Conservative MP Margot James has been named as the new small business minister in the revamped Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), with responsibility for accounting and audit related issues
James has been appointed as the Parliamentary under secretary for small business, consumers and corporate responsibility.
Her remit covers small business, the British Business Bank, competition regulation, regulatory reform, corporate governance, accounting and audit, the Insolvency Service, national minimum wage and labour markets, among other areas.
James entered Parliament as MP for Stourbridge in May 2010, having been a local councillor in Kensington and Chelsea from 2006 to 2008. She previously worked in sales and marketing for her father’s business, MJI based in Birmingham. In 1986 she co-founded Shire Health Group, a public relations and clinical trials organisation, which was sold in 2004.
Her previous role was assistant government whip, and she was the parliamentary private secretary to Lord Green during his period as Minister for Trade and Investment.
In a first reaction to her appointment, James tweeted: ‘I am delighted to be joining the ministerial team at @bisgovuk and will do all I can to support businesses and employees in my new role.’
