Stuart James Andrew was born in 1971 and spent his early years in the North Wales village with the famously long name, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, on the Isle of Anglesey.
Stuart grew up on a council estate. His father worked as a welder but experienced periods of long-term unemployment, and his mother worked in a local newsagent’s. Growing up in these circumstances gave Stuart a strong sense of community and a determination to work hard and make a difference.
After finishing his A-Levels, Stuart joined the Department of Social Security. But he had always been drawn to fundraising and voluntary work, and in 1994 he took the opportunity to join the British Heart Foundation. This move began a long career in the charity sector.
He went on to work at Hope House Children’s Hospice and East Lancashire Hospice, before becoming Fundraising Manager at Martin House Children’s Hospice. At Martin House, Stuart led a team responsible for raising £4 million every year to support children and families facing incredibly difficult circumstances. These years in the voluntary sector gave him valuable experience, but also reinforced his desire to serve and improve people’s lives.
Stuart’s passion for politics developed through his work in the community. In 2003, he stood for election to Leeds City Council and won the Aireborough ward for the Conservatives. Following boundary changes, he later represented Guiseley and Rawdon. On the council, Stuart served on the Planning Panel and campaigned strongly against overdevelopment in his ward, something he has continued to champion. He also became the Lead Member for the Development Department, taking particular responsibility for transport policy. In that role, he worked with neighbouring councils to draw up the Local Transport Plan for West Yorkshire.
In May 2010, Stuart was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough. Entering Parliament was, in his own words, an honour, and he quickly became involved in supporting the Government of the day.
Two years later, in 2012, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Francis Maude, then Minister for the Cabinet Office. That same year, he introduced a Bill to give prison governors new powers to destroy or dispose of unauthorised property found inside prisons or escort vehicles. The Bill won cross-party support, including backing from the then-Shadow Justice Secretary, Sadiq Khan.
In the 2015 General Election, Stuart was re-elected and went on to work closely with Patrick McLoughlin, then Secretary of State for Transport. By 2016, he had been appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Party Chairman and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He was also made Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with special responsibility for Cities.
After the 2017 General Election, Stuart returned to Parliament and was appointed Assistant Government Whip. In January 2018, he became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, before moving later that year to the Ministry of Defence as Minister for Defence Procurement. He served in that role for a year before returning to the Government Whips’ Office in 2019 as Vice Chamberlain of Her Majesty’s Household.
In the December 2019 General Election, Stuart was re-elected for the fourth time, this time with a majority of 3,517. Soon afterwards, he was promoted to Deputy Chief Whip in February 2020.
In February 2021, Stuart was appointed to the Privy Council by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, gaining the title The Right Honourable Stuart Andrew MP.
The following year, he became Minister for Housing at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. He later stepped into a temporary role at the Ministry of Justice during the Conservative Party leadership election, helping to ensure stability in Government. By September 2022, Stuart had joined the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the following month he also took on the role of Minister for Equalities.
Following boundary changes, Stuart’s Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough constituency was divided into new seats, leaving him without a constituency. In June 2024, he was selected as the Conservative candidate for Daventry, and in July 2024 he was elected with a majority of 3,012.
Now in Opposition, Stuart was appointed interim Opposition Chief Whip before being made Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in November 2024. In July 2025, he was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Throughout his career, Stuart has remained committed to public service, whether through his work in the charity sector, local government, or Westminster. His central focus is on the issues that matter to his constituents in the Daventry Constituency.