Once known primarily as a businessman and football executive, Jason Stockwood is now Starmer’s new Minister for Investment. But who exactly is he?
Born and raised in Grimsby, Stockwood is best known outside of politics as a businessman and football executive. A former chief executive of Simply Business, as well as a senior figure at Match.com, Travelocity, and Skyscanner, he made his mark in the private sector before stepping into public life.
Jason Stockwood is also co-owner of Grimsby Town Football Club, where he oversaw a revival both on and off the pitch, cementing his reputation locally as a reformer with civic pride, a perfect addition to Starmer’s government in the wake of Reform UK’s populist rise.
Politically, Jason Stockwood first tested the waters in May 2025 when he stood as Labour’s candidate in the inaugural Greater Lincolnshire mayoral election. Despite an energetic campaign, he placed third with 12.3 per cent of the vote, losing to Reform UK’s Andrea Jenkyns.
This defeat, however, did little to blunt his political ambitions, and his appointment today shows he has secured the confidence of Starmer’s administration, being handed a peerage to be able to serve in his government.
Educated at the University of London, Jason Stockwood has long advocated for a more humane and ethical approach to business, encapsulated in his 2018 book Reboot: A Blueprint for Happy, Human Business in the Digital Age. His writings have argued for balancing profit with employee wellbeing, and for putting social purpose at the heart of modern commerce, making his appointment potentially popular with the disgruntled left of the party.
With his new ministerial position, Stockwood is set to split his time between the Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury, focusing on investment strategy. Yet, as someone new to frontline government, he lacks direct experience in Whitehall or ministerial portfolios, and so whether his corporate expertise can translate effectively into policymaking remains to be seen.
What is certain, however, is that Jason Stockwood represents the government’s willingness to look beyond traditional political careers and bring entrepreneurial figures into office, even if it means elevating them to positions of peerage to bypass democratic processes, a trend accelerated by Sunak’s promotion of Cameron to the House of Lords to serve as foreign secretary and continued by Starmer with appointment like Lord Timspon as Prisons Minister.
This revolving door between the private and public sector, without democratic roadblocks, offers Starmer’s government expertise and knowledge unlikely to be held by his party’s internal candidates, but it could fracture some of the public’s trust, having unknown and non-political candidates serving in important roles, particularly those involving public money.
Featured image via LinkedIn.
