Jack Rankin

Jack Michael Rankin (born 19 August 1992) is a British Conservative politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Windsor since 2024. Before being elected to Parliament, he worked as an energy markets professional, having a career background in commodity trading and corporate finance. He was a councillor for Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council between 2015 and 2019.

Early life and non-political career

Rankin was born in Ashton-under-Lyne in 1992. He describes his background as "aspirational working-class... with self-made businesspeople parents" and was educated at West Hill School, a state comprehensive in Stalybridge, followed by the University of Warwick, where he read Mathematics and Physics, graduating with a BSc, MMathPhys in 2014. Whilst at Warwick, he was elected Chairman of the University of Warwick Conservative Association.

In 2014, Rankin began working for Centrica, at their head office in Windsor, Berkshire. His work related to long-term commodity trading and mergers and acquisitions in the energy industry.

Immediately prior to being elected to Parliament in 2024, Rankin led Pexapark's renewable advisory business in the UK and Ireland.

Parliamentary career

At the 2017 General Election, Rankin contested Ashton-under-Lyne coming second with 32.0% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Angela Rayner.

In September 2018, he was selected for the marginal seat of Warwick and Leamington in the first tranche of candidates ahead of what became the 2019 General Election. He came second losing by 789 votes.

Windsor

Rankin was then selected as the candidate for Windsor in September 2023 in what was described as a "gruelling process". He was subsequently elected as the Member of Parliament for Windsor at the 2024 general election, winning 36.4% of the vote and a majority of 6,457.

In September 2023, Rankin was accused of sharing transphobic social media posts after describing LGBTQ rights charity Stonewall as "dangerous" and criticised public and corporate funding of the organisation. Rankin defended his comments saying he opposes discrimination against LGBTQ people, but that "a number of organisations have been pushing a politically contentious agenda in schools, an agenda that tells children they may have been 'born in the wrong body' and promotes the permanent and irreversible medical and surgical treatments to children."

In April 2024, he described the UK as in a "pre-war environment" and called for the UK to re-arm.

Rankin gave his maiden speech on 22 October 2024, during a debate in the Commons on the Commonwealth of Nations. During his speech, Rankin spoke of key issues in the constituency including a third runway at Heathrow and flooding, as well as sharing the history of the constituency through a constitutional focus, touching on Windsor Castle, Magna Carta and the Commonwealth. He said he would fight for the principles: "a belief in the rule of law, parliamentary democracy, freedom of speech, property rights, and innocent until proven guilty by a jury of our peers, all built on a shared constitutional heritage" in his time in Parliament.

Representing both Ascot and Royal Windsor racecourses within his constituency, on 24 October 2024, Rankin raised the significant local employment created by both venues and "millions" generated for the local economy as reasons why proposed further regulation on customers would do damage to his constituency. Subsequently, in February 2025, two local news stories appeared in quick succession regarding Rankin's parliamentary contribution on British horseracing and the gambling industry, where he spoke about Ascot and Royal Windsor racecourses, for which he is their parliamentary representative. The stories contained no opposing quotes and Rankin was thanked by both constituency racecourses for visiting them, and standing up for their employees during an uncertain period for the industry. In ''Bracknell News,'' Rankin was quoted as saying "I proudly and unashamedly continue to stand up for the fantastic Ascot and Royal Windsor racecourses in my constituency, that is me doing my job, regardless of any attempt to skew my clear motives for doing so".

Reacting to the 2024 budget, Rankin attacked Chancellor Rachel Reeves for "chucking money at an unreformed public sector while ballooning public sector pay", and the Cabinet for their "distinct lack of real world, private sector experience."

In October 2024, it was confirmed with 24-hours' notice that The Manor Hotel in the village of Datchet within his constituency would be used as accommodation due to the "high number of arrivals across the channel". Rankin wrote urgently to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper to oppose this decision, following up with two oral questions in the House of Commons chamber. In January 2025, he hosted a Westminster Hall debate on asylum hotels, stating that "we, collectively, are the fools for putting a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow—we need to remove it."

In November 2024, Rankin started a petition against potential closure of the Windsor post office.

Rankin was placed on the public bill committee for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in January 2025. Sharing his views on the Bill in ''The Spectator'', Rankin said his party should be "remembering that the Conservative Party has traditionally stood for individual liberty, personal responsibility and the free market" saying that the Bill "flies in the face of all these principles".

In January 2025, Rankin raised concerns at the government's changes to employer National Insurance contributions, specifically regarding Thames Hospice and Thames Valley Air Ambulance which provide services within his constituency.

Speaking at Home Office oral question time, Rankin highlighted the "ticking time bomb" posed by Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, which he said could cost the British state "more than £61 billion."

After the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council announced its budgetary plans to increase Council tax by 25%, Rankin began a campaign, calling on the government to reject the rise. Following local campaigning by Conservative Councillors and the TaxPayers' Alliance, the government announced it would only allow the Council to raise Council tax by 8.99%.

Personal life

In 2016, Rankin married non-practising barrister Sarah New. He lives in Sunninghill with his wife and two sons.

Electoral history

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rankin, Jack
People from Windsor, Berkshire
UK MPs 2024–present
Living people
1992 births
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Alumni of the University of Warwick
Conservative Party (UK) councillors