Richard Benyon

The Right Honourable The Lord Benyon PC
Official portrait, 2017
Minister of State for Climate, Environment and Energy
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 November 2023
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	The Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Minister of State for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs[a]
In office 30 October 2022 – 14 November 2023
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Scott Mann
Succeeded by	Robbie Moore (Rural) The Lord Douglas-Miller (Biosecurity)
In office 13 May 2021 – 20 September 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	The Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Succeeded by	Scott Mann
In office 6 June 2010 – 7 October 2013
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Dan Norris
Succeeded by	Dan Rogerson
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Environment
In office 20 September 2022 – 25 October 2022
Prime Minister	Liz Truss
Preceded by	The Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Succeeded by	Vacant
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 February 2021 Life peerage
Member of Parliament for Newbury
In office 5 May 2005 – 6 November 2019
Preceded by	David Rendel
Succeeded by	Laura Farris
Personal details
Born	(1960-10-21) 21 October 1960 (age 63) Reading, Berkshire, England
Political party	Conservative[b]
Spouse(s)	Emma Villiers (divorced) Zoe Robinson
Children	5 sons
Residence	Englefield House
Education	Bradfield College
Alma mater	Royal Agricultural College
Awards	Life peer
Signature
Website	richardbenyon.com parliament..richard-benyon
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1981–85
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	Royal Green Jackets

Richard Henry Ronald Benyon, Baron Benyon PC^[1][2] (born 21 October 1960) is a British politician who has served as Minister of State for Climate, Environment and Energy since 2023.^[3] A member of the Conservative Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Newbury from 2005 to 2019.

Benyon studied at the Royal Agricultural College and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before serving in the British Army, being posted to Northern Ireland and the Far East with the Royal Green Jackets. He was elected to Newbury Council in 1991 and became Conservative group leader in 1994.

Benyon became MP for Newbury at the 2005 general election. In opposition, he served on the Home Affairs Select Committee, as an opposition whip and as a shadow minister for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Under David Cameron, he first served as a government minister at DEFRA from May 2010 to October 2013. He had the Conservative whip removed on 3 September 2019 by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, after voting against the government, and sat as an independent MP until he had the whip restored on 28 October 2019.

In December 2020, it was announced Benyon would have a life peerage conferred after a nomination by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.^[4] Following the resignation of Lord Gardiner of Kimble in May 2021, he was again made Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.^[5]

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