Gavin Barwell

Gavin Laurence Barwell, Baron Barwell (born 23 January 1972) is a British politician and former Downing Street Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Theresa May. A member of the Conservative Party, he was Member of Parliament for Croydon Central from 2010 until 2017, he currently sits as a Non-affiliated peer in the House of Lords, having had the Conservative whip suspended in July 2026. Barwell worked for the Conservative Party headquarters from 1993 until his election in 2010 and was – between 2003 and 2006 – the party's chief operating officer, sitting on the party board and working closely with the party leaders Michael Howard and David Cameron. He was a councillor in the London Borough of Croydon between 1998 and 2010. He served as Minister of State for Housing and Planning in the First May ministry. Barwell was sworn into the Privy Council on 14 June 2017, alongside fellow Conservative minister Mel Stride. Shortly after losing his Parliamentary seat, he was appointed Downing Street Chief of Staff by Theresa May, following the resignations of Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy on 10 June 2017. He was awarded a life peerage in 2019.