Former MP for Totnes · Army Reservist
Anthony Mangnall
Wiltshire has been my home for most of my life. I grew up in an army family and returned to Wiltshire to put down roots. The countryside, military communities and market towns I know from that time have shaped how I think about public service.
Anthony Mangnall
- Home
- Tisbury, Wiltshire
- Raised
- In an army family
- In Parliament
- MP for Totnes, 2019–2024
- Still serving
- Army Reservist, 7 Rifles
01About
About Anthony
At a glance
- Raised in
- An army family
- Educated at
- Exeter University
- Before politics
- Shipbroker in Singapore and West Africa
- In Parliament
- MP for Totnes, 2019–2024
- Still serving
- Army Reservist, G Company, 7 Rifles
- Beyond politics
- President, National Independent Lifeboat Association
- Ambassador
- The HALO Trust
Anthony was born into an army family. His father’s forty-year career in the military took the family to Northern Ireland and Zimbabwe, where he witnessed first-hand the dedication and sacrifice of those who serve their country.
His schooling in Oxfordshire and Shropshire provided a degree of stability amid the constant moving around, but it was returning to Wiltshire that allowed him to establish a base he could truly call home.
At Exeter University, Anthony studied history, politics and sociology before leaving to work for the then Foreign Secretary, William Hague. Two years running Hague’s parliamentary office gave him an insight into politics, but also an understanding that a proper career outside politics is essential to becoming the most effective elected representative.
He subsequently left the UK on a one-way ticket to Singapore, where he became a shipbroker for two years, focusing on the clean petroleum product markets across the Far East. He then moved between London and Nigeria, concentrating on the West African market. His time in shipping taught him the fundamentals of international trade and negotiation, as well as the importance of profit and loss.
Following the dramatic downturn in the shipping market in 2016, he returned to run William Hague’s private office for two years before going on to provide international trade advice to the Secretary of State for Wales. He stood in the 2017 General Election in Warley and subsequently contested the 2019 General Election in Totnes.
As the Member of Parliament for Totnes he focused on international trade, defence, and the blue and green economies. Having defeated Sarah Wollaston, who had defected from the Conservative Party, he introduced a Recall of MPs Bill aimed at addressing MPs who changed political parties between elections. The Bill passed its first reading.
After a Green, Labour, Liberal Democrat coalition came together and unseated Anthony in 2024, he returned immediately to the City of London, where he continues to work, focusing on the coffee and cocoa markets.
His experience to date has given him a valuable understanding of Westminster, complemented by extensive real-world experience.
His application to stand again is driven by the belief that he has more to give.
02Beyond Westminster
Away from politics
He has returned to the private sector, benefiting enormously from a non-political perspective, while also serving as an Army Reservist in G Company, 7 Rifles. He is the President of the National Independent Lifeboat Association and an ambassador for the HALO Trust, a humanitarian NGO which works to clear landmines left behind by conflicts.
- Army Reservist
- G Company, 7 Rifles
- President
- National Independent Lifeboat Association
- Ambassador
- The HALO Trust
03Interests
Areas of Interest
Experience and interests
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01
Farming and the rural economy
Farming shapes our rural way of life, our market towns, our very countryside ethos, and it needs MPs who understand it. Having worked on farms and supported the agricultural community in both the private sector and Parliament, I understand the huge challenges facing the sector. It will need a loud and effective voice with a deep understanding of how the rural community works.
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02
Defence, the Armed Forces and veterans
Coming from an army family, I am acutely aware of the sacrifice made by those who choose to serve as well as by their families. Having moved through countless army bases, including Tidworth and Bulford, I want to make sure the Armed Forces Covenant pays more than lip service to those who serve. That also means ensuring we have a strong level of national defence and that national security never comes at the expense of social security.
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03
Trade and business
Working as a shipbroker, first in Singapore and then in West African markets, taught me the basics of international trade, negotiation and profit and loss. In Parliament I served on the International Trade Committee and then the Business and Trade Committee, where I pressed for proper scrutiny of new trade deals and co-authored a report on the case for joining the CPTPP. That experience gave me a lasting interest in how British businesses can make the most of international markets.
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04
AI and technology
AI is changing how we work, learn and live. In Parliament I was vice-chair of the cross-party group on photonics and quantum, and I have followed the debate about how to make the most of the technology while managing its risks.
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05
Accountability to voters
People should be able to trust that the MP they elect is the one who represents them. I introduced a Private Member’s Bill to create a recall process for MPs who change party between elections. It passed its first reading, and it remains an issue I care about.
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06
Boosting the green economy
I grew up in Wiltshire and have a strong attachment to the countryside and its market towns. In Parliament I focused on the blue and green economies, and I remain interested in how environmental innovation, jobs and investment fit together.
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07
Britain’s role in the world
I began my career in William Hague’s office, and foreign affairs has remained a central interest. In Parliament I chaired cross-party groups on preventing sexual violence in conflict and on Action on Conflict, and I am an ambassador for the HALO Trust, which clears landmines left behind by war. That work has given me a strong interest in how Britain’s overseas efforts can be effective and serve the national interest.
04Contact
Get in touch
For enquiries, please email Anthony directly.