Chris Philp is the Conservative MP for Croydon South, having first been elected to parliament at the 2015 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Philp received 19,757 votes, representing 40.0% of the vote share. The Labour candidate, Ben Taylor, received 17,444 votes (35.3%), while the Liberal Democrat candidate, Richard Howard, secured 4,384 votes (8.9%). Philp was duly elected with a majority of 2,313.

The Croydon South constituency is located in the far south of Greater London, bordering Surrey. It covers suburban areas including Coulsdon, Purley, Sanderstead and Selsdon. The seat has been held by the Conservative Party continuously since its creation in 1974 and is regarded as a safe Conservative seat, typically returning large majorities even during periods of Labour government nationally.

Political Career

Philp currently serves as shadow home secretary on the Conservative frontbench appointed by Kemi Badenoch (since November 2024). He served as shadow leader of the house of commons in the interim/caretaker shadow cabinet created after the general election of that year under Rishi Sunak’s leadership.

Prior to the 2024 general election, which saw the Conservatives ejected from government, Philp held a series of ministerial roles. He served as minister of state for crime, policing and fire at the Home Office from October 2022 until the July 2024 election under Rishi Sunak.

Philp briefly served in Liz Truss’s cabinet as chief secretary to the Treasury (September – October 2022) before being moved to paymaster general and minister for the cabinet office following the disastrous “mini-budget”.

Speaking in the House of Commons on 12 October 2022, Philp told Mel Stride, the senior Conservative MP and critic of the mini-budget, that there were “no plans to reverse any of the tax measures announced in the growth plan”. Philp left his role as chief secretary to the Treasury two days later and was replaced by Edward Argar. It came as the chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, was also dismissed by Truss.

In May 2025, Philp criticised Reform UK and Nigel Farage’s fiscal plans while referencing the Truss mini-budget.

He told Times Radio: “What Nigel Farage is proposing to do, in terms of the tax cuts and spending increases he is proposing, is two-and-a-half or even three times the scale of what Liz Truss attempted back in September, 2022.

“I was at the time urging spending restraint to partially offset the proposed tax cuts because it was clear to me at the time you can’t just have unfunded tax cuts on that scale. Unfortunately, the case I made internally wasn’t listened to and we’ve all seen the results subsequently.”

During Boris Johnson’s tenure as prime minister, Philp was parliamentary under-secretary of state for tech and the digital economy at the department for digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) from September 2021 until July 2022.

In June 2022, Philp publicly declared their loyalty to the prime minister, Boris Johnson, ahead of a Conservative “no-confidence” in his leadership. The vote was triggered by discontent within the parliamentary party following the “partygate” scandal and the publication of the Sue Gray report. While the prime minister ultimately won the vote, the scale of the rebellion against him, with 148 of his own MPs voting to remove him, severely weakened his authority and presaged his resignation the following month.

At the time, Philp posted to social media: “As a [four-times] proven election winner against the odds (London in 2008 and 2012, 2016 referendum and 2019 general election) who has also delivered a world-leading covid vaccine programme, world-leading support to Ukraine, the lowest unemployment since 1974, record NHS spending and… 13,000 of 20,000 extra Police Officers hired already, Boris Johnson deserves support today.

“And he will have mine.”

In July 2022, Philp resigned as part of the mass walkout of ministers that ultimately forced Johnson to announce his own resignation.

In his resignation letter, addressed to Johnson, Philp wrote: “The Online Safety Bill, which I have just taken through 50 hours of bill committee, is ready for report stage next week with a number of further improvements…

“Important though all these things are, so are integrity, honesty and trust in politics. Given events over the past few weeks and months I therefore think that you should resign as prime minister and it follows that I cannot serve in your government any longer.”

In a social media post, Philp added: “I’m deeply saddened it has come to this, but the PM should step down given public and parliamentary confidence has clearly gone.”

Before that, Philp was parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Home Office and Ministry of Justice (responsible for immigration compliance and courts) from September 2019 to September 2021. He also briefly held the post of minister for London (December 2019 – February 2020).

Between 2018 and 2019, Philp served as the Conservative party vice-chairman for policy.

Following the 2017 general election Philp was appointed a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) at the Treasury. Phillip Hammond was chancellor of the exchequer at the time. In January 2018, Philp was made PPS to Sajid Javid as secretary of state for housing, communities and local government.

Philp was a member of the House of Commons Treasury select committee from July 2015 until May 2017.

Philp delivered his maiden speech on 10 June 2015 during a debate on housing.

In it, he said: “People in Croydon South believe that hard work and enterprise are the best ways of combating poverty and promoting prosperity. Businesses such as the Wing Yip Chinese supermarket on Purley Way and BSW Heating in Kenley are the lifeblood not just of our economy but of our society. I share those values.”

He added: “I set up my first business when I was 24. I started by driving the delivery van myself, and eventually floated that company on the stock market. My grandfather also drove a delivery van and he grew up in Peckham. I think he would be very proud, if he were still with us, to see his grandson speaking on the Floor of the House today.”

