List of military veterans in British politics

This is a list of currently serving members of the House of Commons, House of Lords, Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament), Northern Ireland Assembly, and Police and Crime Commissioners who have served in the Armed Forces as regulars or reservists.

House of Commons

Name	Constituency	Party		Service and branch	Years	Rank	Notes
Dan Jarvis	Barnsley North		Labour	Parachute Regiment (1997 – 2011)	14	Major	Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2011
Alistair Carns	Birmingham Selly Oak		Labour	Corps of Royal Marines (1999 – 2024) Royal Marines Reserve (2024 – present)	25	Colonel	Received a Mention in Dispatches in 2007, decorated with the Military Cross (MC) in 2011, appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2022 and a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 2025
Sir James Cleverly	Braintree		Conservative	Royal Regiment of Artillery (1991 – present)	33	Lieutenant Colonel	Decorated with the Territorial Decoration (TD) in 2012
Jamie Stone	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross		Liberal Democrats	Territorial Army		Private
Sir Iain Duncan Smith	Chingford and Woodford Green		Conservative	Scots Guards (1975 – 1981)	6	Lieutenant
Chris Coghlan	Dorking and Horley		Liberal Democrats	Army Reserves (2017 – 2022)	5	Captain
Mike Tapp	Dover and Deal		Labour	Intelligence Corps (2007 – 2012)	5
Helen Maguire	Epsom and Ewell		Liberal Democrats	Royal Military Police (2002 – 2005)	3	Captain
David Reed	Exmouth and Exeter East		Conservative	Corps of Royal Marines Special Forces Support Group
Sir Edward Leigh	Gainsborough		Conservative	Honourable Artillery Company		Trooper
Sir David Davis	Goole and Pocklington		Conservative	21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve) (1966 – 1967)	1	Private
Alex Ballinger	Halesowen		Labour	Corps of Royal Marines (2005 – 2013)	5	Captain
Helena Dollimore	Hastings and Rye		Labour	Army Reserves
Richard Foord	Honiton and Sidmouth		Liberal Democrats	Adjutant General's Corps (2004 – 2010)	6	Major
Ben Obese-Jecty	Huntingdon		Conservative	Royal Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (2004 – 2012)	8	Captain
Angus MacDonald	Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire		Liberal Democrats	Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons)
Calvin Bailey	Leyton and Wanstead		Labour	No. 903 Expeditionary Air Wing No. LXX (70) Squadron Royal Air Force (2001 – 2024)	23	Wing Commander	Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2015
Sir Julian Lewis	New Forest East		Conservative	Royal Naval Reserve (1979 – 1982)	3	Seaman
Sir Desmond Swayne	New Forest West		Conservative	Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry Army Reserve (1987 – present)	37	Major	Decorated with the Territorial Decoration (TD) in 2000
Ian Roome	North Devon		Liberal Democrats	Royal Air Force (1986 – 1992)	6
Steve Barclay	North East Cambridgeshire		Conservative	Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1991)		Second Lieutenant
Louise Jones	North East Derbyshire		Labour	Intelligence Corps (2013 – 2020)	6
Clive Lewis	Norwich South		Labour	Territorial Army (2006 – 2009)	3	Captain
Fred Thomas	Plymouth Moor View		Labour	Corps of Royal Marines (2016 – 2023)	7	Captain
Mark Francois	Rayleigh and Wickford		Conservative	Royal Anglian Regiment (1985 – 1991)	6	Lieutenant
Neil Shastri-Hurst	Solihull West and Shirley		Conservative	Royal Army Medical Corps (2006 – 2014)	7	Major
Bayo Alaba	Southend East and Rochford		Labour	Parachute Regiment
Paul Foster	South Ribble		Labour	Royal Engineers	15
Stuart Anderson	South Shropshire		Conservative	Royal Green Jackets (1993 – 2001)	8
Andrew Murrison	South West Wiltshire		Conservative	Royal Navy Royal Naval Reserve (1989 – present)	35	Surgeon Commander
Lincoln Jopp	Spelthorne		Conservative	Scots Guards (1990 – 2011)	21	Colonel	Decorated with the Military Cross (MC) in 1999 and received the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in 2011
Jim Shannon	Strangford		DUP	Ulster Defence Regiment (1974 – 1977) Royal Artillery (1977 – 1989)	15	Lance Bombadier
Jenny Riddell-Carpenter	Suffolk Coastal		Labour	Territorial Army (2005 – 2009)	4
Sir Andrew Mitchell	Sutton Coldfield		Conservative	Royal Tank Regiment	2	Second Lieutenant (on probation)
Will Stone	Swindon North		Labour	The Rifles (2012 – 2017)	5	Rifleman
Cameron Thomas	Tewkesbury		Liberal Democrats	Royal Air Force Police (2000 – 2023	25	Flight Lieutenant
Tom Tugendhat	Tonbridge		Conservative	Educational and Training Services Branch of the Adjutant General's Corps (2000 – 2013)	13	Lieutenant Colonel	Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2010
Mike Martin	Tunbridge Wells		Liberal Democrats	Territorial Army		Captain
Andrew Bowie	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine		Conservative	Royal Navy (2007 – 2010) Royal Naval Reserve (2002 – present)	3	Sub-Lieutenant
Sir Alec Shelbrooke	Wetherby and Easingwold		Conservative	Royal Navy

