Mark Garnier OBE is the Conservative MP for Wyre Forest, having first been elected to parliament at the 2010 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Garnier won 14,489 votes, representing 32.1% of the vote. The Labour candidate, Vicki Smith, received 13,677 votes (30.3%), while the Reform UK candidate, Bill Hopkins, secured 9,682 votes (21.4%). Garnier was duly elected with a majority of 812 votes.

The Wyre Forest constituency is located in North Worcestershire and includes the towns of Kidderminster, Stourport-on-Severn, and Bewdley. Historically Conservative, the seat was represented by Labour from 1997 to 2001, and then by independent Dr Richard Taylor from 2001 to 2010.

Taylor, Garner’s immediate predecessor as the MP for Wyre Forest, held the seat under the label Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern party. Taylor won the constituency in 2001 after campaigning largely on a single issue – that of restoring the Accident & Emergency department of Kidderminster Hospital. Taylor’s victory as a retired hospital consultant (over Labour incumbent and minister David Lock) gave rise to the term “Kidderminster effect” – the phenomenon where local public anger over the downgrading or closure of a hospital service, particularly in the context of NHS service reconfiguration, leads to the election of independent or single-issue candidates.

Political Career

Garnier currently serves as shadow economic secretary to the Treasury and shadow minister of state in the Conservative business, innovation, science and trade team. Garnier was confirmed in these roles as part of the August/September 2026 shadow ministerial reshuffle, Kemi Badenoch’s second as Conservative leader.

Garnier was appointed shadow economic secretary to the Treasury in November 2024 and previously served as shadow parliamentary under secretary of state for work and pensions (2025–2026).

Garnier was shadow minister for energy security and net zero from July to November 2024 on the interim/caretaker Conservative frontbench constructed after the 2024 general election.

Under prime minister Theresa May, Garnier served as parliamentary under-secretary of state for international trade from July 2016 to January 2018.

Garnier was a prominent supporter of the campaign to outlaw the courtroom murder defence of “rough sex gone wrong”. In April 2020, an amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill, backed by Garnier and Labour MP Harriet Harman, ultimately prompted the government to publish its own new clause aiming to drive out “consent for sexual gratification” as a defence in court proceedings for causing serious harm.

At the time, Home Office minister Victoria Atkins paid tribute to Garnier and Harman Harman for their “unrelenting” work to “secure justice for victims about whom the most difficult and violent claims can be made by defendants in the course of a criminal trial”.

In June 2021, Garnier presented the Domestic Building Works (Consumer Protection) Bill to parliament – a proposal aimed at tackling “cowboy builders”. The bill sought to protect consumers by creating a mandatory insurance scheme for builders and a clearer process for resolving disputes. Garnier reintroduced the bill in the 2024 to 2026 parliamentary session.

In January 2015, Garnier introduced the Road Fuel Pricing (Equalisation) Bill from January 2015 – which aimed to tackle the “postcode lottery” of fuel prices. The bill would have required large retailers to equalise petrol and diesel prices between rural and urban areas, addressing the higher costs often faced by rural motorists.

In October 2017, Garnier was caught in a Westminster sexism storm after reportedly asking his secretary to buy sex toys for him and calling her “sugar tits”. Garnier said he would not be “dishonest” after Caroline Edmondson, a commons staffer, told The Mail on Sunday he had given her money and waited outside a sex shop in Soho while she went inside to buy two vibrators.

Responding to the report, Garnier said: “I’m not going to deny it, because I’m not going to be dishonest. I’m going to have to take it on the chin.”

He claimed his “sugar t*ts” comment was part of “an amusing conversation” about BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey, and denied the episode constituted sexual harassment. He said that the sex toys were bought after a Christmas lunch. “We bought some soap sets, that sort of stuff, scented candles. The vibrator shop was high jinks”, he told the Mail.

Garnier also admitted that he and Edmondson later fell out and that she had been using the incident against him “ever since”.

He subsequently apologised to his constituents “that this situation has occurred”.

In December 2017, a one-month investigation by the Cabinet Office concluded that Garnier had not breached the ministerial code.

A Downing Street spokesperson commented: “The Cabinet Office concluded that there was no dispute about the facts of the incident, but there was a significant difference of interpretation between the parties, and that the member of staff in Mr Garnier’s office was distressed by what had occurred.

