Stephen Dorrell, a former Conservative Minister, joined the Liberal Democrats in 2019.

Full statement

Stephen, a Conservative MP for 36 years, has always been a liberal conservative and pro-European. Strongly opposed to Johnson’s nationalist Tories, he found the big tent of the Liberal Democrats a natural home.

In May 1979 Stephen was elected as the first Conservative Member of Parliament for Loughborough. From June 1983 to June 1987, Stephen served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Energy, the Rt Hon Peter Walker MP. In June 1987, he was appointed an Assistant Government Whip and became a Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury (a senior Government Whip) in December 1988. From May 1990 to April 1992, he was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health. In April 1992, he was appointed Financial Secretary to the Treasury. Stephen was Secretary of State for National Heritage from July 1994 until July 1995 and Secretary of State for Health from July 1995 - March 1997. In the 1997 General Election, he won the new seat of Charnwood with a majority of 5,900, and subsequently served as Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Employment. In June 1998, he left the Shadow Cabinet to return to the backbenches. From 2006-07 he was Co-Chair of the Public Service Improvement Group, established by David Cameron to review policy in education, health, social care and housing. From 2010 to early 2014, Stephen was Chair of the Health Select Committee. Stephen Dorrell stepped down as a Member of Parliament in May 2015.

Stephen became a Place2Be trustee in 2012. Stephen brings a wealth of knowledge around senior government and the Department of Health.

Stephen is the former Chair of the NHS Confederation and current Chair of the European Movement.