Alan Duncan

The Right Honourable Sir Alan Duncan KCMG
Official portrait, 2017
Minister of State for Europe and the Americas
In office 15 July 2016 – 22 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	David Lidington
Succeeded by	Chris Pincher
Minister of State for International Development
In office 13 May 2010 – 14 July 2014
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Gareth Thomas
Succeeded by	Desmond Swayne
Shadow Cabinet positions Shadow Minister for Prisons In office 7 September 2009 – 11 May 2010 Leader David Cameron Preceded by Edward Garnier Succeeded by Shabana Mahmood Shadow Leader of the House of Commons In office 19 January 2009 – 7 September 2009 Leader David Cameron Preceded by Theresa May Succeeded by George Young Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform In office 8 December 2005 – 19 January 2009 Leader David Cameron Preceded by David Willetts (Trade and Industry) Succeeded by Ken Clarke (Business, Innovation and Skills) Shadow Secretary of State for Transport In office 10 May 2005 – 8 December 2005 Leader Michael Howard Preceded by Tim Yeo (Environment and Transport) Succeeded by Chris Grayling Shadow Secretary of State for International Development In office 8 September 2004 – 10 May 2005 Leader Michael Howard Preceded by John Bercow Succeeded by Andrew Mitchell Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs In office 10 November 2003 – 8 September 2004 Leader Michael Howard Preceded by Bill Cash Succeeded by Oliver Heald
Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton
In office 9 April 1992 – 6 November 2019
Preceded by	Michael Latham
Succeeded by	Alicia Kearns
Personal details
Born	Alan James Carter Duncan (1957-03-31) 31 March 1957 (age 67) Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	James Dunseath
Alma mater	St John's College, Oxford (BA) Harvard University

Sir Alan James Carter Duncan KCMG (born 31 March 1957)^[1] is a British former politician who served as Minister of State for International Development from 2010 to 2014 and Minister of State for Europe and the Americas from 2016 to 2019.^[2] A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rutland and Melton from 1992 to 2019.

He began his career in the oil industry with Royal Dutch Shell, and was first elected to the House of Commons in the 1992 general election. After gaining several minor positions in the government of John Major, he played a key role in William Hague's successful bid for the Conservative leadership in 1997. Duncan received several promotions to the Conservative front bench, and eventually joined the Shadow Cabinet after the 2005 general election. He stood for the Conservative leadership in 2005, but withdrew early on because of a lack of support. Eventual winner David Cameron appointed him Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in December 2005; the name of the department he shadowed was changed to Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in July 2007.

Following the 2010 general election, the new Conservative Prime Minister Cameron appointed Duncan as Minister of State for International Development.^[3] He left this post following the government reshuffle in July 2014,^[4] and was subsequently appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in September 2014, for services to international development and to UK–Middle East relations.^[5] While on the backbenches, Duncan served on the Intelligence and Security Committee between 2015 and 2016.^[6]

After two years out of government, he returned to frontline politics when new Prime Minister Theresa May appointed him as Minister for Europe and the Americas, and effective deputy to then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, in July 2016.^[7] Duncan resigned as Minister of State on 22 July 2019 citing Johnson's election to the Tory leadership and, hence, the UK's premiership.^[8][9]

He became the first openly gay Conservative Member of Parliament, publicly coming out in 2002.^[10]