This article's subject stood for re-election to the British House of Commons on 4 July. This article may be out of date during and after this period. Feel free to improve it (updates without reliable references will be removed) or discuss changes on the talk page. Remove this template once the article is no longer out of date.
Metcalfe was previously an Epping Forest District councillor and portfolio holder for Customer Services, ICT & E-government.[7] As a councillor, he campaigned on green belt protection, traffic calming measures and community engagement.[7]
Metcalfe sat on the Science and Technology Select Committee from 2010 to 2019 and served as chair during the years 2016–2017.[11] He was re-selected to serve on the Committee in 2022.[12]
In 2012, Metcalfe 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 or divisions.[13]
At the 2015 general election, Metcalfe was re-elected as MP for South Basildon and Thurrock with a decreased vote share of 43.4% and an increased majority of 7,692.[14]
In June 2016, Metcalfe supported the campaign for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. His constituency of South Basildon and East Thurrock voted to leave by 73% – the fourth highest percentage in the country.[15]
Metcalfe was again re-elected at the snap 2017 general election, with an increased vote share of 56.9% and an increased majority of 11,490.[16] He was again re-elected at the 2019 general election with an increased vote share of 66.2% and an increased majority of 19,922.[17]
In 2022, Metcalfe introduced a Private Members' Bill – the Powers of Attorney Bill – to the House of Commons. In 2023, the Powers of Attorney Act became law,[18] legislating for a new digitised route for a lasting power of attorney (LPA) application, as well as an improved paper process and increased safety checks.[19]
In 2023, Metcalfe put forward a Ten Minute Rule Motion to make defibrillators an essential feature of every new housing development over 10 dwellings. The Automated External Defibrillators (Housing Developments) Bill[20] was the first such Bill to target the installation of defibrillators in residential homes and addressed the divergence between where defibrillators are located and where sudden cardiac arrests happen. According to the UK's Resuscitation Council, more than 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the home.[21]
Metcalfe was re-selected in December 2023 as the Conservative candidate for South Basildon and Thurrock at the 2024 general election.[22] He was defeated by Reform UK candidate James McMurdock.[23]