Grimsby Town co-owner Jason Stockwood joins government as part of Starmer's reshuffle
Grimsby Town FC co-owner Jason Stockwood has been appointed as Investment Minister as part of Sir Keir Starmer's ministerial reshuffle.
Listen to this article
Mr Stockwood will be granted a life peerage as part of his appointment which comes after he spent decades as a business leader.
He has held roles at the likes of Travelocity, Skyscanner, Match.com, and joined fintech startup Simply Business in 2010.
Read More: Starmer continues ministerial reshuffle - as Home Office gets total shake up
His appointment comes after a wide-ranging reshuffle which was triggered by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner on Thursday.
This is not Stockwood's first foray into politics. He unsuccessfully stood as Labour's candidate for Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire in May.
He was beaten in the election by Reform UK's Andrea Jenkyns who took 104,133 votes (42 per cent) to Stockwood's 30,384 (12.3 per cent).
The Grimsby native has been joint majority shareholder of his boyhood football club since 2021 - and has taken the side back into the EFL after they had slipped into the National League.
He recently saw his side record one of their most famous victories after beating Premier League outfit Manchester United 12-11 on penalties in the League Cup in August.
In a statement released on Saturday, Grimsby Town FC congratulated their owner on his appointment and confirmed he was stepping back from his role as Vice-Chair during his time in government.
The Mariners' statement said: "Grimsby Town Football Club can confirm that co-owner and Vice-Chair, Jason Stockwood, has recently been appointed as the UK’s Minister for Investment and will shortly take his seat in the House of Lords.
"To avoid any potential conflict of interest and to ensure the club remains politically neutral, Jason will be stepping back from his day-to-day responsibilities at GTFC while he serves as a Minister in the UK Government.
"As a result, Jason will not be attending the fans forum on Friday.Jason remains fully committed to Grimsby Town but, in line with the requirements of his new role, will step down from the club’s board with immediate effect.
"He will also step down as a trustee of the Foundation. His equity will continue to be held in the club and managed on his behalf by Andrew during his time in government.
"Everyone at GTFC congratulates Jason on this important national appointment and thanks him for his continued passion, dedication, and service to the Mariners."
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service ahead of his mayoral campaign, he said: "I have been Labour my whole life - I was born on a council estate to a single parent, so I'm a product of the welfare state.
"People asked me to become an MP before, but it never appealed to me because you can't always speak your mind.
"This role is different. I don't need a job, I'm doing this because I care about the place. And the alternatives aren't palatable - they're all career politicians who are running because they do need the job."
He replaces the former boss of cyber security firm, Darktrace, Baroness Poppy Gustafsson, who reportedly resigned to spend more time with her young family.
Sir Keir appointed Baroness Gustafsson in October last year to the investment minister role in a bid to demonstrate the Government's commitment to strengthening ties with business and to help attract international firms and investment to the UK.