Conor Burns

The Right Honourable
Sir Conor Burns
Official portrait, 2020
Minister of State for Trade Policy
In office
7 September 2022 – 7 October 2022
Prime MinisterLiz Truss
Preceded byPenny Mordaunt
Succeeded byGreg Hands
In office
25 July 2019 – 4 May 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byGeorge Hollingbery
Succeeded byGreg Hands
Minister of State for Northern Ireland
In office
16 September 2021 – 7 September 2022
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byRobin Walker
Succeeded bySteve Baker
Member of Parliament
for Bournemouth West
In office
6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byJohn Butterfill
Succeeded byJessica Toale
Personal details
Born (1972-09-24) 24 September 1972
Belfast, Northern Ireland
PartyConservative
Alma materUniversity of Southampton

Sir Conor Burns (born 24 September 1972) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bournemouth West from 2010 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Minister of State for Trade Policy from 2019 to 2020 and again in 2022 and Minister of State for Northern Ireland from 2021 to 2022.

Born in Belfast, Burns moved to Hertfordshire aged eight. He worked in finance and communications before being elected for Bournemouth West at the 2010 general election. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Owen Paterson from 2010 to 2012, when he resigned due to his opposition to the House of Lords Reform Bill 2012. He served as PPS to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, before resigning from the post in 2018 because he wanted to speak more openly on other areas of policy. Following Johnson’s appointment as Prime Minister, Burns served as Minister of State for Trade Policy. He resigned in 2020 after an inquiry by the Commons Select Committee on Standards into allegations that he had threatened to use parliamentary privilege in connection with a dispute involving his father; the allegation was upheld.[1]

In the September 2022 British cabinet reshuffle, following Liz Truss becoming Prime Minister, Conor Burns was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy. He was dismissed from the position on 7 October 2022, after an allegation of misconduct was made against him at the 2022 Conservative Party Conference, which led to the Conservative whip being suspended in the House of Commons. A subsequent investigation found no evidence of misconduct, and the whip was restored on 3 December 2022.[2]

Early life and career

Burns was born on 24 September 1972 in Belfast and moved with his family to Hertfordshire in 1980.[3] He was privately educated at St Columba's College, St Albans, and read Modern History and Politics at the University of Southampton.[3] While at university, he was chairman of Southampton University Conservative Association from 1992 to 1993, and chairman of Wessex Area Conservatives from 1993 to 1994.[4]

He held a number of jobs in the communications and finance sectors,[3] including as director of the Policy Research Centre for Business Ltd, company secretary for DeHavilland Global Knowledge Distribution plc,[5] manager for Zurich Advice Network[6] and associate director of the public affairs company PLMR.[7]

Early political career

Burns stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate in the Peartree ward of Southampton City Council in 1994 and the Woolston ward in 1995.[8] In the run-up to the 1994 election, Burns received criticism over comments he was reported to have made and subsequently participated in a student union disciplinary process in his role as vice-president of the Southampton Conservative Association.[9][10] He again stood unsuccessfully for the Conservatives in the Peartree ward in 1996, before being elected in the St Luke's ward in 1999. He was Conservative Group Leader from 2001. However, in May 2002, the whole council was up for re-election and Burns came off the council after being defeated in Bassett ward.[11]

He stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative Party candidate for Eastleigh at the 2001 general election. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the Hedge End Town Council elections in Eastleigh in 2005. He stood again as the Conservative Party candidate for the Eastleigh constituency at the 2005 general election, but was again defeated.[12]

He was the vice-president of the Young Britons' Foundation, an Anglo-American conservative training and education organisation, before the 2010 general election.[13] He went on to be awarded the Young Britons' Foundation Golden Dolphin award "for his stoic support for the Young Britons' Foundation since its creation in 2003".[13]

Parliamentary career

Conor Burns was a member of the A-List of candidates and was selected in September 2008 as the Conservative Party candidate for Bournemouth West.[14] He was elected for the seat[15] at the 2010 general election.[16]

Burns was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Hugo Swire, the Minister of State for Northern Ireland, in 2010, before which he briefly sat on the Education Select Committee.[17] On 10 July 2012 he resigned as PPS to Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Owen Paterson to vote against the Coalition's House of Lords Reform Bill, of which he had been a consistent critic.[18] He has also served in Parliament as a member of the Administration Committee and the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.[17]

