Sir Mel Stride is the Conservative MP for Central Devon, having first been elected to parliament at the 2010 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Stride received 16,831 votes, representing 31.5% of the vote share. The Labour candidate, Ollie Pearson, received 16,770 votes (31.4%), while the Liberal Democrat candidate, Mark Wooding, secured 8,232 votes (15.4%). Stride was duly elected with a narrow majority of just 61 votes.

The Central Devon constituency covers a large, predominantly rural area in the centre of Devon, including towns such as Okehampton, Crediton and Ashburton. Created for the 2010 general election, the seat was initially considered potentially marginal but was won comfortably by the Conservatives in the 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019 elections (with Ukip finishing second in 2015). It became highly marginal again in the 2024 election.

Political Career

Stride left the Conservative frontbench as part of the August/September 2026 shadow cabinet reshuffle conducted by Kemi Badenoch. He served as shadow chancellor of the exchequer from November 2024 to August 2026.

Stride was previously shadow secretary of state for work and pensions from July to November 2024 on the interim/caretaker frontbench constructed by Rishi Sunak after the general election of that year.

Stride stood in the 2024 Conservative leadership contest, which was triggered by the resignation of Sunak following the party’s defeat in the 2024 general election. He was eliminated in the second parliamentary ballot on 10 September 2024 after receiving 16 votes.

Stride won the support of Conservative MPs Mims Davies, George Freeman, Mark Garnier, Jerome Mayhew, Andrew Murrison, David Reed and Desmond Swayne.

Following the first round, Stride claimed to have “Mel-mentum” – but any such phenomenon, insofar as it existed, ultimately proved ephemeral.

Announcing his leadership bid on 26 July 2024, Stride argued the party needed to look “to the future” and “build trust with the electorate again”.

He told BBC Breakfast: “What we know from the general election is that we’re in a very, very difficult place as a party, and I worry about that because I care about my party and I care about my country.

“We’ve substantially lost the trust of the British people and we’ve lost our reputation for competence, and I believe that I’m in a very good position to address those issues going forward.”

Stride also claimed he had been prepared to “lead the charge” during the election, while others were prepared to “look the other way”.

During the 2024 general election campaign, Stride – a close ally of Sunak – was frequently trusted to do broadcast media interviews on behalf of the Conservative Party. In late June, Sky News estimated that Stride had represented the government on the morning media round a total of nine times during the campaign.

Prior to the 2024 general election, which saw the Conservatives ejected from government, Stride served as secretary of state for work and pensions under Rishi Sunak from October 2022 until the July 2024 election.

Previously, Stride served in Theresa May’s cabinet as leader of the House of Commons and lord president of the council (May – July 2019), having previously been financial secretary to the Treasury and paymaster general (June 2017 – May 2019).

Stride was dismissed as leader of the House when Boris Johnson became prime minister in July 2019 and replaced by Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Stride held a series of roles in the Whips’ Office under May and David Cameron. He served as deputy chief whip (comptroller of the household) from July 2016 to June 2017, Lord commissioner of the Treasury (another whip position) from May 2015 to July 2016 and an assistant whip from July 2014 to March 2015.

Between his frontbench roles, Stride chaired the influential Treasury select committee from January 2020 until his appointment as work and pensions secretary in October 2022. In this role, he was a prominent critic of the economic policies proposed in Liz Truss’ September 2022 mini-budget.

Speaking in the House of Commons on 12 October 2022, Stride insisted on a further “rowing back on the tax announcements” set out at the mini-budget. He asked the minister on duty, chief secretary to the Treasury Chris Philp, to “confirm that that possibility is still on the table.”

Stride was also a member of the House of Commons liaison committee (2019-2022) and the Northern Ireland affairs committee (2010-2011).

Stride delivered his maiden speech on 17 June 2010 during a debate on building a high-skilled economy.

In it, he said: “Although Central Devon is an area of outstanding beauty and interest, it is not without its challenges and hardships. It is a constituency in which agriculture matters, so events that hurt agriculture have a major impact upon my constituents. In 2001, the foot and mouth outbreak was centred around the market town of Hatherleigh, with devastating effects. The pall of smoke that hung over that part of Devon from cattle being burned on their pyres will never be forgotten.”

He added: “Devon is ranked 148th out of 151 local education authorities in terms of central Government funding. There are many reasons why that position is too low. I will continue to press on this matter for the sake of our local children, who have a right to a fair share of education funds.”

In the 2005 to 2010 parliament, Stride was added to the Tory “A-List” of prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs), drawn up by Conservative Central Office at the behest of then-party leader David Cameron. The A-List was a centrally-approved priority list of around 100-150 PPCs created as part of Cameron’s bid to modernise the party’s image. The primary goal was to increase the diversity of Conservative MPs by fast-tracking more women and candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds into safe and winnable seats.

Political Views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Tory leadership 2024: After dropping out of the race, Stride supported James Cleverly’s candidacy in the 2024 Conservative Party leadership 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.

Tory leadership 2022 (I): Stride 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%).

Stride reportedly served as Sunak’s campaign manager.

Tory leadership 2022 (II): Stride again supported Sunak’s candidacy in the Conservative Party’s October 2022 leadership election. The contest was triggered by the resignation of 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.

Tory leadership 2019: Stride supported Michael Gove 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 parliament.

Gove, then the environment secretary, reached the final three of the parliamentary ballots. He was ultimately eliminated in the fifth ballot on 20 June, receiving 75 votes – just two fewer than Jeremy Hunt.

Tory leadership 2016: Stride 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.

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: Stride supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore disagreed with a majority of his constituents, 50.9% of whom voted to Leave.

Article 50: In February 2017, Stride 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, Stride 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

Stride 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.

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Stride 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, Stride 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.

Foreign policy and security

Trident renewal (2016): Stride 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): Stride 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): Stride 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.

Before Politics

Melvyn John Stride was born in Ealing on 30 September 1961, his parents left school early due to economic circumstances, which he has cited as influencing his views on education. He attended Portsmouth Grammar School.

He studied philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, graduating with a BA degree. While at Oxford, he was elected president of the Oxford Union.

After university, Stride founded his own business, Venture Marketing Group, in 1987, specialising in trade exhibitions, conferences, and publishing. He expanded the business into the United States before entering politics.

Personal Life

Stride is married to Michelle and they have three daughters. They live in Ashburton, within the constituency.

Trivia

Stride is a qualified Blue Badge tourist guide, entitled to guide at sites including the British Museum, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London.