Confidante of Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is special guest at North Devon dinner

One of the closest confidantes to Kemi Badenoch, Conservative Party leader and with a ringside seat to some of the biggest events to rock Westminster in recent years, will be speaking In North Devon on Thursday, March 12.

John Glen MP will be giving an inside view on rebuilding the party and the challenges ahead with a dinner and talk hosted by North Devon Conservative Association.

The event at Portmore Golf Park near Landkey on the outskirts of Barnstaple starts at 6.30pm and is open to anyone with an interest in politics who might wish to buy a ticket and not solely Conservative Party members, with those in attendance having the opportunity to ask questions.

It is a rare opportunity to gain an insight into some of the biggest UK political events in recent times, from the Covid pandemic and the short tenure of Liz Truss as Prime Minister to the defections of Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman.

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Without an MP in the government of the day, North Devon can be seen as being in the backwaters and so it has few major political visitors, especially not those who have served under three Prime Ministers and in the Cabinet.

In his current role as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Kemi Badenoch, Mr Glen is well-placed to give an insider’s view on the turbulent recent years – and what might happen next.

Above: John Glen MP will be happy to answer questions at the Dinner with John Glen event at Portmore Golf Park in Landkey this March. Credit: Office of John Glen MP

Mr Glen said: “I will draw on my experience in Government and on my time as PPS to Kemi Badenoch, offering reflections on the state of politics and the country, as well as the need for long-term solutions to our economic challenges.

“I shall also be keen to hear from attendees and to answer their questions.”

He has been an MP for Salisbury since 2010, winning five consecutive general elections.

He has clocked-up seven years as a Minister (2017-2024), including a record tenure as City Minister. He worked as a PPS (Parliamentary Private Secretary) to three cabinet ministers over five years.

His first ministerial role was as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, where he was responsible for Arts, Heritage and Tourism.

He was appointed to the Treasury in January 2018 to serve as Economic Secretary and remained to help shape the post Brexit arrangements, until his resignation from Boris Johnson’s government in July 2022.

Reappointed to the Treasury in October 2022 to attend Cabinet as Chief Secretary, he moved a final time in November 2023, joining the Cabinet Office as Paymaster General, where he was responsible for establishing legislation to deliver compensation to victims of the decades-old infected blood scandal.

He is a member of the Treasury Select Committee and is a Freeman of the City of London.

Tickets for the event, which includes a two-course dinner and is expected to finish at around 9pm, are available from https://www.tickettailor.com/events/northdevonconservativeassociation/2030023