Alex Chalk is a prominent British politician, lawyer, and public servant.
He was educated at Winchester College and Magdalen College Oxford (Modern History). After working post-university as a speechwriter for William Hague as Leader of the Opposition, he studied for the Graduate Diploma in Law at City University, graduating with 'Distinction' in 2000.
He secured tenancy at 6 Pump Court (common law) before later moving to 6KBW College Hill (leading criminal law set).
In a sixteen-year career as a barrister, Alex specialised in serious fraud, counter-terrorism and homicide. He appeared in many high-profile cases that were widely reported in the media - from bomb plots to major cross-border fraud. Instructed by the SFO, FCA and many others, he also prosecuted a number of acolytes of Anjem Choudary, who has been described as the face of Islamist extremism in the UK.
He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Cheltenham in 2015, and was re-elected in 2017 and 2019.
In Parliament, Alex quickly gained a reputation as an independent-minded and thoughtful parliamentarian.
Considered a "rising star" of the 2015 intake he campaigned to increase the maximum sentence for stalking, following the ordeal suffered by one of his constituents, a Cheltenham GP. He fought successfully for a homelessness hub to be set up in the town, and used his platform in Parliament to face down attempts to shut Cheltenham's A&E.
He describes his driving passion as social mobility, something which lay behind his vision to transform the town into a national cyber hub to create opportunities for young people from all backgrounds. He successfully secured over £42m from central Government for his plans.
Alex was appointed a minister in 2020, and served in a series of roles, including HM Solicitor General for England & Wales and Lord Chancellor & Secretary of State for Justice.
He is married with three young children, and splits his time between London and Cheltenham.
