Major General John Mark Lancaster, Baron Lancaster of Kimbolton,^[2] TD, VR, PC (born 12 May 1970) is a British Conservative Party politician, a Member of the House of Lords and a British Army reserve officer, who has served as Director Reserves since October 2023.

He previously served as Member of Parliament for North East Milton Keynes from 2005 until 2010, and then its successor seat Milton Keynes North from the seat's creation at the 2010 general election until his retirement from the House of Commons at the 2019 general election. He served as a Minister in several appointments after the formation of the Coalition Government in 2010, first as Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty's Treasury, before in May 2015 moving to the Ministry of Defence, first as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Veterans, Reserves and Personnel, and then, from 13 June 2017, as Minister of State for the Armed Forces. He served in this role until his retirement from Government on 16 December 2019. He was granted a life peerage in the 2019 Dissolution Honours, and was created "Baron Lancaster of Kimbolton" on 16 September 2020. He was introduced to the House of Lords on 12 October 2020.

Lancaster was born on 12 May 1970 in Cambridge. He was privately educated at Kimbolton School in Huntingdonshire where his father Ronald Lancaster was chaplain from 1963–88.^[3] He graduated as a BSc in Business Studies from the University of Buckingham in 1992 and MBA from the University of Exeter Business School in 1993.^[4][5]

He was a company director for the family firm Kimbolton Fireworks before he was elected to Parliament.^[5]

Lancaster served on Huntingdonshire District Council between 1995 and 1999.^[6][5]

Lancaster stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate for Nuneaton at the 2001 general election. He was defeated by the Labour incumbent Bill Olner.

Lancaster was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers on 4 December 1988, holding a Short-Service Limited Commission (SSLC).^[17] Between 1988 and 1990 Lancaster served in the British Army on an extended SSLC in Hong Kong with the Queen's Gurkha Engineers before going to university. On 1 March 1990, he transferred his commission to the Army Reserve and was promoted lieutenant on 1 July 1991.^[18] He was promoted captain on 1 June 1997 (seniority from 16 October 1995),^[19] with promotion to major on 13 May 2004 (seniority from 1 March 2002).^[20] and commanded an Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit.^{[citation needed]}

Lancaster was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 February 2012 and to colonel on 22 June 2017.^[21][22] at which point he joined the General Staff Corps (late Royal Engineers) and became Deputy Commander of 77th Brigade from 2018^[23] to July 2020. He was appointed Chair of the Reserve Forces 2030 review in January 2020.^{[citation needed]}

He was promoted to brigadier on 1 August 2020.^[24] serving as Deputy Director Joint Warfare at UK's Strategic Command^[25] until August 2023. It was announced in June 2023 that he would be appointed to be Director Reserves, which position he assumed on 3 October 2023 in the rank of Major General.^[26]

Operational Service

Lancaster has been on active service three times, in Kosovo (1999–2000), Bosnia (2001–2002) and Afghanistan (2006).^[27]

Honorary Appointments

He was appointed as the Deputy Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas on 1 September 2019,^[28] and Honorary Colonel of the Cayman Islands Regiment on 2 July 2021.^{[citation needed]} He was appointed a Colonel Commandant of the Royal Engineers on 1 October 2023.^[29]

Long Service Awards

He received the Territorial Decoration (TD) in 2002 and the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal (VR) in 2011. He was awarded a bar to the latter medal for a further five years service in 2016 and a second bar for a further five years service in 2021.

Lancaster lives in Gosport with his wife, Conservative MP for Gosport Caroline Dinenage.^[30] He previously married Katherine Reader 1995 before separating in 2006 and divorcing in 2009. He briefly partnered Amanda Evans with whom he has a daughter. In February 2014, he married Caroline Dinenage, who had also been previously married.^[31][32] Lancaster is a supporter of MK Dons, and enjoys playing cricket, which includes the House of Commons team.^[33]

He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Buckingham in 2008.^{[4][5][25][34]}