About Harriett

Harriett in Parliament

Harriett was elected as the Member of Parliament for West Worcestershire in May 2010, where she has lived since 2006. Between 2010 and 2015 she has served on the Work and Pensions Select Committee, and then Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Employment in the Department of Work and Pensions. She represented the UK on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

In 2014, Harriett was appointed to the role of Assistant Government Whip and then promoted within the Whips Office to the role of Lord Commissioner to HM Treasury.

Following her re-election in 2015, Harriett became Economic Secretary to the Treasury (City Minister) and moved to become Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence responsible for Defence Procurement in July 2016.

Between 2018 and 2019 Harriett served as Minister for Africa, having been appointed Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development.

Following her re-election in 2019, Harriett joined the Treasury Select Committee and was elected to the post of chair of the committee in 2022. She also chairs the British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union, co-chairs the International Parliamentary Network for Education and in 2020, she re-joined the UK delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Personal Life

Harriett was born in Hertfordshire and spent her early childhood in Cyprus. Harriett grew up in the village of Felsted in the heart of rural Essex, where her father, Tony Eggleston OBE, was headmaster of the local school. Harriett read Modern Languages (French and Russian) at Oxford, receiving First Class Honours and obtained an MBA from McGill University in Canada.

Harriett is married to Jim Baldwin, a businessman and television producer. Jim is also a social and industrial historian whose interests include canals, bridges and steam trains. Between them, they have two daughters and a son, the youngest of whom was born in 1995. They live in the Teme Valley.

Harriett’s Experience

Harriett enjoyed a successful 20 year career in finance, specialising in currency markets for pension funds. She was on the National Council of Business for Sterling. She fought Stockton North for the Conservatives in 2005, gaining a 3.6% swing.

She was Vice Chair of the Board of the Social Investment Business and Chair of the Investment Committee from 2008-2012. The Social Investment Business helps charities and social enterprises with finance.

Harriett supports many local charities. She has been a Home-Start volunteer, is a Friend of Community Action, the Nora Parsons Day Centre and the League of Friends of Malvern, Tenbury and Pershore hospitals to name a few. Harriett has always worked to encourage more women to get involved in politics and to work in financial services.

Working for West Worcestershire

Harriett has been a strong voice for West Worcestershire in Parliament. She has pressed for better funding for the NHS and has helped to secure capital investment to build the new Malvern Community Hospital as well as the new Radiology Unit, Breast Unit and new birthing suite at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and helped to secure an extra £29 million to deliver much needed extra capacity at our local hospitals. Harriett successfully campaigned for six new flood defence schemes and continues to campaign for permanent flood protection in Severn Stoke and Tenbury Wells. She continues to support the efforts to deliver fairer funding for local schools and has supported the long running campaigns to improve the Carrington Road bridge and build a new Worcestershire Parkway train station.

MPs declare their financial interests on a regular basis, the latest version can be found here.