House of Lords

Title	Party		Service and branch	Years	Rank	Notes
The Earl of Arran		Conservative	Grenadier Guards		Second Lieutenant
The Lord Ashton of Hyde		Conservative	Royal Hussars Royal Wessex Yeomanry		Lieutenant
The Earl Attlee		Conservative	Royal Corps of Transport Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Territorial Army (1974 – 2017)	43	Major	Decorated with the Territorial Decoration (TD)
The Lord Baker of Dorking		Conservative	Royal Artillery		Lieutenant
The Lord Barker of Battle		Conservative	Honourable Artillery Company (1989 – 1994)	5
The Lord Bellingham		Conservative	Guards Division	1
The Lord Benyon		Conservative	Royal Green Jackets (1980 – 1985)	4	Lieutenant
The Lord Bradshaw		Liberal Democrats	(1957 – 1959)	2
The Viscount Bridgeman		Conservative	Royal Green Jackets (1950 – 1953)	3	Lieutenant
The Viscount Brookeborough		Crossbench	17th/21st Lancers (1971 – 1977) Ulster Defence Regiment Royal Irish Regiment (1977 – 1997)	26	Lieutenant Colonel
The Lord Burnett		Liberal Democrats	Corps of Royal Marines	7
The Earl Cathcart		Conservative	Scots Guards (1972 – 1975)	3	Lieutenant
The Lord Christopher		Labour	Royal Air Force (1944 – 1948)	4
The Earl of Cork		Crossbench	Royal Navy (1963 – 1978)	15	Lieutenant Commander
The Lord Craig of Radley		Crossbench	Royal Air Force (1951 – 1991)	40	Marshal of the Royal Air Force	Received the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in 1965, appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1967 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1984
The Lord Dannatt		Crossbench	British Army (1971 – 2009)	38	General	Decorated with the Military Cross (MC) in 1972 and appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1996, received the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in 1999 and appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 2009
The Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links		Conservative	32nd Signal Regiment (2003 – 2006)	3	Signaller
The Lord de Mauley		Conservative	Royal Wessex Yeomanry (1976 – 2005)	29	Lieutenant Colonel	Decorated with the Territorial Decoration (TD) in 1988
The Viscount Eccles		Conservative	King's Royal Rifle Corps		Second Lieutenant
The Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard		UUP	Ulster Defence Regiment Royal Irish Regiment (1982 – 1999)	17
The Earl of Erroll		Crossbench	21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve) (1975 – 1990)	23	Colonel
The Lord Geddes		Conservative	Royal Navy (1956 – 1958) Royal Naval Reserve	15	Lieutenant Commander
The Lord Geidt		Crossbench	Scots Guards Intelligence Corps (1982 – 1994)	12
The Earl of Glasgow		Liberal Democrats	Royal Naval Reserve (1960 – 1963)	3	Sub-Lieutenant
The Lord Glenarthur		Conservative	The Royal Hussars (1976 – 1980)	4	Major
The Lord Green of Deddington		Crossbench	Royal Green Jackets	3
The Lord Hacking		Labour	Royal Naval Reserve (1954 – 1964)	10	Lieutenant
The Lord Harlech		Conservative	London Regiment London Guards (2019 – present)	5	Lieutenant
The Lord Harries of Pentregarth		Crossbench	Royal Corps of Signals (1955 – 1958)	3	Lieutenant
The Lord Heseltine		Non-affiliated	Welsh Guards (1959)		Second Lieutenant
The Lord Hart of Tenby		Conservative	Royal Gloucestershire Hussars	5
The Lord Hintze		Conservative	Australian Army	3	Captain
The Lord Hope of Craighead		Crossbench	Seaforth Highlanders (1957 – 1959)	2	Lieutenant
The Lord Houghton of Richmond		Crossbench	Green Howards British Army (1974 – 2016)	42	General	Appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 2011