In 2011, he abstained on the military intervention in Libya.[19]

In 2014, Burns raised concerns about an Oxfam tweet, referring the matter to the Charity Commission on the basis that it appeared "overtly political".[20] He also expressed disagreement with a letter[21] from Church of England bishops encouraging engagement in the 2015 election, describing parts of it as "naive" and "factually wrong".[22][23]

Alongside his work as an MP, Burns works as a consultant for Trant Engineering Ltd., earning £10,000 quarterly for 10 hours' work a month.[24] He acts as a consultant for the Quantum Group, real estate developers, working six hours a month for a quarterly fee of £6,250.[24]

He has chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Bahrain; he has written articles defending the Kingdom's human rights record.[25] He accepted all-expenses paid trips to Bahrain while it was facing mass pro-democracy protests which were later repressed.[26]

In August 2017, he said his Twitter account was hacked after it sent a series of aggressive posts to Michel Barnier's account demanding how the UK's Brexit bill was legally calculated.[27]

Burns resigned as PPS to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on 9 July 2018 because he wanted to speak more openly on other areas of policy.[28][29]

In October 2018, Burns was investigated by his party over allegations of racist remarks about travellers in a letter to his local newspaper, following the arrival of a traveller encampment in the centre of Bournemouth. Burns said: "These people think the normal rules of civilised society do not apply to them” and stated those involved in the encampment had turned the town into "a no go area for local residents and visitors."[30]

Burns was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy at the Department for International Trade by Boris Johnson in July 2019. In this role at the Department for International Trade (DIT), his remit included developing the UK’s independent trade policy as Brexit approached, securing continuity of existing trade agreements, and laying groundwork for future free trade agreements (FTAs).[31] Early on, Burns emphasized that “as we take back control of our trade policy, we must make sure it works for households and businesses across the whole of the UK,” reflecting a commitment to an inclusive trade policy benefiting all regions.[32] In September 2019 he chaired the first meeting of DIT’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group, a forum of business, civil society and union stakeholders that would advise on trade policy. At that meeting, Burns outlined DIT’s top priorities: negotiating “new and ambitious” FTAs, preparing businesses to trade post-Brexit, and attracting investment (including through initiatives like free ports).[31] He stressed the “enormous interest” globally in Britain’s post-Brexit trade prospects, countering claims that countries were reluctant to strike deals with the UK.[33] [34]Burns also engaged with the devolved administrations and local businesses – his first visits as Minister were to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – to ensure the UK’s trade policy reflected the whole country’s needs.[34]

A major focus of Burns’s tenure was rolling over EU trade agreements to avoid disruption after Brexit. By autumn 2019 he reported that continuity agreements covering over 72% of UK trade with countries via EU deals had been secured.[35][36] Burns personally signed or helped finalize several such agreements. On 19 September 2019, the UK concluded a trade continuity agreement with Lebanon, ensuring bilateral trade preferences would continue post-Brexit.[37] He also led UK efforts to secure a deal with Tunisia – on 4 October 2019, the UK-Tunisia Agreement was signed (with Burns and Middle East Minister Andrew Murrison representing the UK) to replicate the EU-Tunisia trading terms.[38] Later that month, the UK achieved a significant milestone by signing the UK-Morocco Association Agreement on 26 October 2019, preserving preferential trade with Morocco.[39] In the signing announcement, Burns highlighted that this deal would “provide certainty for businesses” and noted that “on my recent visit to Morocco, I witnessed first-hand the many opportunities available to UK and Moroccan firms to advance our trade together.”[40][41] He viewed the agreement as evidence that “the world is ready to sign free trade deals with Britain” as it leaves the EU.[40] Under Burns’s watch, the government stated it had “now secured trade with countries accounting for £109 billion” of UK trade via such continuity deals.[39] These agreements – including those with Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco and others – were laid before Parliament for ratification, helping ensure a smooth transition for businesses trading with dozens of non-EU partners.

