FRAZER
Lucy

Lucy Claire Frazer is a British politician and barrister serving as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport since February 2023. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for South East Cambridgeshire since 2015.

Frazer previously served as Solicitor General for England and Wales, Minister of State for Prisons and Probation, Minister of State for Transport and Minister of State for Housing and Planning. Prior to being elected to Parliament, she practised as a barrister, taking silk in 2013.

Career

Soon after graduating, Frazer interned at the Israeli Ministry of Justice. Before entering politics, Frazer worked as a barrister in commercial law in London, practising in South Square Chambers, Gray's Inn. She was appointed Queen's Counsel at the age of 40. She was selected as the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary candidate for South East Cambridgeshire in December 2013, despite claims that she had been beaten in an open primary by Heidi Allen, who was later elected as MP for South Cambridgeshire. Frazer succeeded in being elected at the 2015 general election with 28,845 votes (48.5%), a majority of 16,837. After entering the Commons, she was then elected to the Education Select Committee later that year.

Frazer supported the UK remaining within the European Union prior to the 2016 referendum. In July 2016, she became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, Ben Gummer.

Frazer put forward a Private Member's Bill to Parliament for making upskirting an offence in England and Wales; this attained Royal Assent on 12 February 2019. Before the Act was passed, the common law offence of outraging public decency might have been applicable.

She was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice in January 2018, before being promoted Solicitor General for England and Wales in May 2019.

On 25 July 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Frazer as Minister of State for Prisons. She was then temporarily reappointed as Solicitor General when Suella Braverman took maternity leave in March 2021, being sworn of the Privy Council. Frazer returned to her role as Minister of State for Prisons upon Braverman's return from leave on 10 September 2021.

On 16 September 2021, Frazer was promoted Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

In November 2021 it was claimed by the Liberal Democrat MP, Sarah Olney, that Frazer had a conflict of interest in respect of a contract held by her husband's company to supply temporary staff to government departments. It had previously been disclosed that six of these workers had been employed using a "controversial tax-avoidance scheme".

In June 2022, Frazer declared her support for Johnson in the 2022 vote of confidence in his Conservative Party leadership.

Frazer served as Minister of State for Transport from September to October 2022.

On 26 October 2022, following the election of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister, Frazer was appointed Minister of State for Housing and Planning. In the February 2023 cabinet reshuffle, Frazer joined the Cabinet of the United Kingdom as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Following the 2023 local elections, Frazer appeared on the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme and said her party needs to "reflect" following the poor results.