25 Facts About Neil O'Brien

Neil John O'Brien was born on 6 November 1978 and is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, previously Harborough, since 2017.

Neil O'Brien was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health from September 2022 to November 2023.

Neil O'Brien was previously a special adviser to Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne from 2012 to 2016 and Theresa May during her tenure as Prime Minister.

Neil O'Brien was born on 6 November 1978 in Huddersfield.

Neil O'Brien was educated at All Saints High School and Greenhead College, both in Huddersfield, before studying philosophy, politics and economics at Christ Church, Oxford.

Between 2000 and 2003, Neil O'Brien worked for the 'No' campaign against Britain joining the Euro.

Neil O'Brien led the "Vote 2004" group which campaigned for a referendum on the EU's proposed constitution.

Neil O'Brien was appointed director of the centre-right Policy Exchange in August 2008, succeeding Anthony Browne and Nick Boles in this role.

Neil O'Brien served as a special adviser to George Osborne from November 2012 to July 2016, in relation to Osborne's role as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Between August 2018 and July 2019, Neil O'Brien was Parliamentary Private Secretary to ministers at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Neil O'Brien was banned from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau, and Chinese citizens and institutions are prohibited from doing business with him.

Neil O'Brien was a vocal proponent of lockdowns in order to suppress the coronavirus.

In May 2021, Neil O'Brien was appointed as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's adviser on levelling up the UK.

Neil O'Brien had in September 2020 produced a detailed report setting out the case for levelling up.

On 17 September 2021, Neil O'Brien was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, during the second cabinet reshuffle of the second Johnson ministry.

On 6 July 2022, Neil O'Brien resigned from the government, citing a lack of confidence in the leadership of Boris Johnson.

Neil O'Brien resigned in a joint statement with Kemi Badenoch, Alex Burghart, Lee Rowley, and Julia Lopez.

Neil O'Brien later supported Badenoch in the July 2022 Conservative leadership election.

On 7 September 2022, Neil O'Brien was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, as Minister for Social Care.

On 28 October 2022, Neil O'Brien was re-appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, as Minister for Primary Care and Public Health.

On 13 November 2023, Neil O'Brien resigned during the 2023 cabinet reshuffle.

In March 2010, Neil O'Brien co-authored with Ross Clark a wide-ranging book called The Renewal of Government.

In June 2018, Neil O'Brien published a report on reforming housing and planning policy, "Green, Pleasant and Affordable".

In May 2019, Neil O'Brien published "Firing On All Cylinders", a wide-ranging report on economic policy which argued for a new fiscal rule, and a somewhat looser fiscal policy, to enable more investment in public services, particularly in schools and the criminal justice system.

Neil O'Brien led a debate in Westminster Hall on the same issue in that month.