Parliamentary Career

Theresa Villiers started out as a Member of the European Parliament in 1999 and joined the Westminster ranks in 2005, holding a number of positions in opposition and in Government. Here's an overview of her career so far:

MEP for London, 1999 - 2005
Deputy Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, 2001 - 2002
MP for Chipping Barnet 2025 - 2024 (re-elected 2010, 2015, 2017 & 2019)
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, 2005 - 2007
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, 2007 - 2010
Minister for Transport, 2010 - 2012
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 2012 - 2016
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs - 2019 - 2020
Member of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament - 2020 - 2024

You can read Theresa's final contributions in Parliament below.

Topical Questions | Oral Answers to Questions - International Development | Commons debates

I welcome the work the Secretary of State is doing to ensure that UK aid to the Palestinian Authority does not directly fund payments to terrorist prisoners, but will she assure the House that she is doing everything possible to ensure that they do not indirectly fund such payments by freeing up resources that would otherwise be spent on day-to-day PA activities?

HS2 Update | Commons debates

Does the Secretary of State agree that the massive improvement programme for our railways—not just HS2 but the existing network—is a fundamental part of the Government’s programme to deliver economic success and economic rebalancing?

Article 50 | Commons debates

Some 105 years ago it was a Liberal Government who established the supremacy of the elected over the unelected Chamber, so would it not be a scandalous state of affairs if Lib Dem peers were to use a parliamentary vote to frustrate the will of the people of this country?

Topical Questions | International Trade | Commons debates

Will the Secretary of State let us know whether, in his discussions with countries that have trade agreements with the EU, those countries have indicated their interest in continuing such arrangements with the UK when we leave?

Orgreave | Oral Answers to Questions - Home Department | Commons debates

I welcome the Secretary of State’s decision. While public inquiries can be successful in some instances, too often they cost huge amounts of money, take many years to complete, and do not even answer the question that has been asked.

Commencement | Neighbourhood Planning Bill | Public Bill Committees

I wholeheartedly subscribe to the sentiments that my hon. Friend the Minister expressed at the start of his remarks about local councils and communities making decisions. How is that reconcilable with the position in London, where, although borough councils have important powers in this policy area, they can effectively be overridden by the Greater London Authority? If we were really localist, would we not be pushing decisions on housing down to our borough councils?

Restrictions on power to impose planning conditions | Neighbourhood Planning Bill | Public Bill Committees

It is a pleasure to take part in this Committee under your chairmanship, Mr Bone. I have what amounts more to an intervention than a full speech. I spoke about this clause on Second Reading and received some useful reassurance from the Minister, but now we have the more relaxed circumstances and timings of a Committee, I would like to reiterate broadly the importance that many of my constituents place on matters relating to the protection of habitats—that includes bats and newts—and landscape and flooding. Read more....

Financial Services: UK Withdrawal from EU | HM Treasury | Written Answers

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Government's policy is on transitional arrangements for financial service providers to minimise disruption to financial markets during and after the process of the UK leaving the EU.

Financial Services | Exiting the European Union | Commons debates

What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on financial services and negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

Financial Services | Exiting the European Union | Commons debates

Will my right hon. Friend make securing agreement on a transitional period for financial services an urgent priority for Brexit negotiations to avoid the risk that firms feel they have to start making decisions to change their businesses now based on a worst-case scenario because compliance obligations mean that they cannot wait to see what the final deal will look like?