Dr Neil Hudson is the Conservative MP for Epping Forest, having first been elected to parliament at the 2019 general election. He was previously the MP for Penrith and The Border from 2019 to 2024.

In the 2024 general election for the Epping Forest constituency, Hudson received 18,038 votes (43.2%). The Labour candidate received 12,356 votes (29.6%), and the Liberal Democrat candidate secured 5,268 votes (12.6%). Hudson was duly elected with a majority of 5,682.

The Epping Forest constituency is located in Essex and includes the towns of Epping, Loughton, Waltham Abbey, Chigwell, and Buckhurst Hill. The seat has been held continuously by the Conservative Party since its creation in 1974.

Hudson’s previous seat, Penrith and The Border in Cumbria, was abolished in the 2023 boundary review. It was represented by Willie Whitelaw, who served in several cabinet posts in the 1970s and 1980s, most notably as home secretary, from 1955 to 1983. Rory Stewart, the cabinet minister-turned-podcaster, represented the seat from 2010 to 2019. In his 2020 maiden speech, Hudson jokingly offered to let Stewart “kip” with him – a reference to the then-London mayoral candidate’s #ComeKipWithMe scheme. Stewart had been urging voters to offer him their sofa or floor for the night so he could listen to their concerns.

Hudson’s immediate predecessor as the MP for Epping Forest was Dame Eleanor Laing, who represented the seat from 1997 to 2024 and served as deputy speaker.

Political Career

Hudson currently serves as shadow minister of state for environment, food and rural affairs. He was appointed to this role as part of the August/September 2026 shadow ministerial reshuffle, Kemi Badenoch’s second as Conservative leader.

Hudson served as shadow parliamentary under secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs from November 2024 to September 2026.

Hudson was a member of the environment, food and rural affairs committee from March 2020 to May 2024. In May 2022, he ran for the chairmanship of the committee. Setting out his case to be the committee’s next chair, Hudson argued that his status as the “commons’ only sitting vet” meant he was “uniquely experienced” for the role.

In a piece for The House magazine, he wrote: “My priorities include: increasing food security in the wake of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine; promoting rural mental health; protecting our environment; improving animal health and welfare, such as clamping down on puppy smuggling and animal theft; and improving flood defences and resilience as extreme weather events become more frequent.”

In a July 2020 interview with the Veterinary Record, Hudson outlined his determination to champion animal welfare in parliament, particularly in the context of post-Brexit trade deals. He stated his position unequivocally: “As a vet, I really cannot vote for something that condones substandard animal welfare.”

He had supported an amendment to the Agriculture Bill that was intended to guarantee that all food imports would be required to meet UK welfare standards under any future post-Brexit trading arrangements. The amendment was defeated by the government.

He argued that legal protections to prevent the importation of substandard food products is “about our values as a country”. He stated his opposition to importing products like chlorinated chicken on animal welfare grounds.

In a May 2023 article for The House magazine, Hudson called on the government to bring back the Kept Animals Bill in order to “end puppy smuggling”. He highlighted the “horrific” conditions in which puppies are illegally imported and the “significant” biosecurity threat they pose.

He wrote: “The Kept Animals Bill offers a vital opportunity to address the puppy smuggling trade head-on…

“In addition, the bill provides provision to tackle pet theft, an horrific crime that takes place all too often. I would also like to see these measures expanded to include other animals such as farm livestock and horses.”

Hudson is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) for animal welfare and suicide and self-harm prevention.

Hudson delivered his maiden speech on 16 January 2020. In it, he said: “It is vital that, now we have left the EU, we stand up for our first-class standards of farming and animal welfare as we go on to secure trade deals.

“Indeed, this will be a great opportunity for the UK to be a beacon to the rest of the world on animal welfare. We can send out the message that if other countries want to trade with us, they need to bring their animal welfare standards up to our level.”

He added: “On a lighter note, being a vet in politics has some advantages on the doorstep. As I said, half of households have a pet, frequently a dog.

“When I am out canvassing and a dog hears a vet knocking at the door, either they run a mile, thinking they are about to get an injection or, worse, have their anal glands emptied – ‘anal glands’ is something you will not read in Hansard every day – or they run towards me.”

Hudson previously stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate for Newcastle upon Tyne North in the 2005 general election, finishing third to Labour incumbent Doug Henderson on 6,022 votes (15.7%).

