Helen Grant MP: The Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria

In 2010 Helen Grant became the first Anglo-African female Conservative MP, her father is Nigerian, and her mother is English. Helen was born in London, brought up in Carlisle, graduated at the University of Hull and undertook solicitor’s finals exams at the College of Law, Guildford. In 1996 she set up her own legal practice specialising in family breakdown and domestic violence. She was elected as the Member of Parliament for Maidstone and The Weald in 2010 and has since been returned at the 2015, 2017 and 2019 General Elections, with ever growing local support.

Under David Cameron’s coalition Government, she served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice and for Women and Equalities, before becoming Minister for Sport and Tourism. Under Theresa May, Helen served as Conservative Party Vice Chairman for Communities, focussing upon issues concerning diversity, inclusion, equality, social cohesion, racism and discrimination.

She is a former Trustee of both the Social Mobility Foundation and the Human Trafficking Foundation and is the former Chair of the Government’s Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network, bringing businesses together with people of diverse and under-represented backgrounds.

During her time in Parliament, Helen has also been a member of the Justice and International Development Select Committees. Helen is married with two grown up sons and enjoys tennis, movies, African affairs and sporting events. Helen was appointed as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria in October 2020.