Ranil Jayawardena appointed a UK Trade Minister

Ranil Jayawardena, who has been the MP for North East Hampshire since 2015, announced yesterday that he was asked by the Prime Minister to join the Department for International Trade as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, which is the equivalent term for Trade Minister.

 

It comes after Bournemouth West MP, Conor Burns, resigned from the government after a report found that he used his position to attempt to intimidate a member of the public.

 

The 33-year-old was born in London before moving to Hook before starting school.

 

He attended Hook Infant School and Hook Junior School in the village, before going to Robert May's School in Odiham.

 

After leaving school, he went to Alton College, and graduated from the London School of Economics in 2008, with a BSc in Government.

 

In 2008, Jayawardena was elected to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for the Bramley and Sherfield ward, where he eventually became deputy leader and cabinet member for finance and property.

 

He resigned in 2015, when he was elected MP for North East Hampshire, after Mr Arbuthnot stood down. Last December's general election was his third victory at the polls, but saw his majority squashed by the Liberal Democrats, but still holds a stranglehold on the seat, with a majority of over 20,000.