At the 2010 general election, Hudson stood as the Conservative candidate in Edinburgh South. He finished third to Labour candidate Ian Murray on 9,452 votes (21.6%). Murray contacted Hudson upon his successful election in 2019.

Hudson said of Murray’s outreach: “I feel strongly about that spirit of cross-party working. If someone on the other team has an idea that is good for the country, we should work together to bring it forward for the benefit of everyone.”

Ahead of the 2024 general election, Hudson initially sought the Conservative candidacy for the seats of Penrith and Solway and West Suffolk (where Nick Timothy was triumphant). Hudson ultimately secured the Conservative candidacy for his Epping Forest seat.

Hudson was awarded the RSPCA’s Massingham Advocacy award in August 2024 for his commitment to advocating for animals.

Political Views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Tory leadership 2022 (I): Hudson supported Tom Tugendhat’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.

Tugendhat, the chair of the foreign affairs select committee and a former soldier, was seen as the leading candidate on the party’s one nation wing. He was eliminated in the third parliamentary ballot on 18 July after receiving 31 votes.

During the campaign, Hudson touted Tugendhat’s “background, international experience and integrity.”

He said: “I am backing Tom Tugendhat for PM as he has the background, international experience and integrity to lead us. He understands issues facing both rural and urban communities and he can unite our country moving forward.”

Speaking to GB News in July 2022, Hudson said Tugendhat offered a “fresh approach to the leadership”.

He added: “I’m a horse vet by background, and actually he’s healthily in the middle of the field, and he has negotiated in this steeple chase the first couple of hurdles – he was the first to put his nomination papers in, he’s got a really healthy vote in the first round, and actually beaten some serious players in [the] first round, Nadine Zahawi and Jeremy Hunt.”

Tory leadership 2022 (II): Hudson supported Penny Mordaunt’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”.

Mordaunt, the leader of the House of Commons, had finished third 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. Mordaunt withdrew from the contest on 24 October, shortly before the deadline, after being unable to secure the required number of nominations.

During this campaign, Hudson said Mordaunt had the “leadership attributes, experience, empathy and compassion to unite our country”.

Factional identity and party tradition

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

Bright Blue: Hudson 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.

Blue Collar Conservatives: Hudson 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

Customs union vote (2025): In December 2025, Hudson 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

Hudson 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).

Speaking during the bill’s report stage, Hudson expressed his concern “about the possible pressure that the Bill will place on medical practitioners when it comes to diagnosis and prognostication.”

Drawing on his experience as a veterinary surgeon, he told the House: “I am in no way equating the passing of an animal with the passing of a human, which is of a completely different order of magnitude, but the end of an animal’s life has sometimes been drawn into the discussion of human assisted dying.

“Many of the protocols and drugs are similar to those being discussed for humans. As a veterinary surgeon, I have been involved in helping countless animals, large and small, pass away, for many reasons. Each decision with the owner is very difficult – often heartbreaking – but the final act is not always routine and does not always go smoothly or according to plan.

“Apart from a couple of powerful speeches from [MPs] last week, we have not really addressed the issue of medical procedures and complications in this human debate.”

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Hudson 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

Born Neil Peter Hammerton Hudson in Islington, London, in 1969, his family has long-standing connections to the Epping Forest area. His father was Professor Christopher Hudson, an obstetrics and gynaecology consultant, and his mother was a nurse.

Dr Hudson studied at University of Cambridge Veterinary School, qualifying in 1994. He undertook an internship at the University of Sydney (gaining a Diploma in 1995) and later completed a PhD in Grass Sickness and Equine Gastroenterology at the University of Edinburgh.

He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (FRCVS).

He worked as an equine veterinary surgeon in practice in the UK and Australia.

He served as a temporary Veterinary Inspector during the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic. His involvement in the crisis, Hudson has said, “spurred” him into public service.

He was a senior lecturer in equine medicine and surgery at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh.

Personal Life

Hudson is married and has two children.

His brother, Grahame Hudson, is an academic who stood as a Liberal Democrat candidate in the 2005 and 2010 general elections. In the Rutland and Melton seat, Grahame Hudson finished third and second respectively – with Conservative incumbent Alan Duncan re-elected on both occasions (with majorities of 12,930 and 14,000).

Trivia

Hudson is the first veterinary surgeon elected to the House of Commons since 1884, when Sir Frederick Fitzwygram was elected as the MP for Fareham,

Hudson was a member of the Cambridge Footlights comedy troupe. He later performed four times at the Edinburgh Fringe.