Джон Ланкастер: Британ саяхатшысы және армия резервінің директоры

British Conservative politician

Major General John Mark Lancaster, Baron Lancaster of Kimbolton, (born 12 May 1970) is a British Conservative Party politician, a Member of the House of Lords and a British Army reserve officer, who has served as Director Reserves since October 2023. He previously served as Member of Parliament for North East Milton Keynes from 2005 until 2010, and then its successor seat Milton Keynes North from the seat's creation at the 2010 general election until his retirement from the House of Commons at the 2019 general election. He served as a Minister in several appointments after the formation of the Coalition Government in 2010, first as Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty's Treasury, before in May 2015 moving to the Ministry of Defence, first as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Veterans, Reserves and Personnel, and then, from 13 June 2017, as Minister of State for the Armed Forces. He served in this role until his retirement from Government on 16 December 2019. He was granted a life peerage in the 2019 Dissolution Honours, and was created "Baron Lancaster of Kimbolton" on 16 September 2020. He was introduced to the House of Lords on 12 October 2020.

Lancaster was born on 12 May 1970 in Cambridge. He was privately educated at Kimbolton School in Huntingdonshire where his father Ronald Lancaster was chaplain from 1963–88. He graduated as a BSc in Business Studies from the University of Buckingham in 1992 and MBA from the University of Exeter Business School in 1993. Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee (2008–09) and the International Development Select Committee (2009–10). After his re election in 2010 and the formation of the Coalition Government, he was initially appointed as the PPS to the Secretary of State for International Development, From 2012 to 2015, he was a government whip and a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury. He then moved to the Ministry of Defence where he was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence Veterans, Reserves and Personnel (2015–2017) and Minister for the Armed Forces (2017–2019).

Lancaster was nominated for a peerage in the 2019 Dissolution Honours. On 16 September 2020, he was created Baron Lancaster of Kimbolton by Queen Elizabeth II. He was Introduced to the House of Lords on 12 October 2020, and sits in the House as a Conservative Party life peer. He made his maiden speech on 27 October 2020, while expressing regret that as a bomb disposal expert and with his family ties to fireworks making, that it didn't occur on 5 November. He was appointed as a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on 9 November 2021.

Lancaster has stated his disagreement with the UK Government's policy on the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In an interview with the BBC, he stated "It may well be much harder to get the British public to back other overseas adventures by the military because of what's happened in Iraq". Lancaster voted against legislation allowing gay couples to marry at the Bill's second reading, but supported minor 'tidying up' legislation supporting the principle once the main Bill had passed through the House of Commons. He later tweeted in July 2016 that he had been wrong to have opposed the second reading. In 2011 Lancaster introduced his own private member's bill, which enabled special Olympic 1 kg gold and silver coins to be struck by the Royal Mint as part of the 2012 Olympic legacy. In 2013 Lancaster was successful in his four year campaign to get Khat classified as a category C drug following calls from his constituents.

Lancaster lives in Gosport with his wife, Conservative MP for Gosport Caroline Dinenage. He previously married Katherine Reader 1995 before separating in 2006 and divorcing in 2009. He briefly partnered Amanda Evans with whom he has a daughter. In February 2014, he married Caroline Dinenage, who had also been previously married. Lancaster is a supporter of MK Dons, and enjoys playing cricket, which includes the House of Commons team. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Buckingham in 2008.