Caroline Nokes was born in Lyndhurst and has lived in the immediate Romsey area all her life. She was educated at local schools and studied for her A Levels at Peter Symonds’ College, Winchester and then read Politics and International Relations at the University of Sussex.
Caroline served as a Councillor on Test Valley Borough Council, representing the Romsey Extra Ward between 1999 and 2011. She was the Portfolio Holder for Leisure for nine years, having responsibility for the many leisure facilities in the Borough.
After a decade working in politics, Caroline became Chief Executive of the National Pony Society, an organisation dedicated to looking after the welfare of the British native breeds of pony, including the much loved New Forest ponies who roam free in the South Western corner of her constituency. Caroline first stood for Parliament in Southampton Itchen in 2001 and for the Romsey constituency in 2005, before being elected to represent Romsey and Southampton North in May 2010. She has been re-elected at every election since, and now, following the boundary changes represents an area stretching from Shipton Bellinger in the North to Swaythling in the South.
Caroline has served on the Panel of Chairs since 2019 and between 2020 and 2024 was Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee. She served in three different Government Departments between 2016 and 19 and attended Cabinet as Minister of State for Immigration between 2018-19.