Lord Ed Vaizey

Ed Vaizey is a member of the House of Lords, business adviser, broadcaster, speaker and event host. Ed was the Member of Parliament for Wantage between 2005 and 2019. He served as the UK Government Culture and Digital Minister from 2010-16, and is the longest-serving Minister in that role. He was appointed a privy councillor in 2016.

In his role as digital minister, Ed was responsible for the roll out of the successful rural broadband programme to more than 4 million homes, the introduction of 4G, and tax credits for film, television, animation and video games, which helped make the creative industries the fastest growing part of the UK economy. Ed also helped persuade Lucas Films to make the new Star Wars in the UK, and received a credit in the first film of the series.

Ed published the first White Paper on Culture for 50 years, in 2016. As well as his work in the House of Lords, Ed advises a number of companies on strategic issues. He is a well known broadcaster, with a show on Times Radio, and regularly contributes to the media. Ed is a trustee of Tate, chairman of the UK-ASEAN Business Council, an honorary fellow of the Radio Academy, and has an honorary degree from Newcastle University, where he is a visiting professor.