Craig Mackinlay

Lord Mackinlay of Richborough speaks on politics, tax policy, energy, Brexit and disability and sepsis awareness

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Craig Mackinlay has been at the sharp-end of British politics for over 30 years. Some would call him contrarian and provocative. In recent times he has overcome the most extraordinary challenge, losing both hands and both feet to sepsis. Today he sits in the House of Lords as Lord Mackinlay of Richborough. The media know Craig Mackinlay as ‘The Bionic Peer’.

Craig Mackinlay’s political journey began as one the founders of UKIP, joining its precursor, the Anti-Federalist League in 1991. He first stood in a UK general election as ‘Independent – against a federal Europe’ in ’92. Many elections later, in 2005, Craig left the party that he helped to found, returning to the Conservatives. He was elected to Medway Unitary Authority in 2007, overturning a forever Labour ward. He served on the Council for eight years before being elected as the Member of Parliament for South Thanet in 2015, beating Nigel Farage in one of the most internationally covered seats across that general election. The joy was fairly short- lived as he was charged with electoral law offences days before the 2017 general election. He was re-elected with an increased majority and finally acquitted on 9^th January 2019 after an 11- week trial at Southwark Crown Court

A committed Brexiteer across his time in the Commons, he was one of 28 Spartans who rebelled against ‘Meaningful Vote III’, an event which, amongst others, led to the downfall of Prime Minister Theresa May.

Having delivered his political ambition of extricating the UK from the European Union, Craig could have considered his political work done, however, his irrepressible activism now turned to the issue of Net Zero and whether the ambition is deliverable, achievable, practical or affordable? He asks if there is not a better way and against the backdrop of inaction by the huge CO2 emitting countries and questions whether Britain’s expensive undertakings towards it are worthwhile at all or are in some examples more damaging to the environment? Craig founded the cross-party Net Zero Scrutiny Group to bring fresh thinking to the issue of the day. Not least, after reflecting upon Benjamin Franklin’s quote ‘If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking’. But Craig’s favourite saying, never fearful of standing alone on an issue, is from Mahatma Gandhi – ‘Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth’.

Craig suffered from sepsis at the end of September 2023; so severe and so rapid that it very nearly took his life. The payment to the Grim Reaper to spare him were his hands and feet with an extreme quadruple-amputation on 1st December 2023. After seven months under NHS care, Craig made a dramatic return to Parliament on 22nd May 2024. Unbeknown to him the election was to be called just hours later. Craig’s return to Parliament as the ‘Bionic MP’, expecting a November election, was meant to be the start of a phased return back to work. It was however to prove his last hurrah. With significant treatment still ahead of him he decided not to stand for re-election .

As part of Dissolution Honours, outgoing PM Rishi Sunak made Craig a life Peer. His focus now turns to working with sepsis charities to raise the profile, awareness and early recognition of it, an endeavour that he hopes will save many lives. He is also campaigning for the NHS to provide appropriate prosthetics at the right time with focus on the patient, not an NHS timetable. His interest in getting the Net Zero pathway right continues in the House of Lords as The Lord Mackinlay of Richborough or ‘The Bionic Peer’. He is a regular columnist across many daily and periodical publications from The Sun to Kent Life and appears regularly across the spectrum of broadcast media.

Craig remains in practice as a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser. He was an active Magistrate from 2005 to 2017 and remains on the ‘Supplemental list’.