James Cartlidge is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Suffolk since 2015. A member of the Conservative Party, he was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Defence in 2024 by former prime minister Rishi Sunak in July 2024; when Kemi Badenoch succeeded Sunak as Leader of the Opposition in November 2024 she reappointed Cartlidge to the brief. He had previously served as Minister of State for Defence Procurement from 2023 to 2024, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from 2022 to 2023, as well as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice from 2021 to 2022.