did not win. In 1986, the MP for West Derbyshire, Matthew Parris, resigned. McLoughlin was chosen to run in the special election, called a by-election. He won the seat by a very small number of votes.

In Parliament, McLoughlin worked as a Parliamentary Private Secretary. This role supports a government minister. He worked for Angela Rumbold and then for David Young. In 1989, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made him a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport. He continued in similar roles under Prime Minister John Major in the Department of Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry.

In 1995, he became an Assistant Whip. Whips help manage their party's MPs and ensure they vote as the party wishes. He became a Lord Commissioner in 1996. After the Conservative Party lost the 1997 election, he stayed in the whips' office. He became the Deputy Chief Whip in 1998 and then the Chief Whip in 2005 under David Cameron. As Opposition Chief Whip, he joined the Privy Council in 2005. This group advises the King and gives members the title "The Right Honourable."

In 2010, his constituency changed to Derbyshire Dales. He was elected as its MP. Prime Minister David Cameron then appointed him as the government's Chief Whip.

Leading Transport in the UK

In September 2012, McLoughlin became the Secretary of State for Transport. This means he was in charge of all transport matters for the country. Soon after starting, he had to cancel a major train contract because of problems with the bidding process.

As Transport Secretary, McLoughlin oversaw large government investments in the railway system. This was because more and more people were using trains. From 2014, plans were made for £38 billion of improvements. These included projects like Crossrail in London, the Thameslink Programme, and upgrading the Great Western Main Line. He also supported the Northern Powerhouse scheme to improve transport in the North of England.

In 2017, work began on HS2. This is a high-speed rail line connecting major cities. McLoughlin said it would "triple the long-distance capacity to the North of England." He believed HS2 would change transport and the economy in the North.

In 2015, he announced new train contracts for the North of England. These plans included new trains, more services, and free Wi-Fi. He said these changes would help the region's economy.

McLoughlin also oversaw a £15 billion plan to improve roads, adding more lanes and upgrading routes.

Chairman of the Conservative Party

After David Cameron resigned as Prime Minister in 2016, Theresa May became the new Prime Minister. She appointed McLoughlin as the Chairman of the Conservative Party on 14 July 2016. In this role, he helped lead the party. He was also made a Knight, which gave him the title "Sir."

In an interview in July 2016, Patrick McLoughlin stated that the UK would leave the European Union before the next general election. He said that "Brexit means Brexit," meaning the UK would leave the European Union and control its own borders.

McLoughlin stepped down as Chairman of the Conservative Party on 8 January 2018. He said he had a "very good run." He was replaced by Brandon Lewis. He also resigned as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

After Leaving Parliament

After leaving the House of Commons, McLoughlin was appointed Chairman of Visit Britain. This organization promotes tourism to the UK. He served in this role until 2023.

In January 2022, McLoughlin became the Chair of Transport for the North. This group works to improve transport links across the North of England. He said he strongly believes in the potential of the North. He knows how important good transport is for people and businesses.

Becoming a Lord

In 2019, McLoughlin was nominated for a life peerage. This means he would become a member of the House of Lords for life. On 8 September 2020, he was given the title Baron McLoughlin, of Cannock Chase in the County of Staffordshire. As a Lord, he continues to contribute to Parliament.

Personal Life

Patrick McLoughlin is married to Lynn McLoughlin. They have two children.

Honours and Titles

In 2005, he became a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. This gave him the title "The Right Honourable" for life.
In 2016, he was made a Knight Bachelor. This gave him the title "Sir".
In 2019, he was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour. This gave him the letters "CH" after his name for life.
In 2020, he was created a life peer, becoming "The Lord McLoughlin."

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