Ed Vaizey
Edward Henry Butler Vaizey, Baron Vaizey of Didcot PC (born 5 June 1968), is a British politician and life peer who has served in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords as a Conservative.[1][2] He was elected Member of Parliament for Wantage on 5 May 2005, representing the constituency until the dissolution of Parliament on 6 November 2019, though he did not contest the 2017 general election.[2] Vaizey held several shadow and government roles focused on culture, media, and digital policy prior to and during the 2010–2016 Conservative-led administrations.[3] As Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries from May 2010 to July 2014, and subsequently Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy until July 2016, he was the longest-serving minister in that portfolio in modern British history.[4][2] Key initiatives under his tenure included the rollout of broadband to over four million rural homes, the introduction of 4G coverage, tax incentives for the creative sectors such as film and video games, and the publication of the first Culture White Paper in over 50 years.[4] He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 2016 and elevated to the peerage as Baron Vaizey of Didcot on 1 September 2020, following announcement in the 2019 Dissolution Honours.[3][5] Since entering the House of Lords, Vaizey has continued involvement in cultural and business advisory roles, including as a trustee of Tate and chairman of the UK-ASEAN Business Council.[4]