Relatively Speaking: Stephen McPartland

The Right Honourable Stephen McPartland, Global Security Advisor, strategic advisor, former National Security Minister and Parliamentary Select Committee chairman

I talk a lot and try to listen even more, but I never really talk about what drives me; my hunger, my passion to succeed and achieve so I can help others. At heart – I am a lad from Liverpool, although I left almost 25 years ago, it has never left me and I am home (I still call it home) every other week. Home is where my family is and they have been the driving force in my life. Not one of those families that need you to overachieve, as they would be proud of me whatever I did, and they are – furiously proud.

They are proud I am The Right Honourable Stephen McPartland, but they call me “our Ste” and some other familial names – my mum, dad, brother and sisters (the twins) – I am the middle child and keep trying to persuade my mum she should give me more attention, but she is having none of it. I am clearly the favourite and keep explaining that to my siblings, but they are having none of it either. What we do all agree on is that family has to be fun, being there for each other and laughing at the best and worst of times.

This is not going to be a rags to riches story, I never had rags and I was always rich in terms of love and laughter, rather than money. Another insight into what makes me the person I am – wealth is defined in terms of love, laughter, happiness, kindness and joy not money or material items. Family really is where my heart is and it has been the cause of great joy and sadness over the years, especially the last 12 months.

Before I go into more detail, why are you reading this and why have I been asked to write this by my friends at Finito. Yes – we share the same passion to ensure young people can identify and achieve their dreams, to change their stars like I changed mine. To inspire others that yes, they can do this, they can change that, they can be whatever they want to be, as long as they work hard and treat others with respect, but to remember to enjoy the journey – not just the destination – something I have been reminding myself of over the last five years.

My journey started in Liverpool with a lot of laughter at the heart of it. My Mum and Dad both made a lot of sacrifices to ensure we all had good educations – they left school as early as possible for work and did incredibly well as a team supporting each other. They ensured we all had a good education and myself and my siblings all have a couple of degrees – my BA(Hons) was in History at Liverpool University and then my MSc in Technology Management at Liverpool John Moores. Even choosing what degrees to study was based on what I enjoyed doing – I am still passionate about history and love walking and visiting historical sites in my spare time. My interest in computers has evolved from building them to Cyber Security and its benefits to the world economy. My parents were very keen that I should follow what made me happy and enjoy doing rather than what would set me up on a career etc.

During my time at university, I worked part time printing passports inside the East India buildings in Liverpool and my specialist subject at university was the East India Company – so many patterns emerge when you look back…

I migrated into politics because I was passionate about helping people and my parents had enshrined a strong sense of fairness inside me, something that would become a blessing and a challenge when I was elected as a Member of Parliament in 2010.

My maiden speech in 2010 was on education being the best route out of poverty in the UK and bridging the gap between education and employment:

“There are children who have tried so hard in school. There is a cadre of dedicated and professional staff who have helped them along the way and invested so much of themselves in helping those children try to improve their life chances, but the system does not seem to work. Those children are being forced through an education system that pushes them out the other end with little chance of getting a job, as they do not have the skills that local employers want.”

I still firmly believe employability is just as key now. Over the years I learned many of the great institutions that support our society have lost their way and focus on themselves, rather than the individuals receiving the services they provide or supporting those who work so hard in them to deliver that service.

I was a very rebellious Member of Parliament, as I always fought for what I believed was right. I helped lead some major national rebellions, which supported millions of people and relentlessly focused on what was fair and the impact it would have on people going about their daily lives. My own family had instilled in me this sense of fairness I have mentioned and a desire to never be embarrassed when I looked in a mirror, that I had taken the easy choice, rather than the right choice because it was too hard. That has always driven me, a passion to make the right choice and help improve outcomes for others.

It has, to my continuing surprise led me to become a senior leader with deep experience driving commercial and governance outcomes across Government and the Private Sector. Unique expertise in macro-economic, geopolitical, security and regulatory risk drivers of commercial performance with over 14 years Board level experience across a variety of industries.

A Privy Councillor, former National Security Minister, and member of Joint Committee on National Security Strategy. A senior Parliamentarian having chaired the House of Commons Regulatory Reform Select Committee & a member of Liaison Select Committee which directly holds the Prime Minister to account. Author of the Independent McPartland Review into Cybersecurity, as an enabler of Economic Growth, on behalf of the Government.

I am currently an Ambassador for CREST, the elite cyber accreditation organisation and a Senior Research Fellow in Criminology and Cyber Security at City University of London. I speak all over the world on cyber security, post quantum cryptography and digital sovereignty having retired from politics in 2024.

My family has been at the heart of all the choices I made, and I skipped over the sadness bit – always trying to focus on the joy. I have had so much good fortune, been so lucky and seen and done so much I could never have imagined growing up in Liverpool, but I am sad. I am grieving. I lost my dad in February 2025, after a long illness, he was only 73 and we have just been through many of the firsts without him – his wedding anniversary, his birthday and Christmas were all in one week in December. My Dad was a huge part of my world and life choices; he was ill for several years with the cruellest of diseases that steals them away from you a little at a time. I chose to spend more time with him, so I decided back in August 2021 not to fight another General Election. My Mum is broken hearted but doing her best and I have travelled all over the world and still tell him about it. I know he is incredibly proud and I am going to make him and my family prouder as I embark on the next stage of my journey.