Grant Shapps
Chair of Cambridge Aerospace, a role requiring ACOBA (Advisory Committee on Business Appointments) sign-off given his prior tenure as UK Secretary of State for Defence. His appointment drew government-watchdog scrutiny after Cambridge Aerospace secured a UK MoD interceptor contract in April 2026, which critics argued was in tension with the civilian-only conditions of his ACOBA approval.
Grant Shapps is a British Conservative politician who served as MP for Welwyn Hatfield (2005-2024) and held five UK cabinet posts, including Transport, Business/Energy/Industrial Strategy, Energy Security and Net Zero, and Defence (2023-2024). After losing his seat in July 2024, ACOBA approved him in November 2024 to chair Cambridge Aerospace, a startup founded by professor Steven Barrett, on condition he not lobby, advise on government bids, or do defence work for two years. Correspondence published in 2026 shows ACOBA investigating a complaint that Shapps attended the DSEI defence exhibition on the company's behalf around the unveiling of its Skyhammer and Starhammer interceptors; he said he attended only personally, but ACOBA's interim chair called his account inconsistent with public information. Scrutiny intensified after the MoD awarded Cambridge Aerospace a Skyhammer contract in April 2026 without disclosing its selection process. No resignation or formal breach finding has been reported.
Overview
- Role
- Chair, Cambridge Aerospace; former UK Secretary of State for Defence
- Based in
- United Kingdom
- Prior experience
- UK Government (Secretary of State for Defence; Secretary of State for Business and Trade; other cabinet roles)
- uk.linkedin.com/in/grant-shapps
- X / Twitter
- x.com/grantshapps
Affiliated funds0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- Who is Grant Shapps?
- Grant Shapps is a British Conservative politician who served as MP for Welwyn Hatfield (2005-2024) and held five UK cabinet posts, including Transport, Business/Energy/Industrial Strategy, Energy Security and Net Zero, and Defence (2023-2024). After losing his seat in July 2024, ACOBA approved him in November 2024 to chair Cambridge Aerospace, a startup founded by professor Steven Barrett, on condition he not lobby, advise on government bids, or do defence work for two years. Correspondence published in 2026 shows ACOBA investigating a complaint that Shapps attended the DSEI defence exhibition on the company's behalf around the unveiling of its Skyhammer and Starhammer interceptors; he said he attended only personally, but ACOBA's interim chair called his account inconsistent with public information. Scrutiny intensified after the MoD awarded Cambridge Aerospace a Skyhammer contract in April 2026 without disclosing its selection process. No resignation or formal breach finding has been reported.
- What is Grant Shapps's role?
- Grant Shapps is Chair, Cambridge Aerospace; former UK Secretary of State for Defence, based in United Kingdom.
- Where did Grant Shapps work before?
- Grant Shapps's prior roles include UK Government (Secretary of State for Defence; Secretary of State for Business and Trade; other cabinet roles).
Sources & citations5
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
ACOBA correspondence confirms Grant Shapps' advisory appointment as Chair of Cambridge Aerospace
UK Government (ACOBA): Correspondence: Grant Shapps, Chair, Cambridge AerospaceVerified2025-06-01 - 2
ACOBA correspondence (letters dated 3, 7, 9 October 2025, published 19 May 2026) shows the committee investigating a complaint that Shapps attended DSEI UK on behalf of Cambridge Aerospace during its Skyhammer/Starhammer unveiling; ACOBA said his explanation was inconsistent with public information about the company
UK Government (ACOBA): Correspondence: Grant Shapps, Chair, Cambridge AerospaceVerified2026-05-19 - 3
UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced a Skyhammer production contract with Cambridge Aerospace on 10 April 2026; MoD did not disclose its selection process
The Register: Cambridge Aerospace Skyhammer interceptor contractVerified2026-04-13 - 4
Cambridge Aerospace, founded September 2024 by Prof Steven Barrett, raised $100M; ACOBA approved Shapps to chair the company restricted to civilian-aerospace work for two years
Cambridge Independent: Shapps in hot seat as $100M boosts Cambridge AerospaceVerified2025-09-04 - 5
Labour MP Phil Brickell and Transparency International criticized ACOBA's approval of Shapps, arguing the company's self-description as 'defence tech' contradicts the civilian classification used to approve him
The English Chronicle: ACOBA criticized over Grant Shapps Cambridge Aerospace approvalVerified2025-08-18