Mel Stride

Sir Melvyn John Stride (born 30 September 1961) is a British politician who served as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in Kemi Badenoch's Shadow Cabinet from November 2024 to August 2026. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Devon since 2010. He previously served in the May government as Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General from 2017 to 2019 and as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council from May to July 2019. From 2019 to 2022 he sat as a backbencher, serving as Chair of the Treasury Select Committee. From October 2022 to July 2024, during the government of Rishi Sunak, Stride served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Following the Conservative Party's defeat in the 2024 general election, Stride was appointed Sunak's Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. On Sunak's departure he launched his bid to become Leader of the Conservative Party, but was eliminated on the second ballot of MPs. Following Kemi Badenoch's victory in the 2024 leadership election she appointed Stride as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.