Rebecca Harris

Dame Rebecca Harris
DBE MP
Dame Rebecca Harris DBE MP
	Official portrait, 2019
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 4 November 2024
Leader	Kemi Badenoch
Preceded by	Stuart Andrew
Comptroller of the Household
	In office; 8 July 2022 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson; Liz Truss; Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Marcus Jones
Succeeded by	Chris Elmore
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
	In office; 9 January 2018 – 8 July 2022
Prime Minister	Theresa May; Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Heather Wheeler
Member of Parliament ; for Castle Point
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 6 May 2010
Preceded by	Bob Spink
Majority	3,251 (8%)
Personal details
Born	Elizabeth Rebecca Scott Harris; 22 December 1967 (age 56); Windsor, Berkshire, England
Political party	Conservative
Education	Bedales School
Alma mater	London School of Economics
Website	www.rebeccaharris.org

Dame Elizabeth Rebecca Scott Harris^[3] DBE (born 22 December 1967) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Castle Point since 2010. She was the Comptroller of the Household from 2022 to 2024.^[4]^[5] In that role, she took part in the 2023 Coronation.^[6] In November 2024 she assumed the role of Opposition Chief Whip, replacing Stuart Andrew in the role.

Early life and career

Elizabeth Harris was born on 22 December 1967 in Windsor, Berkshire and was privately educated at the boarding school Bedales, in Hampshire. She then went to university at the London School of Economics, graduating with a BSc. After university, Harris worked with Phillimore & Co publishers, working in warehousing as a delivery driver and sales rep. She eventually joined the board as marketing director. Harris was a Conservative head office campaign co-ordinator during 2000-2001 and Conservative North West London area officer during 2007–2008.^[1]

Parliamentary career

At the 2010 general election, Harris was elected to Parliament as MP for Castle Point with 44% of the vote and a majority of 7,632.^[7]^[8]^[9]

In 2012, Harris was named by Conservative Home as one of a minority of loyal Conservative backbench MPs not to have voted against the government in any significant rebellions.^[10]

She was a member of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and championed the Daylight Saving Bill which would have moved Britain onto Central European Time.^[11] On 20 January 2012, the legislation ran out of time to progress, meaning that the United Kingdom would remain on Western European Time.^[12]

In March 2015, Harris and her entourage recorded video footage of allegedly speeding motorbikers and handed them to the police, after spotting them whilst canvassing. Local residents had complained of the street being used for road racing.^[13]

At the 2015 general election, Harris was re-elected as MP for Castle Point with an increased vote share of 50.9% and an increased majority of 8,934.^[14]^[15]

Prior to the 2016 Brexit referendum, Harris stated her support for Britain to leave the European Union.^[16]

Harris was re-elected at the snap 2017 general election with an increased vote share of 67.3% and an increased majority of 18,872.^[17]^[18]

At the 2019 general election, Harris was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 76.7% and an increased majority of 26,634.^[19]^[20] This was the largest Conservative vote share of the entire election.^[21]

Harris was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2024 Birthday Honours List for Political and Public Service.^[22]

Harris was again re-elected at the 2024 general election, with a decreased vote share of 38.1% and a decreased majority of 3,251.^[23]

Following the victory of Kemi Badenoch in the 2024 leadership election, Harris was appointed Chief Whip of the Conservative Party.^[24]^[25]

References

^ ^a ^b "Rebecca Harris MP". BBC Democracy Live. BBC. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
^ "Who's Who". Ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
^ "No. 61230". The London Gazette. 18 May 2015. p. 9122.
^ "Ministerial Appointments: September 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
^ "Rebecca Harris MP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
^ "Coronation order of service in full". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Castle Point". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
^ Barrett, Matthew (14 September 2012). "The 24 Conservative MPs who are still on the backbenches and have never rebelled". Conservative Home. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
^ Winterman, Denise (24 February 2011). "Could the UK work with two different time zones?". BBC News Magazine. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
^ Staff writer (20 January 2012). "Clock change bill runs out of time in Commons". BBC News. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
^ Trayner, David (12 March 2015). "MP films bikers she accuses of speeding". Southend Echo. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ "Castle Point parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
^ "EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand". BBC News. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
^ "Castle Point". Election 2017. BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
^ "Castle Point Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
^ "King's Birthday Honours: Castle Point Rebecca Harris made Dame". Southend Echo. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
^ "General Election 2024: Rebecca Harris re-elected for Castle Point but huge gain for Reform UK". Essex Live. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
^ "Kemi Badenoch appoints Rebecca Harris as Conservative chief whip, says predecessor". ITV News. 3 November 2024.
^ "Kemi Badenoch makes first appointment to shadow cabinet". BBC News. Retrieved 3 November 2024.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Bob Spink	Member of Parliament for Castle Point 2010–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Stuart Andrew	Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons 2024–present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Stuart Andrew	Conservative Chief Whip of the House of Commons 2024–present	Incumbent