David Reed (Conservative politician)
David Reed | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Exmouth and Exeter East | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | New constituency |
| Majority | 121 (0.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Carshalton, London, England[1] |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Website | https://www.davidreed.uk |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Unit | Royal Marines Special Forces Support Group |
David Reed is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Exmouth and Exeter East since 2024.[2][3][4][5]
Early life and education
Reed was born in Carshalton, south London.[1] After joining the Royal Marines, Reed was based at the Lympstone Royal Marine Base where he decided to move to East Devon full time.
Reed started his career in the Royal Marines and the Special Forces Support Group and served in conflict zones around the world during a seven-year career. In addition to his frontline service, Reed was a parachutist on the Royal Navy Parachute Display Team, and he won a place on the Team GB Wingsuit Skydiving Squad.
After leaving the Royal Marines, Reed gained a first class Bachelor’s degree in Business, and a Master’s degree in International Security. He has also worked in Parliament and held volunteer campaign officer positions within the Conservative Party. Reed has also worked in cyberspace development in the public and private sectors, most recently in the defence firm, BAE Systems Digital Intelligence.[1]
Political career
Reed was elected as the inaugural MP for Exmouth and Exeter East in the 2024 general election.[6] He captured the new seat with a narrow majority of just 121 votes - a margin of 0.2%. In September 2024, he delivered his maiden speech in the House of Commons, celebrating his new role and expressing deep pride in his constituency of Exmouth and Exeter East.[7]
Since October 2024, he has served as Opposition Assistant Whip (Commons).[7]
Reed is a member of the International Development Committee, which he joined in October 2024.[7] He has also served on several legislative committees, including the Programming Sub-Committee for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill Committee, the Water (Special Measures) Bill [HL] Committee, and the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill Committee.[7]
Reed introduced the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill presented in October 2024 and scheduled for second reading in September 2025.[8] The bill seeks to prohibit the import of hunting trophies into Great Britain.
He is a Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Foreign Affairs.[7] He also holds an officer role on the APPG on Explosive Weapons and Their Impact, focusing on policy issues related to explosive ordnance and humanitarian demining.
Personal life
Reed lives in Exmouth, within his constituency of Exmouth and Exeter East.
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | David Reed | 14,728 | 28.7 | −21.1 | |
| Labour | Helen Dallimore | 14,607 | 28.5 | +18.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Arnott | 11,387 | 22.2 | +19.2 | |
| Reform UK | Garry Sutherland | 7,085 | 13.8 | +13.5 | |
| Green | Olly Davey | 2,331 | 4.5 | +2.8 | |
| Independent | Dan Wilson | 590 | 1.1 | N/A | |
| Independent | Peter Faithfull | 454 | 0.9 | +0.4 | |
| Climate | Mark Baldwin | 134 | 0.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 121 | 0.2 | −15.6 | ||
| Turnout | 51,478 | 64.4 | −10.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 79,983 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −19.6 | |||
References
- ^ a b c "Conservative candidate for Exmouth takes 'nothing for granted' ahead of election". Exmouth Journal. December 21, 2023.
- ^ "Exmouth and Exeter East - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "Exmouth & Exeter East | General Election 2024". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Conservatives win new Exmouth & Exeter seat by narrow majority". East Devon News. 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "New Tory candidate announced for Exmouth and East Exeter". Exmouth Journal. 2023-07-25. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "Last election result for David Reed - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
- ^ a b c d e "Parliamentary career for David Reed - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
- ^ "Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament". bills.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
- ^ "UK General Election results July 2024". East Devon District Council. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
External links
