John Redwood
The Lord Redwood | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Official portrait, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 27 May 1993 – 26 June 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | David Hunt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | William Hague | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of State for Local Government | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 15 April 1992 – 27 May 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Michael Portillo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | David Curry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of State for Corporate Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 26 July 1989 – 15 April 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Francis Maude | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Neil Hamilton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 May 1982 – 12 November 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Ferdinand Mount | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Brian Griffiths | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament for Wokingham | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 11 June 1987 – 30 May 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | William van Straubenzee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Clive Jones | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the House of Lords | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Life peerage 30 January 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | John Alan Redwood 15 June 1951 Dover, Kent, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Gail Chippington
(m. 1974; div. 2003) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Kent College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Magdalen College, Oxford (BA) St Antony's College, Oxford (MPhil) All Souls College, Oxford (DPhil) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Academic background | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thesis | The fear of atheism in England, from the Restoration to Berkeley's Alciphron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Part of the politics series on |
| Thatcherism |
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John Alan Redwood, Baron Redwood (born 15 June 1951) is a British politician and academic who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wokingham in Berkshire from 1987 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he was Secretary of State for Wales in the Major government and was twice an unsuccessful candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party in the 1990s. Redwood subsequently served in the Shadow Cabinets of William Hague and Michael Howard; he remained a backbencher from then on. On 24 May 2024, Redwood announced that he would stand down as MP for Wokingham and not seek re-election in the 2024 general election.
Prior to becoming an MP, Redwood completed a doctorate at All Souls College, Oxford and served as Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit under Margaret Thatcher. He is a veteran Eurosceptic who was described in 1993 as a "pragmatic Thatcherite". He was the co-chairman of the Conservative Party's Policy Review Group on Economic Competitiveness until 2010. He has the role of Chief Global Strategist of investment management company Charles Stanley & Co Ltd (part of Charles Stanley Group). Redwood supported Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum, and was a member of the British Eurosceptic pressure group Leave Means Leave.