Laura Trott: Who is new Chief Secretary to the Treasury? - age & political career

Laura Trott has replaced John Glen as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in a Cabinet reshuffle which sees her depart her post as pensions minister. ‌The Conservative‌ ‌MP‌ ‌for‌ Sevenoaks‌ was first elected‌ ‌to‌ ‌Parliament‌ ‌in‌ 2019 with a majority of 20,818.

Trott, not to be confused with the multiple gold medal winning Olympic cyclist of the same name, will be joining her old boss David Cameron at the cabinet table. The former Prime Minister was welcomed back into the fold of government following the sacking of Suella Braverman.

Described as a rising star in the Conservative Party, Trott has been involved in politics for over a decade and was even awarded an MBE in Cameron's resignation honours list. We take a closer look at the new Chief Secretary to the Treasury, her political career and what she'll be doing in her new role.

Who is Laura Trott?

Laura Trott was born in 1984 and grew up in Oxted, a nearby village to her Sevenoaks constituency. Trott went to Oxted secondary school and later studied History and Economics at Pembroke College in Oxford University.

Trott is married with three young children, including one daughter and twin boys. She is an ambassador for the educational charity, Sutton Trust.

Laura Trott’s political career

Trott entered politics in 2010, when she started as a Special Advisor to the Minister for the Cabinet Office between 2010 and 2012. She was eventually promoted to chief of staff before transferring to David Cameron's Number 10 Policy Unit.

After working on the Conservative Party’s 2015 election manifesto, notably formulating the party's tax-free childcare policy, she was promoted to director of strategic communication. When Cameron left office and Theresa May was appointed as Prime Minister, Trott briefly left politics to become a partner at consultancy firm Portland Communications.

However, in 2019 she returned to politics and was chosen as the Conservative candidate for Sevenoaks. In the only seat she's contested, Trott won a majority of 20,818 and became the first woman to represent the Kent constituency.

Trott has been active in select committees. She was a member of the Health and Social Care Select Committee from 2020 to 2022, and was part of a steering committee of the China Research Group.  In 2022, Trott stepped down from her role as Parliamentary private secretary to the department of transport in protest against Boris Johnson's behaviour regarding the Chris Pincher scandal.

Posting on her social media Trott wrote: "Trust in politics is - and must always be - of the utmost importance, but sadly in recent months this has been lost."

Trott backed Rishi Sunak in his bid to succeed Boris Johnson in the 2022 Conservative Party leadership election. After he became Prime Minister, Mr. Sunak appointed Trott Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions.

In the latest cabinet reshuffle, Sunak promoted Trott to Chief Secretary to the Treasury. After departing her post as pensions minister, Trott is the fourth minister to serve in the role in roughly 12 months.

Trott has been labelled as a rising star in the Conservative Party and her new position was briefly held by the current Prime Minister in 2019. According to PoliticsHome, Trott's brand of Conservatism appeals to the moderate wing of the party.

What does the Chief Secretary to the Treasury do?

The role is known as the second most senior Treasury post following Chancellor of the Exchequer and carries the responsibility for organising government departmental spending. Additionally, Trott will be responsible for welfare reform and public expenditure on issues such as pensions, transport and housing. Essentially, as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Trott is charged with keeping the government running as efficiently and effectively as possible.