“It was not his intention to cause distress, and Mr Garnier has apologised unreservedly to the individual. On that basis the prime minister considers that a line should be drawn under the issue.”

In September 2012, Garnier was named by ConservativeHome as one of 24 backbench Tory MPs who had yet to rebel against the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government.

Garnier was a member of the energy security and net zero committee from June 2023 to May 2024, chair of the committees on arms export controls from July 2020 to April 2023, a member of the international trade committee from March 2020 to April 2023, a member of the regulatory reform committee from March 2020 to May 2021, a member of the european statutory instruments committee from February 2020 to September 2020, a member of the finance committee (commons) from July 2015 to December 2016; and a member of the Treasury committee from July 2010 to March 2015 and July 2015 to October 2016.

Garnier is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) for sovereign wealth funds, space, Japan, Thailand, UAE and Vietnam.

Garnier delivered his maiden speech on 3 June 2010 during a debate on European affairs. In it, he said: “I was keen to speak in this debate on Europe because I feel that we can learn many positive things from our European partners, including lessons from Sweden on school provision. I am frequently asked where I stand on the issue of Europe, and my answer is that I am neither a Europhile nor a Europhobe, but a Euro-realist: I feel that we are where we are on Europe.

“As someone newly elected to parliament, I deplore the creeping nature of legislation that comes not from this place but from Brussels. I welcome the coalition’s proposed referendum lock, and I will always stand firm against joining the euro.”

He added: “I remain open-minded and could be persuaded otherwise, but my instinct is that Wyre Forest’s economy stands a far better chance in the future if we stay in Europe, taking advantage of the trading opportunities available, which we talked about earlier.”

Before entering parliament, Garnier served as a Conservative councillor on Forest of Dean District Council from 2003 to 2007.

Garnier previously stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate for Wyre Forest in the 2005 general election, finishing second to Taylor as the Health Concern incumbent on 13,489 votes (28.7%).

Garnier was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for political and public service

Political views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Tory leadership 2024: Garnier supported Mel Stride’s candidacy in the 2024 Conservative Party leadership election. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Rishi Sunak following the party’s defeat in the 2024 general election. Stride, the then-shadow work and pensions secretary, was eliminated in the second parliamentary ballot on 10 September 2024 after receiving 16 votes.

During the campaign, Garnier described Stride as a “serious, competent Leader who has the track record and ability to bring our whole party together.”

https://x.com/Mark4WyreForest/status/1817296477141492104

Tory leadership 2022 (I): Garnier supported Rishi Sunak’s candidacy in the Conservative Party’s July-September 2022 leadership election. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Boris Johnson, following the mass exodus of more than 60 frontbenchers.

Sunak, the former chancellor, warned against “comforting fairytales” regarding unfunded tax cuts. Although he won every round of the parliamentary ballots, securing 137 votes in the final stage, Sunak was defeated by Liz Truss in the membership vote, finishing with 60,399 votes (42.6%).

Tory leadership 2022 (II): Garnier also supported Sunak’s candidacy in the Conservative Party’s October 2022 leadership election. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Liz Truss after just 45 days in office, following the financial and political tailspin triggered by her “mini-budget”.

Unlike the summer contest, this election featured an expedited process requiring each candidate to secure at least 100 nominations from MPs to proceed. Sunak, having emerged as the clear frontrunner, was declared leader of the Conservative Party unopposed on 24 October.

In March 2024, Garnier rejected calls from within his party to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader and prime minister – describing the position as “absolute insanity”.

He told Times Radio: “No-one’s going to vote for a divided party. Plotting is not going to make a difference.”

Tory leadership 2019: Garnier supported Jeremy Hunt, the then-foreign secretary, for the party’s leadership in 2019. The election was triggered by the resignation of Theresa May following her inability to secure a Brexit deal acceptable to the Conservative Party.

Hunt, campaigning as a “unity candidate”, secured 77 votes from MPs in the final parliamentary round and thereby reached the final head-to-head ballot against Boris Johnson. In the subsequent vote by the party membership, Hunt finished as runner-up with 46,656 votes (33.6%) compared to Johnson’s 92,153 (66.4%).

