1. Michael Alex Burghart was born on 7 September 1977 and is a British politician, academic and former teacher who has served as Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland since 8 July 2024, and Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster since 5 November 2024.
Alex Burghart was elected to the House of Commons for Brentwood and Ongar at the 2017 general election.
Alex Burghart served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Prime Minister Boris Johnson from 2019 to 2021 and was promoted to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills in the second cabinet reshuffle of the second Johnson ministry.
Alex Burghart resigned from this position in July 2022, criticising Johnson's handling of the Chris Pincher scandal.
Alex Burghart was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and Growth in September 2022 and later Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office in October 2022.
Alex Burghart gained the additional role of Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Alex Burghart was born on 7 September 1977 in Wimborne Minster in Dorset, the son of two state school teachers.
Alex Burghart was educated at the independent Millfield School in Somerset.
Alex Burghart became a political and policy adviser to Tim Loughton, who was the then Shadow Minister for Children and Young People in 2008.
Alex Burghart moved on to the Department for Education, where he worked on the Munro Review of Child Protection.
In 2012 Alex Burghart became Director of Policy at the Centre for Social Justice.
Alex Burghart is the author of A Better Start in Life: Long-term approaches for the most vulnerable children, published by Policy Exchange in 2013.
Alex Burghart has written extensively about early medieval England, writing for The Times Literary Supplement for over 12 years, The Spectator and BBC History.
Alex Burghart stood against Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn in Islington North in 2015.
Alex Burghart was selected for the Brentwood and Ongar safe seat on 28 April 2017 following the decision by Sir Eric Pickles to stand down at the 2017 general election.
Alex Burghart has been a member of the Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Work and Pensions Select Committee.
Alex Burghart was previously Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox, and to the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Karen Bradley.
In July 2019, at the formation of the first Johnson ministry, Alex Burghart was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
On 17 September 2021, Alex Burghart was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills at the Department for Education during the second cabinet reshuffle of the second Johnson ministry.
On 6 July 2022, Alex Burghart resigned from government, citing Boris Johnson's handling of the Chris Pincher scandal in a joint statement with fellow Ministers Kemi Badenoch, Neil O'Brien, Lee Rowley and Julia Lopez.
On 20 September 2022, Alex Burghart was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and Growth at the Department for Work and Pensions.
Alex Burghart was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office on 27 October 2022, with responsibilities including the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Covid-19 Inquiry, the Government Digital Service and the Central Digital and Data Office.
In November 2024, following Kemi Badenoch's election as Conservative Party leader, Alex Burghart was appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Alex Burghart has been compared to Keith Joseph by ConservativeHome writer William Atkinson.
Alex Burghart stood in for Badenoch at Prime Minister's Questions on 20 November 2024.
Alex Burghart has sat on the Board of the Yarlington Housing Group and was Vice Chair of Governors at Queensmill School for children with autism.