The Lord Janvrin		Crossbench	Royal Navy (1964 – 1975)	11	Lieutenant
The Lord King of Bridgwater		Conservative	Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) King's African Rifles		Lieutenant
The Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton		Conservative	Corps of Royal Engineers Army Reserve (1988 – present)	36	Major General	Decorated with the Efficiency Decoration (TD) in 2002
The Earl of Leicester		Conservative	Scots Guards (1987 – 1991)	4
The Lord Maginnis of Drumglass		Independent Ulster Unionist	Ulster Defence Regiment (1971 – 1981)	10	Major
The Lord Naseby		Conservative	Royal Air Force (1955 – 1957)	2	Pilot Officer
The Lord Peach		Crossbench	Royal Air Force (1974 – 2022)	48	Air Chief Marshal	Received the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in 1990, appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 2009, a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in 2016 and a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG) in 2024
The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux		Crossbench	3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery British Army (1971 – 2013) [ Unclear whether this is one appointment or two. ]	42	General	Received a Mention in Dispatches in 1993, appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000, a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 2001 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 2011
The Lord Robathan		Conservative	Coldstream Guards Special Air Service (1974 – 1989)	14	Major
The Lord Soames of Fletching		Conservative	11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales' Own) Regular Reserve (1967 – 1975)	8	Second Lieutenant
The Earl of Stair		Crossbench	Scots Guards (1982 – 1987)	5	Lieutenant
The Lord Stirrup		Crossbench	Royal Air Force (1968 – 2011)	43	Marshal of the Royal Air Force	Decorated with the Air Force Cross (AFC) in 1983 and appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 2005 and a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG) in 2013
The Lord Swire		Conservative	Grenadier Guards (1980 – 1983)	3	Lieutenant
The Viscount Trenchard		Conservative	Royal Green Jackets (1972 – 1980)	8	Captain
The Lord Walker of Aldringham		Crossbench	Royal Anglian Regiment British Army (1966 – 2006)	40	Field Marshal	Appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1985, received a Mention in Dispatches in 1987, appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1997 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1999
The Lord West of Spithead		Labour	Royal Navy (1965 – 2006)	41	Admiral	Decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) in 1982 and appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 2004
The Lord Wrottesley		Conservative	Grenadier Guards		Captain

Police and Crime Commissioners

Name	Police area	Party		Service and branch	Years	Rank	Notes
Chris Nelson	Gloucestershire Constabulary		Conservative	Royal Regiment of Artillery		Colonel
Philip Seccombe	Warwickshire Police		Conservative	Warwickshire Yeomanry (1977 – 2002)	25	Colonel
Philip Wilkinson	Wiltshire Police		Conservative	Royal Regiment of Artillery (1969 – 1998)	29	Colonel	Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998

Scottish Parliament

Name	Constituency	Party		Service and branch	Rank
Keith Brown	Clackmannanshire and Dunblane		SNP	Royal Marines (1980 – 1983)	Marine
Mark Griffin	Central Scotland		Labour	Territorial Army	Private
Paul Sweeney	Glasgow		Labour	Royal Corps of Signals Royal Regiment of Scotland (2006 – 2018)

