Difference between revisions of "Luke Pollard"
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{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| name = Luke Pollard | | name = Luke Pollard | ||
| − | | image = | + | | image = Luke Pollard.jpg |
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| − | | caption = | + | | caption = Luke Pollard |
| birth_date = {{Start date|1980}} | | birth_date = {{Start date|1980}} | ||
| birth_place = [[Plymouth]] | | birth_place = [[Plymouth]] | ||
Latest revision as of 08:48, 6 November 2026
Labour Co-op MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport and defence minister
| Luke Pollard
| |
|---|---|
| Image |  Luke Pollard |
| Born | 1980 Plymouth |
| Nationality | British |
| Residence | Plymouth |
| Occupation | Politician; Minister of State, Ministry of Defence |
| Known for | Labour (Co-op) MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport; defence minister |
| Education | University of Exeter |
| Website | lukepollard.org |
Luke Pollard is a British Labour and Co-operative politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport since 8 June 2017 and is a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence.[1][2]
Background
Pollard was born in Plymouth in 1980. His father served in the Royal Navy as a submariner based at Devonport, and his mother taught at Marjon. He attended Tavistock College and Christleton High School before studying Politics at the University of Exeter, graduating with a first-class degree in 2001 and serving as president of the students' union (the Guild of Students).[3][2]
Before entering Parliament he worked for ITV (Carlton Television), for Labour MPs including David Jamieson, at Labour headquarters on the 2005 general election campaign, for the communications firm Edelman, for South West Water, for Sainsbury's, for ABTA, and as a director of Field Consulting advising on construction, rail and transport projects.[3][2]
Parliamentary career
Pollard contested South West Devon in 2010 and Plymouth Sutton and Devonport in 2015 before winning Plymouth Sutton and Devonport for Labour (Co-op) on 8 June 2017. He was re-elected in 2019 and again for the redrawn seat on 4 July 2024.[1][3]
In opposition he was Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Fisheries, Flooding and Water) from 30 July 2018 to 7 January 2020, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 7 January 2020 to 29 November 2021, and Shadow Minister for Defence from 3 February 2022 to 30 May 2024.[1] He sat on the Transport Committee from September 2017 to October 2018.[1]
Ministerial posts
After the July 2024 general election Pollard was appointed a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence. The UK Parliament records the post as Minister for the Armed Forces from 9 July 2024 to 6 September 2025.[1][4]
On 6 September 2025 he became a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence.[1][5] The government biography describes him as Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry between September 2025 and July 2026, and states that he was appointed Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence on 21 July 2026; a July 2026 Downing Street list records that he "will remain as Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence".[2][6] The UK Parliament career page lists the Minister of State post as continuous from 6 September 2025.[1]
Specialist Group Military Intelligence
In an email of 7 August 2020 to the journalist Paul Mason, among Mason's emails that were later leaked, Chris Donnelly wrote that he would "step down as Honorary Colonel of SGMI early next year" and could propose successors. "They want someone external (ie not an intel person), young (ideally under 50) and energetic," he wrote. "Given the importance of encouraging a defence awareness in the PLP had in mind someone like Stella Creasy or Liz Kendall."[7] Mason replied two days later that Creasy "might be better" and floated Luke Pollard as another name.[8] Whether any of them was approached is not established from these emails.[7][8]
Affiliations
- Labour Party / Co-operative Party
- Ministry of Defence
- GMB and Unite (per his own account)[3]
- SERA – Labour's environment campaign (per his own account)[3]
External links
- Luke Pollard MP at GOV.UK
- Parliamentary career at UK Parliament
- Official website
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 UK Parliament, Parliamentary career for Luke Pollard, accessed 5 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 GOV.UK, Luke Pollard MP, GOV.UK, accessed 5 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Luke Pollard, About Luke, lukepollard.org, accessed 5 November 2026.
- ↑ Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, Ministerial appointments: July 2024, GOV.UK, 5 July 2024, accessed 5 November 2026.
- ↑ Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, Ministerial appointments: September 2025, GOV.UK, 5 September 2025, updated 16 September 2025, accessed 5 November 2026.
- ↑ Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, Ministerial appointments: July 2026, GOV.UK, accessed 5 November 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chris Donnelly, email to Paul Mason, 7 August 2020, quoted in Mason's reply of 9 August 2020 ("Re: My latest on China..."), leaked Paul Mason emails.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Paul Mason, email to Chris Donnelly, 9 August 2020 ("Re: My latest on China..."), leaked Paul Mason emails.