Chris Skidmore

The Right Honourable Chris Skidmore OBE FRHistS FSA FRSA
Official portrait, 2017
Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation
In office 10 September 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Jo Johnson
Succeeded by	Michelle Donelan[a] Amanda Solloway[b]
In office 5 December 2018 – 24 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Sam Gyimah
Succeeded by	Jo Johnson
Minister of State for Health
In office 24 July 2019 – 10 September 2019
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Stephen Hammond
Succeeded by	Edward Argar
Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth
In office 20 May 2019 – 24 July 2019[c]
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Claire Perry
Succeeded by	Kwasi Kwarteng
Parliamentary Secretary for the Constitution
In office 17 July 2016 – 8 January 2018
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	John Penrose
Succeeded by	Chloe Smith
Member of Parliament for Kingswood
In office 6 May 2010 – 8 January 2024
Preceded by	Roger Berry
Succeeded by	Damien Egan
Personal details
Born	(1981-05-17) 17 May 1981 (age 43) Longwell Green, Avon, England
Other political affiliations	Conservative (1996–2024)[3]
Education	Bristol Grammar School
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford (BA)
Website	Official website

Christopher James Skidmore OBE FRHistS FSA FRSA (born 17 May 1981) is a British former Conservative Party politician and author of popular history who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingswood in South Gloucestershire from 2010 to 2024.^[4][5]

Skidmore was first elected at the 2010 general election. As a backbencher, he joined the Free Enterprise Group of Conservative MPs, founded by Liz Truss, and co-authored a number of papers and books, including After the Coalition (2011) and Britannia Unchained (2012). Following Theresa May's appointment as Prime Minister in July 2016, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Constitution; he was removed from this position in the January 2018 reshuffle, becoming the Conservative Party's policy vice chairman. He returned to government in 2018 as Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation following Sam Gyimah's resignation. He was interim Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth from May to July 2019, covering for Claire Perry. In this position, he signed the UK's Net Zero pledge into law.^[6]

Skidmore became Minister of State for Health after Boris Johnson became prime minister in July 2019. He returned to his former position of universities minister in September 2019 following Jo Johnson's resignation, and was dismissed from government in the February 2020 reshuffle. Skidmore chaired a review of the government's net-zero strategy in 2022 and 2023. He resigned as an MP in January 2024 over the proposed introduction of the government's Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill.^[7][8]

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).