Throughout late 2019, Burns regularly updated Parliament on trade policy and represented the government in trade debates. On 7 October 2019, he made his debut at the Dispatch Box to answer an Urgent Question on the government’s “No-Deal Brexit: Schedule of Tariffs”.[35] Burns used this opportunity to praise his predecessor’s efforts in securing continuity deals and to defend the temporary tariff regime designed to protect UK consumers in a no-deal scenario.[35][42] He sparred with the Opposition’s Trade spokesperson, rejecting their criticism of the government’s trade preparations. Burns countered claims of global disinterest in UK trade deals, stating that “everywhere that I have travelled in this role, I have discovered an enormous interest” in Britain’s post-Brexit trade, citing active talks with the United States, Australia and New Zealand.[43][44] He urged MPs to support a Brexit deal as “the best continuity agreement” with the EU, while also highlighting progress on bilateral deals worldwide.[33][34]

During International Trade Questions on 17 October 2019, Burns was pressed about environmental standards in trade deals, specifically regarding Brazil. He reassured MPs that he had “visited Brazil recently” and had used that trip not only to discuss trade, but also to convey UK concerns and assistance on Amazon rainforest protection and climate change.[45] He noted the UK had spent over £150 million in climate finance on forest programs in Brazil, and that following his visit the Prime Minister announced an additional £10 million to help Brazil tackle deforestation.[45] This highlighted Burns’s approach of integrating trade dialogues with wider policy objectives such as sustainable development. In the same session, Burns affirmed that new FTAs would not come at the expense of UK farmers or food standards, reminding the House that post-Brexit food import rules would remain under UK control and subject to Parliament’s approval.[46][47] Across these debates, he positioned the UK as both a champion of free trade and fair trade, vowing that the new Trade Remedies Authority would protect British industries from unfair practices.[48]

North Africa and Middle East: Burns made strengthening trade ties with North African partners a priority. In mid-September 2019 he traveled to Morocco and Algeria for high-level talks. On 17 September 2019, he co-chaired the UK-Morocco Strategic Dialogue in Rabat alongside Foreign Office Minister Andrew Murrison.[49] This meeting with Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita covered political, economic, security and cultural relations.[49] It yielded concrete outcomes: both sides announced a joint UK-Morocco Trade and Investment Taskforce to boost mutual investment, and signed an MoU establishing a Joint UK-Morocco High Commission on Education to expand educational and scientific cooperation.[49] Burns stated that “the UK and Morocco economies have a lot to offer one another” and welcomed the “growing opportunities for great British companies to do business in Morocco”.[50][49]

Conor Burns was appointed Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) on 16 September 2021, serving under Secretary of State Brandon Lewis in the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. His appointment was part of a cabinet reshuffle and marked the return to government of a close Boris Johnson ally who had previously served in other ministerial roles. Burns, born in Belfast in 1972, became only the second NIO minister in the department’s history to hail from Northern Ireland – a fact he noted gave him “an emotional, instinctive understanding” of the region.[51][52] Upon taking office, he vowed to engage widely across communities, stating he intended to “go to places that maybe UK government ministers don’t often go” in Northern Ireland and to reach out to people not usually in ministerial company.[53] He described returning to Belfast as “coming home,” even visiting his childhood primary school on the city’s Antrim Road the day after his appointment.[54][55]

As Minister of State, Burns was responsible for supporting the Secretary of State across a broad portfolio. His designated brief included economic and domestic policy in Northern Ireland – encompassing the UK government’s “levelling up” agenda, city and growth deals, and the new post-Brexit Shared Prosperity Fund – as well as community reconciliation and cohesion initiatives.[56] He also led on constitutional and rights issues, such as oversight of elections and implementation of commitments from the 2020 New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) agreement (which restored devolved government).[57] In addition, Burns was tasked with promoting the Northern Ireland Centenary in 2021, helping oversee a programme of historical and cultural events marking 100 years since Northern Ireland’s creation.[58] Throughout his tenure he made frequent visits to the region and was noted for spending substantial time on the ground. In contrast to some predecessors who were criticized for “fly in, fly out” engagement, Burns won praise for his visible presence in Northern Ireland’s communities[52], reflecting his personal roots and commitment to the role. His remit ultimately spanned many of the most sensitive challenges in Northern Irish politics, from post-Brexit arrangements to dealing with the legacy of conflict.