In a statement issued at the time, Garnier spoke glowingly of all the Conservative leadership candidates.

He said: “Boris [Johnson] probably has the best ability to engage with the public amongst all politicians in the western hemisphere – hosting a visit to Bewdley proved that to me. Sajid [Javid] is a symbol of our party’s modern approach. Rory [Stewart] is one of the most thoughtful one nation Tories I have met. Michael [Gove] is a whirlwind of bright ideas and a passionate orator.

“Dom [Raab] and Matt [Hancock] are the optimistic faces of the future generation. Mark is a master of strategy. I can’t envisage a government that fails to include all their talents.”

He added: “Not only must our next leader know how to deliver world class public services, as well as One Nation opportunities for all, they must seize the opportunity the world presents… For me, there is only one candidate that brings together all these skills and visions. That candidate is Jeremy Hunt.”

Tory leadership 2016: Garnier supported Theresa May for the party’s leadership in July 2016. The contest was triggered by the resignation of David Cameron following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union.

May, the then-home secretary, secured a commanding lead in the parliamentary stages, receiving 165 votes in the first ballot and 199 in the second. Following the withdrawal of her final rival, Andrea Leadsom, on 11 July, May was declared leader unopposed and was appointed prime minister two days later.

Garnier’s leadership campaign endorsements generally reflect a more moderate or “one nation” Conservative outlook.

Cummings criticism: In May 2020, Garnier criticised the actions of Boris Johnson’s then-chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, over his journeys during the first national lockdown. The actions of Cummings, which included a trip from London to County Durham and a subsequent drive to Barnard Castle, were seen by many as a breach of the government’s own “stay at home” guidance.

Factional identity and party tradition

Conservative Environment Network: Garnier is listed as a member of the Conservative Environment Network (CEN) parliamentary caucus. CEN is an independent forum for conservatives that supports conservation and decarbonisation. It calls for the environment to be given a higher profile at the heart of policy making, describing “biodiversity loss, climate change, and wasteful resource use are threats to our national security”, and promotes “market-based policies” to environmental challenges. Members of its parliamentary caucus, such as Garnier, are thought to generally align with the group’s “green” message and environmentalism.

Bright Blue: Garnier has been listed as a parliamentary supporter of Bright Blue, an independent centre-right think tank and membership organisation that champions liberal conservatism in the UK. Since its founding in 2014, the organisation has expanded its reach through a new cross-party strategy.

One Nation Conservative: Garnier has been listed as a member of the One Nation Conservatives caucus of moderate Tory MPs. The group was established in 2019 to provide a voice for the party’s more pragmatic and professedly “moderate” elements – a factional counter-weight to its ideological free-market, eurosceptic and socially conservative groups. In the 2019 to 2024 parliament, the group was chaired by former first secretary of state Damian Green, who went on to lose his seat at the 2024 general election.

Free Enterprise Group: Garnier was also a member of the Free Enterprise Group (FEG) of Conservative MPs – a parliamentary caucus, founded in 2011 by Liz Truss, that championed free-market, libertarian economic policies. The group, seen as a standard-bearer for the Thatcherite wing of the party, is most notable for the political ascent of its founding members. Key figures in the FEG included Truss, Kwasi Kwarteng, Priti Patel, Dominic Raab, and Chris Skidmore. The 2012 book, Britannia Unchained, served as the group’s unofficial manifesto for radical free-market reform. It was effectively succeeded by the Free Market Forum, which was launched in 2021.

Blue Collar Conservatives: Garnier was previously listed as a member of the Blue Collar Conservatives group. This faction within the Conservative party was founded in 2012 by the former cabinet minister Esther McVey, but came to greater prominence following the 2019 general election. The group aimed to “champion working people and develop a conservative agenda to benefit the voters and communities most neglected by Labour”. In October 2022, McVey was succeeded by Lee Anderson as the group’s chair.

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: Mark Garnier supported Remain in the 2016 referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU), and therefore disagreed with a majority of constituents, 63.1% of whom voted to Leave.

Article 50: In February 2017, Garnier voted in favour of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. The legislation empowered the prime minister to notify the Council of the European Union of the UK’s intention to withdraw, formally triggering the process set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. MPs supported the bill by 498 votes to 114 at second reading.