Northern Ireland Assembly

Name	Constituency	Party		Service and branch	Years	Rank	Notes
Andy Allen	Belfast East		UUP	Royal Irish Regiment (2006 – 2012)	6	Ranger
Paul Frew	North Antrim		DUP	Royal Irish Regiment	7
John Stewart	East Antrim		UUP	North Irish Horse	17
Steve Aiken	South Antrim		UUP	Royal Navy (1980 – 2010)	31	Commander	Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004
Doug Beattie	Upper Bann		UUP	Royal Irish Regiment (1982 – present)	43	Captain	Received the Queen's Commendation for Bravery and decorated with the Military Cross (MC) in 2003

Current and former Cabinet Ministers

This list includes all current and former Cabinet Ministers who are ex-servicepeople and are alive today.

Name	Party		Service and branch	Years	Rank	Cabinet Portfolios	Notes
The Lord Hart of Tenby		Conservative	Royal Gloucestershire Hussars			Secretary of State for Wales (2019 – 2022)
Sir James Cleverly		Conservative	Royal Regiment of Artillery (1991 – present)	33	Lieutenant Colonel	Foreign Secretary (2023 – 2024) Home Secretary (2022 – 2023) Education Secretary (2022)	Decorated with the Territorial Decoration (TD) in 2012
Sir Ben Wallace		Conservative	Scots Guards (1991 – 1998)	7	Captain	Defence Secretary (2019 – 2023)	Received a Mention in Dispatches in 1993
Steve Barclay		Conservative	Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1991)		Second Lieutenant	Brexit Secretary (2018 – 2020) Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (2021 – 2022) Health Secretary (2022 – 2023) Environment Secretary (2023 – 2024)
Penny Mordaunt		Conservative	Royal Naval Reserve (2010 – 2019)	9	Acting Sub-Lieutenant	Defence Secretary (2019) Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President (2022 – 2024)
Sir David Davis		Conservative	21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve) (1966 – 1967)	1	Private	Brexit Secretary (2016 – 2018)
Sir Iain Duncan Smith		Conservative	Scots Guards (1975 – 1981)	6	Lieutenant	Work and Pensions Secretary (2010 – 2016)
The Lord Hurd of Westwell		Conservative	5th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery		Lieutenant	Foreign Secretary (1989 – 1995) Home Secretary (1985 – 1989) Northern Ireland Secretary (1984 – 1985)
The Lord Heseltine		Conservative	Welsh Guards (1959)		Second Lieutenant	Deputy Prime Minister (1995 – 1997) First Secretary of State (1995 – 1997) Trade Secretary & President of the Board of Trade (1992 – 1995) Environment Secretary (1979 –1983, 1990 – 1992) Defence Secretary (1983 – 1986)
The Lord Fowler		Conservative	Essex Regiment		Second Lieutenant	Employment Secretary (1987 – 1990) Social Services Secretary (1981 – 1987) Transport Secretary (1979 – 1981)
Stephen Dorrell		Conservative	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (1971 – 1973)	2		Health Secretary (1995 – 1997) National Heritage Secretary (1994 – 1995)	Stood in the 2019 general election as a Liberal Democrat.
The Lord Baker of Dorking		Conservative	Royal Artillery		Lieutenant	Home Secretary (1990 – 1992) Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1989 – 1990) Education and Science Secretary (1986 –1989) Environment Secretary (1985 – 1986)
The Lord King of Bridgwater		Conservative	Somerset Light Infantry		Second Lieutenant	Defence Secretary (1989 – 1992) Northern Ireland Secretary (1985 –1989) Employment Secretary (1983 –1985) Transport Secretary (1983) Environment Secretary (1983)
The Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank		Labour	King's Regiment (Liverpool)			Transport Secretary (1976 – 1979)	Liberal Democrat peer since 1988

See also

• Royal Navy
• Royal Marines
• British Army
• Royal Air Force
• Defence Select Committee