As a former investment banker and financial journalist, new Energy Secretary Amber Rudd enjoyed a career outside of politics before her rapid rise.
After she graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a history degree, Ms Rudd worked in the City of London and New York in investment banking before moving into venture capital.
She has also been noted as being the “aristocracy co-ordinator” for the party scenes in Four Weddings And A Funeral, and also set up a freelance recruitment business and wrote for financial publications.
The mother-of-two’s first attempt to enter Parliament in 2005 was unsuccessful as she finished a distant third in the Labour safe seat of Liverpool Garston.
Ms Rudd was successful in 2010 in her attempt to represent Hastings and Rye – gaining the Sussex seat from Labour with a majority of 1,993.
She caused controversy in 2013 after telling the Financial Times she opted to stand in the constituency as she wanted to be within two hours of London and she could see the Tories were going to win it.
Describing the issue of unemployed families moved into the area, Ms Rudd said: “You get people who are on benefits, who prefer to be on benefits by the seaside.
“They’re not moving down here to get a job, they’re moving down here to have easier access to friends and drugs and drink.”
She defended the remarks, telling the Brighton Argus she described “well-known problems” in Hastings but also spoke of its positive future.
Ms Rudd’s majority increased to 4,796 last week, which has given her a stronger platform to pursue roles in Government.
During the coalition years she became a parliamentary aide to Chancellor George Osborne in September 2012 – suggesting she was on the way to bigger things.
Ms Rudd was appointed a Government whip in 2013 and the following year she was promoted to a junior energy minister role.
She was tasked with steering fracking proposals through the Commons in the final months of the last parliament, albeit with mixed results.
In a typically stormy atmosphere in the Commons, Ms Rudd conceded shale gas extraction would be banned in national parks and other protected areas – overturning previous provisions that would
have allowed operators access in exceptional circumstances.
But just two weeks later Labour accused Ms Rudd of reneging on her original commitment after she announced fracking may still go ahead underneath national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty.
The accusations emerged after she told MPs companies may be allowed to drill under national parks from areas based outside them.
Fracking will remain high on the agenda alongside other issues linked to Britain’s energy supplies and climate change commitments.
Ms Rudd’s job was previously held by Liberal Democrat Ed Davey.
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