Chris McDonald

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Business and Trade

Chris McDonald MP was appointed Minister for Industry in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on 11 September 2025. His responsibilities include advanced manufacturing, chemicals and plastics, infrastructure, green jobs and skills,green growth sectors and industrial decarbonisation. He was elected as the MP for Stockton North in July 2024. 

Chris studied Chemical Engineering at Cambridge, graduating with BA and MEng degrees. He also completed an MBA at the University of Warwick. Before becoming an MP, Chris spent 20 years working in the steel industry, with a focus on research. In 2008, he became a laboratory manager within the research division of Tata Steel. In 2014 he led the divestment of the Materials Processing Institute from Tata Steel UK, becoming CEO. Chris is also a Fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering.