Edward Argar

Edward John Comport Argar (born 9 December 1977) is a British politician who was Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor from July to November 2024. He most recently served as Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation from November 2023 to July 2024 and as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in October 2022.

A member of the Conservative Party, he previously served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice from 2018 to 2019, Minister of State for Health from 2019 to 2022, and as Paymaster General from September to October 2022. Argar was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Charnwood from the 2015 general election until the seat was abolished for the 2024 general election.

He subsequently stood for election in the newly formed Melton and Syston seat in which he was elected.

Argar was born in Ashford and educated at the Harvey Grammar School, before earning a 2:1 in modern history at Oriel College, Oxford.

After leaving university, he spent four years working as Press Secretary for Shadow Foreign Secretary Lord Ancram, who at the time shared an office with then Shadow Cabinet Minister Sir Alan Duncan.

After working for Lord Ancram, he worked for Hedra, a management consultancy which was taken over by Mouchel. In February 2013, he was elected onto the South East Regional Council of the CBI, describing himself as 'Head of Public Affairs, Serco UK & Europe'.

He became a Conservative member of Westminster City Council in 2006 and a cabinet member in 2008. He contested the council leadership in 2012, but lost to Philippa Roe.

He stood in Oxford East in the 2010 general election, with his election leaflet promising a Conservative government would deliver a fairer society with improved public services and more NHS investment. However, he was defeated by Andrew Smith, the former Work and Pensions minister. Argar subsequently attended selections in the constituencies of Newark, Tonbridge and Malling, Wealden and Mid Worcestershire, before being selected to contest the safe seat of Charnwood previously held by Stephen Dorrell; a Daily Telegraph article praising open primaries referred to him as a "serial candidate". The Leicester Mercury, noting his selection had attracted criticism, asked whether Parliamentary candidates should have a link to the constituency.