Dame Maria Frances Miller[1] DBE (née Lewis; born 26 March 1964) is a British politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Basingstoke from 2005 until the 2024 general election.

A member of the Conservative Party, she served as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2012 to 2014 under Prime Minister David Cameron.

[1] Miller joined the Conservative Party in 1983 and contested Wolverhampton North East at the 2001 general election but was defeated by the sitting Labour MP, Ken Purchase.

[1] Following the 2010 general election she was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Disabled People at the Department for Work and Pensions.

[8] On 4 September 2012, Miller was appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for Women and Equality in David Cameron's first major Cabinet reshuffle.

Miller stepped down from the role in 2019 and Caroline Nokes (Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North) was nominated and elected as the new chair.

[11] Miller was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for parliamentary and public service.

[14] Maria Miller in her role as the Minister for Women and Equalities, Secretary of State announced on 11 December 2012 that the government would bring forward same-sex marriage legislation for England and Wales in early 2013.

Miller ran a six month campaign in 2014 for a change in the law when she was contacted by one of her Basingstoke constituents who had been affected by 'revenge porn' being posted online.

[15][non-primary source needed] Miller campaigned to change the law and make posting online revenge pornography a crime.

[16] The Criminal Justice and Courts Act received Royal Assent on 16 February 2015, making revenge pornography illegal, punishable by up to two years in prison.

[17] In December 2012, The Daily Telegraph reported that, between 2005 and 2009, Miller had claimed over £90,000 in parliamentary expenses for the mortgage and upkeep of a house in south London where she lived with her parents.

According to the paper, the pair issued a veiled threat by reminding it of Miller's role in enacting proposals in the Leveson report on press regulation.