Nicholas Soames

Nicholas Soames is a British former politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex from 2001 to 2019. A prominent figure within the Conservative Party, he held several ministerial positions, most notably as Minister of State for the Armed Forces under Prime Minister John Major. The grandson of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soames was a leading member of the One Nation tradition and a vocal critic of Brexit.

Early life and family

Arthur Nicholas Winston Soames was born in London into a prominent political family, the son of Christopher Soames, a Conservative Cabinet minister and European Commissioner, and Mary Soames, the youngest child of Winston Churchill. He was educated at Eton College before attending the Mons Officer Cadet School and serving as a Cornet in the 11th Hussars. His family connections placed him at the heart of the British establishment, with his brother, Rupert Soames, becoming a noted business leader as CEO of Serco and later Aggreko.

Political career

Soames was first elected to the House of Commons as the MP for Crawley in the 1983 general election. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Energy, Cecil Parkinson, and later to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel Lawson. In 1994, Prime Minister John Major appointed him Minister of State for the Armed Forces at the Ministry of Defence, where he oversaw operations during the Bosnian War and managed the post-Cold War restructuring of the British Armed Forces. After losing his Crawley seat in the 1997 Labour landslide, he returned to Parliament in 2001 as MP for Mid Sussex, serving until his retirement in 2019.

Views and political positions

A staunch One Nation Conservative and Europhile, Soames was a leading figure in the Conservative Friends of Europe. He was a passionate advocate for the Armed Forces Covenant and a strong supporter of NATO. He co-founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Obesity and was a vocal campaigner on rural affairs. Soames became a prominent critic of the Brexit process, co-founding the Change UK – The Independent Group in 2019, though he did not stand as a candidate for the party. His opposition to a No-deal Brexit led to his expulsion from the Conservative Party in September 2019 after voting for the Benn Act.

Later life and activities

Following his departure from the House of Commons, Soames was appointed to the House of Lords in 2020, taking the title Baron Soames of Fletching. He sits as a Crossbencher and continues to speak on defence, foreign policy, and constitutional matters. He has served as a trustee for several charities, including the Churchill Archives Centre and the Imperial War Museum. In 2024, he rejoined the Conservative Party, stating a desire to support the leadership of Rishi Sunak.

Personal life

Soames married Catherine Weatherall in 1981; the couple had three children and divorced in 2020. He married Serena Smith in a private ceremony in 2024. A well-known figure in London society and a keen racing enthusiast, he has been a steward of the Jockey Club and is a member of White's and the Beefsteak Club. His interests include military history, country sports, and the preservation of the Churchill family heritage, notably at Chartwell.