Neil Hudson
FRCVS MP
Official portrait, 2019
Member of Parliament
for Penrith and The Border
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byRory Stewart
Majority18,519 (38.7%)
Personal details
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge
University of Edinburgh
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Academic
  • Veterinary Surgeon
Websitewww.neilhudson.org.uk

Neil Peter Hammerton Hudson[1] FRCVS (born 1969) is a British politician, academician, and veterinary surgeon who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Penrith and The Border since 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, he has served on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee since 2020.

Early life and academic career

Hudson was born in 1969 in Islington, London.[2][3] He is the son of obstetrics and gynaecology professor Christopher Hudson and nurse Caryl Shaw. Hudson has a sister Jayne who works as a physiotherapist and brother Grahame who is an associate head at De Montfort University.[4][5] He studied at Queens' College, Cambridge, which was the alma mater of his father,[6] qualifying from the veterinary school in 1994. While there he was in the Footlights theatrical group and was in charge of auditions.[7] He later performed four times at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[8]

Hudson completed an internship at the University of Sydney, gaining a diploma in 1995, and later a PhD in Grass Sickness and Equine Gastroenterology at the University of Edinburgh.[9] Hudson is a senior lecturer at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies but, after becoming an MP, he has been on sabbatical leave since January 2020.[10] He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2018.[9]

Parliamentary career

Hudson reports that he first became interested in becoming a politician following the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak.[11] He unsuccessfully contested the Newcastle upon Tyne North and Edinburgh South seats in the 2005 and 2010 general election respectively.[12][13] In the 2010 election, his brother Grahame also stood as a candidate but for the Liberal Democrats in Rutland and Melton.[7]

Hudson was elected as the Conservative Party MP for Penrith and The Border in the 2019 general election with a majority of 18,519.[14] The constituency's previous Conservative MP Rory Stewart had stood down in October 2019.[15] He was the first veterinarian MP since 1884.[11] Hudson has been a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee since March 2020.[16]

He announced in September 2021 that he no longer supported the building of the Woodhouse Colliery, a proposed coal mine in Cumbria.[17][18] The project was approved by the government in December 2022.[19]

As part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Penrith and The Border was abolished and he lost selection for the new seat of Penrith and Solway in February 2023 to fellow Conservative MP Mark Jenkinson.[20] Hudson also lost out on the selection for the West Suffolk seat in July 2023 to former political adviser Nick Timothy.[21] West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock had previously announced that he would stand down at the next general election in December 2022.[22]

Personal life

Hudson is married to Nicola Chedgey. They have two children.[6][23]

References

  1. ↑ "Members Sworn". Hansard. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "Members of Parliament". Queens' College, Cambridge. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "Entry Information". FreeBMD. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  4. ↑ "Christopher Hudson, 89: Bowler-hatted gynaecologist and third world adviser". The Times. 18 July 2020. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.(subscription required)
  5. ↑ "Mr Grahame Hudson". De Montfort University. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  6. 1 2 "The Record 2019–20" (PDF). Queens' College, Cambridge. p. 84. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  7. 1 2 Macdonell, Hamish (5 April 2010). "Oh brother, where art thou? Not in Parliament I hope". The Times. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.(subscription required)
  8. ↑ Guthrie, Arlo (25 November 2019). "Veterinary profession now fielding three candidates in the 2019 elections". VetSurgeon. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Dr Neil Hudson". University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019.
  10. ↑ "Register of Interests for Dr Neil Hudson". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  11. 1 2 Loeb, Josh (11 July 2020). "Talking politics with a veterinary MP". The Veterinary Record. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Result: Newcastle upon Tyne North". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "Edinburgh South". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  14. ↑ "Last election result". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  15. ↑ Proctor, Kate; Walker, Peter (4 October 2019). "Rory Stewart quits Conservatives to run for London mayoralty". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 October 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "Parliamentary career for Dr Neil Hudson". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  17. ↑ Hudson, Neil (7 September 2021). "Statement from Dr Neil Hudson MP on the proposed West Cumbria Coal Mine". Neil Hudson. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  18. ↑ Cavanagh, Gareth (7 September 2021). "Penrith and the Borders MP on change of heart about coal mine as inquiry begins". News & Star. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  19. ↑ Mawson, Brandon (7 December 2022). "Government approves plans for Whitehaven coal mine". News & Star. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  20. ↑ Dempsey, Bridget (8 February 2023). "Penrith and Border MP congratulates colleague on seat selection". News & Star. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  21. ↑ Major, Melissa (31 July 2023). "Cumbria Tory MP loses in bid to replace Matt Hancock after Penrith and The Border seat abolished". Lancs Live.
  22. ↑ Walker, Peter (7 December 2022). "Row grows over Matt Hancock's announcement he is quitting as MP". The Guardian.
  23. ↑ "Dr Neil Hudson". Cumbria Conservatives. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
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