Honorific Prefix: | The Right Honourable |
The Earl of Minto | |
Birth Date: | 1 December 1953 |
Party: | Conservative |
Office: | Minister of State for Defence |
Primeminister: | Rishi Sunak |
Term Start: | 14 November 2023 |
Term End: | 5 July 2024 |
Predecessor: | The Baroness Goldie |
Successor: | The Lord Coaker |
Office1: | Minister of State for Regulatory Reform |
Primeminister1: | Rishi Sunak |
Predecessor1: | Office established |
Successor1: | The Lord Johnson of Lainston |
Term Start1: | 27 March 2023 |
Term End1: | 13 November 2023 |
Office2: | Member of the House of Lords |
Status2: | Lord Temporal |
Term Label2: | as an elected hereditary peer |
Term Start2: | 25 October 2022 |
1Blankname2: | By-election |
1Namedata2: | 19 October 2022 |
Predecessor2: | The 3rd Baron Colwyn |
Children: | 4 |
Gilbert Timothy George Lariston Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 7th Earl of Minto (;[1] born 1 December 1953), styled Viscount Melgund between 1975 and 2005, is a British hereditary peer, businessman, and Conservative member of the House of Lords. He was previously the chief executive of British stationery company Paperchase.[2]
He is the son of the late Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 6th Earl of Minto and his first wife, Lady Caroline Child Villiers. The Earl resides in England, but has continuing links with Scotland, as his parents did.
He succeeded his father in the earldom on 7 September 2005. His father's estate has been the subject of a dispute between the Earl and his father's third wife.[3]
On 30 July 1983, he married Diana Barbara Trafford, daughter of Brian and Audrey (née Taylor) Trafford.[4] [5] They have two sons and one daughter; a third son is deceased.
The Earl became a member of the House of Lords in October 2022, having finished second in a by-election to replace both the Viscount Ullswater and the Baron Colwyn.[6]
On 27 March 2023, the Earl was appointed Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade and served in that role until 14 November 2023 when he was appointed Minister of State for Defence.[7]