Blake Stephenson

MP for Mid Bedfordshire

Conservatives

Blake Stephenson is the Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 election, Stephenson won 16,912 votes, representing 34.1% of the vote. The Labour candidate, Maahwish Mirza, received 15,591 votes (31.4%), while the Reform UK candidate, Dave Holland, secured 8,594 votes (17.3%). Stephenson was duly elected with a majority of 1,321.

The Mid Bedfordshire constituency was created in 1918 and includes the towns of Ampthill and Flitwick. Before a 2023 by-election – resulting from incumbent MP Nadine Dorries’ resignation – the seat had been Conservative since 1931. Labour won it in 2023 (under Alistair Strathern).

Stephenson was one of 26 new Conservative MPs that entered parliament following the 2024 general election.

Political Career

Stephenson currently serves as shadow parliamentary under secretary of state in the Conservative Home Office team and an opposition whip. He was appointed to these roles as part of the August/September 2026 shadow ministerial reshuffle, Kemi Badenoch’s second as Conservative leader.

Stephenson served as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to the shadow Treasury team from November 2024 to September 2026.

Stephenson is a member of the House of Commons environmental audit committee (since October 2024) – the commons select committee that acts as parliament’s primary cross-departmental watchdog on environmental issues. The EAC has a wide-ranging remit to examine how the policies and programmes of all government departments and public bodies impact environmental protection and sustainable development.

Stephenson is also a member of the House of Commons public accounts committee (since June 2025). The PAC is the oldest and arguably one of the most powerful select committees in the House of Commons. Its primary function is to scrutinise the value for money of public spending, ensuring taxpayers’ money is spent wisely. First established in 1857, the committee does not examine the merits of government policy, only the cost and effectiveness of its implementation.

Stephenson is a patron of LGBT+ Conservatives – the official LGBTQ wing of the Conservative Party.

Stephenson has been listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) for the East of England (vice chair), infrastructure, manufacturing, pensions and growth, and pubs (vice chair).

Stephenson delivered his maiden speech on 25 July 2023 during a debate on the code of conduct and modernisation committee.

In it, he said: “I popped into the library the other day and did so, and swiftly fell asleep. I came to the swift conclusion that a bit of modernisation in this House would not go amiss. Members will find that I engage in that debate constructively and thoughtfully as we think about how this parliament and future parliaments should progress…

“We must recognise that this place needs the experience and knowledge that comes from working in industry, commerce, law and, yes, even in politics, lest we become a House of politicians interested only in the next election, the next poll and the next headline.”

He added: “Proposals to build thousands of homes on green-belt land near Barton-le-Clay, Silsoe and Gravenhurst have been met with stiff resistance… Those communities have my full support.

“Let us remind ourselves that the green belt is a Labour policy, and one that I am happy to support, but not if, in the words of Lord Prescott, it is one that they intend to build on.”

Before entering parliament, Stephenson was elected as a Conservative councillor in May 2023. He retained his council position upon his election to parliament in 2024.

Political Views

Leadership elections

Tory leadership 2024: Stephenson supported James Cleverly’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.

During the contest, Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, urged the party to “be more normal”. On 9 October, in a major upset, Cleverly was eliminated in the fourth ballot after his support dropped to 37 votes. The result was widely attributed to a failure of tactical voting by supporters who assumed his place in the final two was secure.

Factional identity and party tradition

Conservative Environment Network: Stephenson 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 Stephenson, are thought to generally align with the group’s “green” message and environmentalism.

Brexit and Europe

Customs union vote (2025): In December 2025, Stephenson voted against the UK-EU Customs Union (Duty to Negotiate) Bill. The bill, introduced under the 10-minute rule procedure by Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton, sought to mandate the government to enter into negotiations with the European Union to establish a bespoke customs union.

Assisted dying

Stephenson voted against 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 issued at the time of the bill’s second reading, Stephenson said: “Personal freedom is a core value of mine, and like many people I hold it dear.

“But our individual rights to freedom and liberty are not – and should never be – unqualified. We should have no right in the pursuit of personal choice to put others in harm’s way. Those sponsoring this Bill have told us it provides for the strongest safeguards in the world. I know that their views are sincere, but I have not been persuaded by them.”

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Stephenson 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.

Before Politics

Stephenson has lived in the countryside all of his life.

Stephenson studied industrial relations with politics at the University of Kent, graduating in 2005. He went on to obtain a postgraduate degree in law from the University of Law.

He attended local comprehensive schools, before studying Industrial Relations with Politics and the University of Kent (2002-2005).

Stephenson was called to the Bar in 2007. He went on to work in the city of Lonson for 15 years, working in ethics and compliance roles.