Neil is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Harborough, Oadby & Wigston, and has served as Shadow Minister for Policy Renewal and Development since July 2025.
Neil lives in the constituency with his wife and two young children. He was first elected in 2017, re-elected in 2019, and successfully returned as MP at the 2024 General Election. Neil was appointed as a Minister in 2021, at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. On 7 September 2022, O'Brien was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, as Minister for Social Care.
On the 28th October 2022, Neil was re-appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, this time as Minister for Primary Care and Public Health. He stepped down from this role in November 2023 to focus on his constituency.
Neil’s priorities include protecting the countryside and reforming our planning system, cracking down on crime, backing investment in education, and improving our local infrastructure.
He has also successfully campaigned for major investments in the local NHS, including a £450 million investment in Leicester General Hospital and the Royal Infirmary, as well as a new Urgent Care Hub at Kettering General Hospital.
Neil's wife, Jemma, is a doctor, and their son was born in a local NHS hospital, so fighting for good NHS services locally is very important to him.
Another key priority is supporting local charities and volunteers - particularly those working to tackle loneliness, working for good community relations, and helping carers.
Neil says: “We are lucky to live in an area with such a strong sense of community, and I will do everything I can to back those who make our area such a great place to live.”
Prior to becoming the Conservative MP for Harborough in 2017, Neil worked at No.10 Downing Street where he was an adviser to the Prime Minister on the economy. He also worked for four years at the Treasury, and in his spare time, carried out outreach work with homeless people and served as a chair of school governors.
Neil says: "I love my work across Harborough, Oadby and Wigston. This is a wonderful part of the country, and I am working to make it even better and make sure our area gets its fair share of investment.”