Rupert has spent his career working at the intersection of politics, communications and defence in the UK. He studied psychology at Durham University before beginning his career as a teacher and later working in the UK Parliament for Sir Grant Shapps, including as his Head of Communications during his time as Secretary of State for Defence. More recently, Rupert has served as his Chief of Staff. He is co-founder and Executive Director of Conservatives Together, an independent not-for-profit initiative that trains and supports hundreds of prospective parliamentary candidates. Alongside this, he co-founding a transatlantic think tank with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and has been part of the early team at Cambridge Aerospace, a defence startup that has now become a unicorn. Rupert’s policy interests include democratic renewal, political leadership, defence, education, SEND, institutional trust and how governments can communicate more effectively with the public.