John was the Member of Parliament for Carlisle from 2010 until 2024. Whilst an MP, John sat on a number of select committees, including local government, constitutional affairs as well as chairing a select committee. John was also a member of the 1922 Executive Committee of Conservative MPs.
As a local MP, John helped to secure over £600 million pounds of investment into the Carlisle area. He also organised and hosted 10 Carlisle Skills Fairs (and continues to do so), 3 nuclear conferences (promoting nuclear energy in Cumbria and the northwest) as well a national conference as Chairman of the Northern Research Group (NRG) which was a group of northern Conservative MPs promoting the interests of the North.
Away from politics, John has been the Managing Partner of Bendles Solicitors since 2015 during which time the firm has moved office, acquired two law firms an estate agency whilst tripling turnover. A very successful business now employing over 65 staff.
For relaxation John enjoys sport – primarily golf but also cycling having cycled to Westminster on his election in 2010 and then from Lands End to John O’Groats.
John was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and Dundee University.
After graduating from Dundee, John went to Chester College of Law where he studied English Law and subsequently qualified as a solicitor in 1990. He went on to become a partner in Bendles Solictors, Carlisle.
In 2010 John was elected Conservative MP for Carlisle with a majority of 853. He was the first Conservative to be elected as MP for Carlisle since 1959. He was re-elected in 2015, 2017, and as of the December 2019 election John’s majority stood at 8319.
John organises and hosts an annual Carlisle Skills Fair. The event is a huge success attracting over 2500 jobseekers and young people and 80 businesses, organisations and training providers from the Carlisle constituency.
He has a keen interest in business, education and local government reform and was a member of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee during the last Parliament.
John is also a keen sportsman and prior to his election he made a pledge that should he be elected he would cycle from his constituency to London. He completed the cycle in October 2010 raising £13,500 for the Eden Valley Hospice. He also cycled from Lands End to John O’ Groats raising further funds for the charity.
In 2022 John was elected Chair of the Northern Research Group (NRG) – a group founded by a number of Conservative MPs in the United Kingdom who were elected to represent constituencies in northern England, Wales and the Scottish borders in the 2019 general election to pressure government for greater investment in the north.