Anthony Mangnall

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, an issue he would very much like to revisit.

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. Away from politics, for now, 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.

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 purely by the belief that he has more to give.

Anthony married Harriet in May 2023.