Who Is David Lidington? All You Need To Know About The Man Who Could Replace Theresa May
25 March 2019, 10:59 | Updated: 28 October 2019, 15:53
Newspaper reports suggest that David Lidington could replace Theresa May as Prime Minister if she is forced out. Here is everything you need to know about him.
The Sunday Times suggested that Mr Lidington could be installed as a caretaker Prime Minister to oversee things until a Conservative leadership contest can be held in the summer.
But he's much less well-known as many other potential successors to Theresa May such as Boris Johnson and Michael Gove.
Who is David Lidington?
David Lidington is the MP for Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, a seat that has been Conservative since 1924. Mr Lidington has been their MP since 1992 when John Major was Prime Minister.
He is currently the Minister for the Cabinet Office, making him the second most senior cabinet minister in the UK and the de facto Prime Minister.
He was born on 30th June 1956 and attended Cambridge University.
What previous cabinet roles has David Lidington held?
When David Cameron became Prime Minister, he appointed David Lidington as the Minister for Europe, a position he held for six years, until shortly after the EU referendum when Theresa May took charge.
He was promoted to be the Leader of the House of Commons, the role that Andrea Leadsom now holds.
After a short spell as the Justice Secretary, he was appointed Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party and the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
How did David Lidington vote on Brexit?
David Lidington is seen as a pro-EU politician and voted for Remain in the Brexit referendum.
His six years as Minister for Europe is seen as proof he knows the detail on Britain's membership of the EU, one reason many people tip him to take over as Prime Minister.
However, it seems unlikely that Brexiteers would be happy to hand the reins to a man sometimes dubbed 'Mr Europe'.
What is David Lidington's voting record?
David Lidington came under fire when he was named Justice Secretary for his voting record on LGBT rights. He voted against scrapping the ban on 'promotion of homosexuality' in schools, as well as civil partnerships, something he later admitted he regretted.
Closer to home, he was criticised in his local paper for abstaining in the vote on HS2, a project which runs right through his constituency.
He was captain on University Challenge
When he was at Cambridge University, he was the captain of the Sidney Sussex College team on University Challenge.
They won the competition in 1979 - and also the Champion of Champions show in 2002.
