Candidate for the East Wiltshire Constituency
Anthony Mangnall
Wiltshire has been my home for most of my life. Whether living near Swindon, or now in Tisbury, or growing up in Tidworth and Bulford, I am proud to call Wiltshire my home. Its countryside, military communities and market towns are what make this area so special for us all.
About Anthony
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.
Areas of Political Interest
Farming and the rural economy. I come from a family farm and understand how hard changes in agricultural policy have hit the industry. Farming shapes East Wiltshire’s landscape, market towns and community life, and it needs an MP who understands it.
Defence, the Armed Forces and veterans. I’m the son of a soldier, an Army Reservist, and I grew up in Tidworth and Bulford, so I know what service families sacrifice. A strong national defence should never come at the expense of social security, and those who serve and have served deserve to be properly looked after.
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 making the case for joining the CPTPP and for the UK to take advance of being outside of the EU and sign new free trade agreements.Helping British businesses make the most of new trading opportunities remains a priority.
AI and technology. AI will change how we work, learn and live. We need safeguards for the changes we can foresee and the ones we can’t, so the next generation is protected and able to benefit. In Parliament I was vice-chair of the cross-party group on photonics and quantum.
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, and it’s an issue I’d like to revisit.
Boosting the green economy. As a Wiltshire country boy I want to see our market towns and villages boosted not forgotten. From the Marlborough Downs to Salisbury Plain enhancing our local economy is a necessity that can boost jobs, opportunities and investment. This can only be achieved through tax reductions.
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’m an ambassador for the HALO Trust, which clears landmines left behind by war. I want Britain’s work overseas to be effective and to serve the national interest.