Grant Shapps

Sir Grant Shapps (born 14 September 1968) is a British politician and former businessman who served as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield from 2005 to 2024. Shapps advanced through multiple senior roles in government, including Minister of State for Housing (2010–2012), Chairman of the Conservative Party (2012–2015), Secretary of State for Transport (2019–2022), Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (2023), and Secretary of State for Defence (2023–2024), holding positions across five departments under four prime ministers. Prior to his parliamentary career, Shapps founded PrintHouse Corporation, a design and printing business, and developed web-based enterprises, including motivational resources sold under the pseudonym Michael Green, which later prompted questions about the timeline of his commercial activities after entering politics.

His family maintained a traditional Jewish household in the Watford area, emphasizing cultural observance over strict religious practice, though details on deeper ancestral origins, such as potential refugee heritage from Eastern European pogroms, remain tied to broader family narratives rather than verified immediate parental history.

Shapps' father, Tony, operated an audio-visual equipment business with Beryl until retiring at age 76 and was involved in local Jewish community activities, including leading a synagogue's Cub Scouts group; he died in 2023 at age 91 after surviving COVID-19 complications. The family's modest circumstances contrasted with elite Conservative backgrounds, shaping Shapps' early entrepreneurial inclinations amid a stable, community-oriented upbringing.