Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood MP on grief, loss and Afghanistan

Tobias Ellwood has always been in the headlines.  This interview covers the reasons why, and comes with a trigger warning as we talk about tricky subjects, including grief and trauma.  For details of supportive organisations, see the bottom of these notes.

About our guest:

Tobias was elected as Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East in May 2005, and subsequently re-elected in 2010, 2015, 2017 and most recently in December 2019. 

He was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with special responsibility for the Middle East and Africa from July 2014, and was made Parliamentary under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in the June 2017 reshuffle.

Shortly after being first elected to Parliament in 2005, he was appointed Opposition Whip. In July 2007, he was promoted to the post of Shadow Minister for Culture Media and Sport where he was responsible for a portfolio including tourism, gambling and licensing. After the May 2010 General Election, Tobias was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Defence Secretary, the Rt. Hon Liam Fox MP. He was appointed to similar positions for the Minister for Europe, the Rt Hon David Lidington MP, in October 2011, and the Health Secretary, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, in October 2013. He held this position until he was promoted to the Foreign Office in July 2014, with responsibility for the Middle East and Africa.

Tobias was elected Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee in January 2020 and remained in that position until September 2023.

Tobias was born in New York, USA due to his parents' overseas posting at the time. He grew up in Bonn, Germany and Vienna, Austria, but returned to the UK to complete his first degree at Loughborough University. Whilst at Loughborough, Tobias was elected President of the Students' Union.

He spent six years in the Regular Army with The Royal Green Jackets, head quartered in Winchester, and served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Kuwait, Germany, Gibraltar and Bosnia. He now has the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as a reservist in the 77th Brigade. 

Tobias is married to Hannah and they have two young sons, Alexander and Oscar.  He is a patron of a number of local charities, including Caring Canines, Samaritans, and Boscombe’s Crumbs Café.

Outside of politics Tobias is a keen sportsman, an active Army Reservist and a private pilot. He is frequent visitor to the United States and the Middle East. He also enjoys the theatre, military history, and is an Eagle Scout.

OP Courage: Mental health support for veterans, service leavers and reservists - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Combat Stress is the UK’s leading mental health charity for veterans  Call them on 0800 138 1619, text them on 07537 404 719 or email helpline@combatstress.org.uk.

Medical assistance for veterans in:
England: NHS 111 service or call 111 when you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency, or contact NHS
Scotland: Scotland’s Health on the Web or call 111
Wales: NHS Direct Wales or call 0845 46 47
Northern Ireland: nidirect government services - telephone contact details are available from the website
Samaritans Call 116 123 to speak to a Samaritan.