We thought you might like to find out a little bit about our new MPs. We didn’t think we’d have quite so many, but this is a lovely problem to have. All details come from the party website or the MPs’ social media. We’ll get to know them more over the next wee while, but here’s a taster. 

Our editor sleepily compiled a Twitter list of all our MPs’ accounts she could find. You can follow it here.  

Andrew George MP: St Ives

Andrew George is a renowned local and national campaigner. He was the Liberal Democrat MP for the West Cornwall and Scilly constituency of St Ives 1997-2015 and nearly won the seat back (in spite of difficult circumstances) in June 2017 and in December 2019. He said he’s “not walking away”.

Andrew was born and brought up in the constituency, is third of eight sons and daughters of small-holding horticulturist (the late) Hugh and musician/teacher Diana George of Mullion. Schooled at state schools at Mullion, Cury and Helston he then studied at Sussex and Oxford (University College) Universities and worked in farming, research, community development work, environmental conservation, affordable housing and charity work before being elected to Parliament in May 1997 as the first non Conservative MP for the St Ives constituency for 68 years. He is married and has an adult daughter and son and continues to live and work in Cornwall.

Andrew is renowned as a successful campaigner and has a reputation for independent-mindedness and a record of rebelling against his Party whip in Parliament, especially during the years of the Coalition Government (2010-15) when he argued that his Party leadership were compromising far too much with the Conservatives.

He led successful parliamentary campaigns – e.g. to remove the Conservative’s 50% council tax subsidy for wealthy second home owners, for a new regulator to protect smaller farmers and other suppliers from the “bully-boy” behaviour of supermarket buyers (known as the Grocery Code Adjudicator) and has led other campaigns for safe registered nurse staffing on hospital wards, against the Conservative’s ‘Bedroom Tax’ and many other campaigns in the field of international development, environment, health, anti-poverty, anti-discrimination, housing and much else.

Andrew is Chief Executive of affordable housing charity Cornwall Community Land Trust and runs other research and campaign projects with the support of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust and others. Since 2006 he has been the Chair of the British Association for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures.

Twitter: @andrewgeorge_ 

Gideon Amos MP: Taunton and Wellington

Gideon grew up in Somerset and lives in Taunton. He is married to Caroline and they have 4 children.

Gideon is a chartered architect and town planner and has helped deliver several affordable new homes for local families. He is presently working on wind farms and renewable energy projects around the UK. Gideon has served in the Territorial Army and was awarded an OBE for services to sustainable development.

Gideon and the Liberal Democrats are the clear challengers to the Conservatives in Taunton Deane with an ever-increasing vote – Labour and the Greens won’t be able to challenge.

Twitter: @gideonjamos

Cameron Thomas MP: Tewkesbury

Cameron Thomas is a local RAF Veteran, environmental campaigner and volunteer. With 23 years Served, he recently resigned from the Armed Forces to stand up for Tewkesbury Constituency, where he raises his family.

Cameron joined the RAF at the age of 17, initially within the ranks and later served as a Commissioned Officer. He has served several operational tours which include Iraq, United Arab Emirates and the Falkland Islands. Motivated primarily by helping others, Cameron also served heavily in the training environment, including a tour as a Drill Instructor, training 1000 Recruits over 3 years.

In August 2021, Cameron’s team was integral to planning the successful British withdrawal from Afghanistan. Later that year, Cameron deployed to East Midlands NHS, to plan and deliver the rollout of Covid-19 Vaccines across Leicestershire and Rutland.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Cameron and volunteers across Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire coordinated to send several lorries of supplies to those affected.

Cameron is a passionate traveller and sub-aqua Dive Master. He has campaigned for cleaner rivers and oceans, as well as sustainability legislation. In Gloucestershire, he continues to speak out about the awful pollution in the River Severn, which runs through and regularly floods our constituency.

Twitter: @libdemcam

Claire Young MP: Thornbury and Yate

Claire knows what it takes to stand up for local people. Since 2007, she has been doing just that on South Gloucestershire Council, on issues ranging from transport to support for children with special needs. Now Leader of Council, she sees the terrible impact the Conservative Government’s chronic underfunding has had on vital services and is keen to continue the fight to protect them in Parliament.

Claire has lived with her family in Coalpit Heath for 25 years. Her two sons attended local schools, which are among the lowest funded in the country. Like others locally, she has experienced the strains on the NHS and is campaigning to change that.

Claire has a strong record of environmental action, including securing cross-party backing for declaring a Climate Emergency in South Gloucestershire. A Cambridge mathematics graduate, she worked in the software industry and has combined this background with her passion for the environment to perform academic research on the environmental impact of computing.

Twitter: @claireforTAY

Rachel Gilmour MP: Tiverton and Minehead

For more than half my life, I’ve been lucky enough to call this constituency that spans Devon and Somerset my home. I spent my childhood in Taunton Deane and since 2006 my family and I have lived in Bampton.

I’ve visited every corner of the constituency, our towns and villages, our coast, countryside and moorland, and have a thorough understanding of our many strengths – and the challenges we face.

When it comes to my professional skills, my time as both a director of the NFU and head of strategy at the Environment Agency lend me crucial experience in our rural constituency, and my volunteer experience with the Exmoor Foundation for Integrated Health Care has given me invaluable insight into community health care.

As a politician and a working mother, I’ve mastered many important skills. I love the fun and camaraderie of the campaign trail, and know how to keep people’s spirits up. I always treat my opponents with courtesy and respect, and I’ve never been afraid of speaking truth to power. I have a thick skin, a warm heart and I’m absolutely passionate about bringing a visible local representation to my long-ignored community.

Twitter: @rachelgilmourLD