Before entering parliament, Philp served as a Conservative councillor for the Gospel Oak ward on Camden Borough Council from 2006 to 2010. He previously stood unsuccessfully for parliament in Hampstead and Kilburn in 2010, losing by just 42 votes to Labour’s Glenda Jackson.

Political Views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Tory leadership 2024: Philp supported Kemi Badenoch’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.

Badenoch, the then-shadow housing secretary, was seen as a leading figure on the party’s right wing. After finishing first in the final parliamentary ballot with 42 votes, she defeated Robert Jenrick in the membership vote with 53,806 votes (56.5%). Badenoch was declared Conservative leader on 2 November.

Tory leadership 2022 (I): Philp supported Sajid Javid’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.

Javid, whose resignation as health secretary had helped spark the government crisis, pledged to reverse the recent national insurance rise. He argued that the party needed to restore its reputation for integrity and economic competence.

Javid withdrew from the contest shortly before the nominations deadline, after failing to secure enough support from fellow MPs to reach the required 20-nomination threshold. Philp went on to support Liz Truss’ candidacy. Truss, the then-foreign secretary, campaigned on a platform of sweeping tax cuts. After finishing second in the final parliamentary ballot with 113 votes, she won the subsequent vote of the party membership with 81,326 votes (57.4%) and was appointed prime minister on 6 September.

Tory leadership 2022 (II): Philp supported Rishi 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”.

Sunak, the former chancellor, had finished second to Truss in the previous contest. 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.

Tory leadership 2019: Philp supported Javid 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.

Javid, the then-home secretary, successfully reached the final four of the parliamentary stages, but was eliminated in the fourth ballot on 20 June after receiving 34 votes. Philp went on to support Boris Johnson’s candidacy. Johnson, the former foreign secretary and mayor of London, campaigned on the central pledge to “deliver Brexit” by 31 October 2019, “deal or no deal”. He thereby positioned himself as the candidate best-placed to break the parliamentary deadlock. Johnson secured 114 votes in the first parliamentary ballot, and reached 160 votes in the final MP round.

In the subsequent ballot of the party membership, Johnson won a decisive victory with 92,153 votes (66.4%).

Tory leadership 2016: Philp 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.

Factional identity and party tradition

Philp is a self-described “Thatcherite and patriot”.

Bright Blue: Philp 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.

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: Philp supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore agreed with a majority of constituents, 54.2% of whom voted to Remain.

Article 50: In February 2017, Philp 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.

Customs union vote (2025): In December 2025, Philp voted against the UK-EU Customs Union (Duty to Negotiate) Bill. The bill, introduced under the ten-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

Philp 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). He was one of six shadow cabinet members and 20 Tory MPs to back the assisted dying bill at third reading.

In November 2024, Philp criticised the health secretary, Wes Streeting, for the way he voiced concerns about assisted dying.

He told LBC Radio: “[Streeting] was basically using his position as health secretary to advance one side of the argument. And that is not what cabinet ministers or even shadow ministers should be doing.

“I think that was wrong, actually. Now I’m expressing here a very personal, individual view based on my own individual judgment. He was using arguments based on the fact he was health secretary. And I don’t think either frontbench should do that because it is a personal vote of conscience, it’s not to do with party politics.”

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Philp 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.

Foreign policy and security

Trident renewal (2016): Philp 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): Philp 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.

Sanctioned (Russia): In April 2022, Philp 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 Christopher Ian Brian Mynott Philp on 6 July 1976 in West Wickham, London, he was educated at St Olave’s Grammar School in Orpington.

Philp studied physics at University College, Oxford, graduating in 1997.

In 1996, Philp was fined and suspended by the Oxford Union for recording a speech by OJ Simpson and selling the tape to newspapers. At the time, Philp was features editor of the student magazine Cherwell.

The Oxford Union president, Paul Kenward, said: “This shows that the union is not prepared to allow people to record meetings when they are told it is against the rules.”

After graduating, Philp worked briefly for the management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company. He then pursued an entrepreneurial career. In 2000, he co-founded Blueheath Holdings, a distribution business.

In 2009, Philp founded the charity The Next Big Thing, which aimed to help secondary school students develop business ideas.

In June 2016, Philp wrote on his official website: “The charity worked with hundreds of youngsters across London, giving them mentoring from successful businessmen and helping them to create their own business plans.”

Philp co-founded Clearstone Training & Recruitment Limited, an HGV training provider, alongside fellow future Conservative Party MP Sam Gyimah. He also co-founded Pluto Finance, a property finance investment business.

A 2013 profile described Philp as a “multi-millionaire entrepreneur”.

Upon his election to parliament, Philp told Property Week: “There are not many people with entrepreneurial experience in parliament and that is an area I think I can make a contribution.

“I want to encourage entrepreneurship and make it easier for people to set up and run new businesses.”

Personal Life

Philp married his wife, Elizabeth, in 2009. They had twins in 2013.

Philp’s father, Brian, stood as the UK Independence Party (Ukip) candidate for Orpington at the 2017 general election. Brian Philp placed fourth with 2,023 votes (4.0%). The incumbent Conservative candidate, Jo Johnson, was re-elected.

Trivia

Philp was awarded London’s Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ernst & Young and the Times in 2003.