Sir John Whittingdale MP has represented the Maldon Constituency since 1992 and is a long-time chair for the APPG on Media Freedom. Previously, he was Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport between 2015-16, and also took on a role as Minister of State in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport several times in the years that followed, most recently in 2023. Prior to his appointment as Committee chair he held a number of Conservative Shadow Cabinet roles as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. He has a longstanding interest in the former Soviet Union and he has been Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, as well as Secretary of the Armenia APPG.