Matt Warman
Matthew Warman | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 1, 1981 Enfield, London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, journalist |
| Years active | 1999–2024 (journalism and politics) |
| Known for | Member of Parliament for Boston and Skegness (2015–2024), Minister of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (July–September 2022) |
Matthew Robert Warman (born 1 September 1981) is a former British journalist and Conservative Party politician who represented the constituency of Boston and Skegness as its MP from 2015 until 2024. Between July and September 2022, he held the position of Minister of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. His governmental roles also included serving as Assistant Government Whip from April to July 2019 and as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital Infrastructure from July 2019 through to September 2021.
Early life and career
Born in Enfield, London on 1 September 1981, Matthew Warman received his education at Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School located in Elstree, Hertfordshire. He pursued English studies at Durham University, where he took on the role of Treasurer for the Durham Student Theatre during the 2002/2003 academic year.
From 1999 until 2015, Warman was a journalist with The Daily Telegraph, specialising in technology reporting. His coverage included major firms such as Facebook, Google, and Apple, reporting on significant product introductions like the iPhone, BBC iPlayer, and Apple Watch. Additionally, he conducted interviews with prominent personalities including Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos and the creator of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee.
Parliamentary career
In the general election of 2015, Warman was elected as MP for Boston and Skegness, securing 43.8% of votes and a majority margin of 4,336. During his tenure, he was a member of the Science and Technology Select Committee and co-chaired both the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Broadband and Digital Communication and Pictfor (The Parliamentary Internet, Communications and Technology Forum).
Before the 2016 EU referendum, Warman opposed Brexit, but after his constituency voted decisively to leave (with 75.6% support), he aligned himself with the pro-Brexit organisation Leave Means Leave.
Warman increased his vote share to 63.6% in the 2017 general election, winning by a majority of 16,572. On 26 July 2019, he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital Infrastructure at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, a role he fulfilled until September 2021 when succeeded by Chris Philp.
He was re-elected in 2019 with an enhanced vote share of 76.7% and a majority of 25,621. In July 2022, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s caretaker administration, Warman was elevated to Minister of State within the same department.
At the subsequent 2024 general election, Warman lost his parliamentary seat to Richard Tice representing Reform UK, finishing second with a diminished vote share of 33.4%.
Post Parliament
Following his parliamentary career, Warman declared in September 2024 his intention to seek the Conservative nomination for the upcoming 2025 Greater Lincolnshire mayoral election. Although shortlisted among six contenders, he was ultimately unsuccessful in securing the nomination, which was awarded to Rob Waltham after a selection process held at Lincoln's Bishop Grosseteste University in December 2024.