In October 2017, speaking from the despatch box as a trade minister, Garnier said that he was part of “project fear” opposing Brexit during the referendum campaign. Garnier told MPs that it was good news that “doom-mongers like me” had been proved wrong.

He said: “Importantly, since the Brexit vote, a huge number of investment projects are coming to the UK, which is creating new jobs.

“Doom mongers like me who during the referendum were part of the ‘project fear’ campaign have been proved wrong, and it is important that we stand up and say that so far we have not got this right, and that is incredibly good news for both Britain and our individual constituencies.”

Brexit Delivery Group: Garnier was a member of the Brexit Delivery Group of Conservative MPs – a faction of Conservative MPs active during the parliamentary battles over the UK’s withdrawal from the EU between 2018 and 2019. Co-chaired by MPs Andrew Percy and Simon Hart, the group was formed as a pragmatic, pro-deal voice within the parliamentary party – seeking to act as a counterweight to the influence of the hardline European Research Group (ERG).

Assisted dying

Garnier voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at both second reading (November 2024) and third reading (June 2025).

In a statement setting out his position, Garnier said: “The death of my mother from pancreatic cancer, has convinced me of the necessity of this. Indeed, I have had many, many emails from people who have seen loved ones die slow and, sometimes, painful deaths.

“But I have spent far more time listening to those who oppose this. I have wanted to be certain that my experience and opinion is not flawed. Whilst I have listened very carefully to many, many people, including religious leaders and representatives of various groups concerned about this, I still find myself convinced that dignity in those final moments is something worth striving for.”

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Garnier voted against a backbench amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that sought to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in June 2025. The amendment, which was passed by a majority of 242 votes, removed women from the threat of prosecution for ending a pregnancy at any stage. As an issue of conscience, MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs.

Same-sex marriage (2013): In February 2013, Garnier was one of the 139 Conservative MPs to vote against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill at its second reading. The landmark piece of legislation, which received its second reading by 400 votes to 175, legalised marriage for same-sex couples in England and Wales.

Setting out his stance in a column for the Kidderminster Shuttle, Garnier wrote: “My first thoughts were that as long as no church was forced to do this against its will, what harm does it do? But it became very apparent that those who are practicing Christians did not feel the same.

“So I went out and tried to correspond with people, meet with church leaders, where I could ask the opinions of a younger generation and of people whom I know to be gay… Yet overwhelmingly the response came back as ambivalent to strongly against. Importantly, I found not one single person who felt that this was a pressing issue… So I voted to support how I had been asked to and voted against the bill.”

Foreign policy and security

Trident renewal (2016): Garnier voted in favour of a government motion calling for the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent system in July 2016. The motion, which was passed by 472 votes to 117, committed the UK to constructing a new fleet of submarines to carry the nation’s nuclear weapons.

Syria airstrikes (2015): Garnier voted in favour of a government motion to extend UK airstrikes against Isis from Iraq into Syria in December 2015. The motion, which was passed by 397 votes to 223 after a ten-hour debate in the House of Commons, authorised the RAF to conduct strikes against Isis targets in Syria.

Syria airstrikes (2013): Garnier voted in favour of the government’s motion on the principle of military intervention in Syria in August 2013. The government motion was defeated by 285 votes to 272, a move which effectively ruled out UK participation in any US-led military strikes.

Sanctioned (Russia): In April 2022, Garnier was among the group of MPs placed on a sanctions list by the Russian government. The measure barred them from entering Russia and was presented by Moscow as a retaliatory response to the UK’s stance on the invasion of Ukraine.

Before Politics

Born Mark Robert Timothy Garnier in London on 26 February 1963 he was educated at Charterhouse School.

He began his career in the City of London in 1981, starting at the London Stock Exchange before working in investment banking, specialising in Far East equity markets for 13 years. He subsequently moved into investment management.

Personal Life

Garnier is married to Caroline Joyce Garnier, they live in Abberley, Worcestershire.

They have three children: Edward, Jemima, and George. His cousin is Lord Garnier (Edward Garnier), a Conservative peer and former Solicitor General.

Trivia

Garnier’s mother, Patricia, was a founding member of the UK Independence Party (Ukip).