On 23 August 2021, Johnson appointed Burns as the UK's trade envoy to Canada.[59] On 16 September, Burns was appointed Minister of State for Northern Ireland during the second cabinet reshuffle of the second Johnson ministry.[60]

On 25 January 2022, during the Westminster lockdown parties controversy, in an interview with Channel 4 News, Burns defended Johnson over an alleged surprise birthday get-together on 19 June 2020. Burns said that, rather than being a pre-planned party, Johnson was "ambushed with a cake".[61] Burns’ comments attracted significant online attention and media commentary.[62]

Following the appointment of Liz Truss as Prime Minister, Burns was appointed to his former post of Minister of State for Trade Policy.[63] He was dismissed from the position on 7 October, when he had the whip suspended following an allegation of misconduct at the 2022 Conservative Party Conference.[64][65][66] He was also suspended as a patron of LGBT+ Conservatives.[67] He was unable to vote in the October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.

On 3 December 2022, he had the whip restored after being cleared of misconduct.[68][69] The internal investigation had concluded with no further action.[70] Burns commented he felt he had been targeted due to showing approval for Kemi Badenoch, a Conservative leadership rival to Liz Truss who was prime minister when Burns was dismissed. He said: "I think this all had become more to do with nice things I had said about the trade secretary than about being up late at the conference. It felt and smelt like a stitch-up and that is what it was."[71][68]

In March 2023, Burns was called to testify at the inquiry into Partygate, a party held during the Covid-19 Lockdowns in London. Ahead of the inquiry, Burns made comments stating that the inquiry is not going to be fair from the outset. Burns' comments stated that the chair of the committee, Labour MP Harriet Harman, already stated that she already believes that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are guilty and should admit their guilt via Twitter.[72]

In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, he lost his seat to Jessica Toale from the Labour Party.[73]

Post-parliamentary career

Following his defeat at the 2024 general election, Burns has become a freelance consultant, specialising on advising clients on matters of international trade.[74]

Political views

Foreign affairs

Writing in 2008, Burns called for the international community to prepare a contingency plan for the governance of Zimbabwe after the eventual departure from office of Robert Mugabe.[75]

He was outspoken in calling on former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to grant asylum to young gay Iranian student Mehdi Kazemi.[76][77] Also in 2008, Burns criticised the Ministry of Defence for its perceived failure to provide troops in Afghanistan with essential equipment, stating that many troops "would be alive today had they had the most basic of equipment".[78]

European Union

A strong Eurosceptic, Burns was critical of the electoral system used to choose and rank Conservative candidates to run on lists to be Members of the European Parliament[79] and the impact of UK Independence Party candidates in denying victory to Conservative candidates.[80] In the 2017 election, UKIP opted not to place a candidate in his constituency due to his strong Eurosceptic stance.[81]

Religious issues

Before voting for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 he stated that he needed "cast iron guarantees" that religious organizations would not be forced into conducting same-sex marriages.[82][83][84][85] Burns voted in favour of the bill at its second reading, but did not vote at its third and final reading.

Personal life

Burns is gay.[86][87] A practising Roman Catholic, he said in 2014 he feels unable to take communion since Bishop Philip Egan, of the diocese in which Burns resides, stated that those politicians who voted for same-sex marriage, even with the caveats upon which Burns had insisted (i.e. "guarantees that... churches would not ultimately be forced under human rights legislation to conduct such ceremonies"), should refrain from taking the sacrament.[87][88]

Burns was a friend of Margaret Thatcher in the later years of her life[89] and spoke in the House of Commons debate on 10 April 2013 following her death.[90]

Burns is a keen snooker fan, and was previously chair of the All-Party Parliamentary snooker group.[91]

Honours

Burns was appointed a Knight Bachelor on 9 June 2023 as part of the 2022 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours.[92][93]

References

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  35. ^ a b c "No-Deal Brexit: Schedule of Tariffs – Ministerial Extracts". Parallel Parliament. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2026. My right hon. Friend has put that argument extremely effectively and powerfully. May I use this opportunity—my debut at the Dispatch Box—to thank him for all the work that he did in the Department? The fact that, in the last couple of weeks, we now have more than 72% of trade agreed in continuity agreements is largely due to the enormous efforts that he put in during his time at the Department. He is absolutely right: the day one tariff regime is determined to protect British consumers in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Those who can avoid a no-deal Brexit are our friends in Europe coming to terms with the Prime Minister in a deal that will be passed by the House and implement the democratic decision in the referendum of 2016.
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