Timothy Paul Loughton is a British politician and former banker who represented East Worthing and Shoreham as the Conservative Member of Parliament from 1997 until 2024. During his lengthy parliamentary career, he held the position of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families between 2010 and 2012, demonstrating his policy focus on children's welfare and family issues. He also served twice as Acting Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, first in 2016 following Keith Vaz's resignation and again in 2021 after Yvette Cooper stepped down, reflecting his expertise in home affairs and security matters.

After announcing in April 2024 that he would not seek re-election to Parliament, Loughton remained active in public life. In March 2025, he launched a campaign to secure the Conservative Party nomination for the newly created position of Sussex Mayor, a role established following the government's English Devolution White Paper on local government reorganisation. He now contributes political commentary to Comment Central.