Our new MPs: Joshua Reynolds, Alison Bennett, Lee Dillon, Alex Brewer, Alasdair Pinkerton

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

Joshua Reynolds MP: Maidenhead

Joshua Reynolds is a familiar face across Maidenhead. Elected to the council in 2019, and now a cabinet member, Josh grew up in Courthouse Road and went to Alwyn, Courthouse and Furze Platt Senior Schools, only leaving to study in Cardiff where he graduated with a first-class degree in Business and Management Studies. On his return, he successfully managed a chain of supermarkets before taking the decision to devote himself full time to public service.

Joshua’s time in retail gave him a valuable insight into the cost-of-living crisis. He saw first hand how the crisis impacted his shoppers, and how the increase in shoplifting has hit local businesses.

He is also campaigning to see the walk-in centre re-opened at St Mark’s Hospital and the improvement and expansion of health services there and around the constituency to support the fast-growing population.

Joshua sees river pollution as another key issue and is calling for the water companies to be held to account for polluting our waterways. He fully supports the Lib Dem pledge to transform water companies into public benefit companies, ban bonuses for water bosses until the pollution ends, and replace Ofwat with a tough new regulator with much greater powers.

Twitter: @joshreynoldsSL6

Alison Bennett MP: Mid Sussex

Alison is the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mid Sussex where she has lived for the last 12 years.

When Alison graduated from Cambridge in 1999 a career in politics was not anticipated. But as a young executive at British Airways, Alison proved an able problem solver in marketing, strategy, and business planning.

Later, at E.on, Alison confronted social challenges, working on products aimed at supporting people in fuel poverty. “I learnt much that has been valuable as a local politician in understanding what matters to people and the pinch points in their lives.”

Her commitment to public service was sparked when she became a parent. “I wanted my children to grow up knowing that regardless of who your parents are, everyone should have a fair chance of achieving their potential, and that when we see things aren’t right, we can step up and find a better way.”

Over the last nine years Alison has turned around the Mid Sussex Lib Dems’ fortunes. Having had no councillors in 2015, by 2019, she became leader of 13 Lib Dems on the district council. Then in May 2023, the party succeeded in leapfrogging the Conservatives to becoming the largest on the council.

Her pragmatic and collaborative approach emphasises building relationships across party lines. Alison underscores the importance of teamwork, stating, “One person alone can’t achieve things in politics. You have to motivate people, build a team, and pull in the same direction.” Her journey stands as a testament to the transformative power of tenacity and optimism in leadership.

Twitter: @alisonebennett

Lee Dillon MP: Newbury

(Written by Paul Walter)
Lee Dillon is the new MP for Newbury. Previously, since it’s inception in 1885, Newbury constituency has been held by the Conservatives except for a twelve year period from 1993 to 2005 when, following an historic by-election win, the late, lamented David Rendel served as the MP with great distinction.
Lee Dillon started in local West Berkshire politics as a teenager and learned his campaigning skills at the side of David Rendel, with whom he served as a fellow ward councillor in his home town of Thatcham.
Lee’s parents are landlords of The White Hart pub in the town. Lee is Thatcham born in bred. He lives there in a rented house with his family. His children attend local schools.
Lee works for a local charitable housing association. Lee has been a councillor on various local councils continuously for over twenty years. He has been Mayor of Thatcham twice and leader of the local unitary authority, West Berkshire Council, after leading us back to control of the council in May 2023.
Lee was our PPC for Newbury in 2019. He led a superb campaign where Newbury, previously not regarded as a top target for the party in 2024, emerged as an real target – not least because of the huge motivation of a local campaigning time consisting of a healthy mix of “new blood” and “old hands”. Despite doubts about winning, Lee won by a majority of over two thousand, against Laura Farris, the scion of an old Tory family – her father was Michael McNair-Wilson, MP for Newbury 1974-92. Lee comes across as very affable and easy-going. He combines a high sense of integrity with Liberal passion and political savvy.
Twitter: @leerjdillon

Alex Brewer MP: North East Hampshire

Alex is working to be the next MP in North East Hampshire where she has lived with her family for ten years. She cares deeply about the environment and local public services, and wants to see our beautiful area of the country better represented in Parliament.

In her experience running a local children’s charity, and previously a women’s refuge, Alex has seen the devastating impact the under-funding of our services has had. She is campaigning for improved NHS and social care services and to stop the sewage pollution in local chalk-stream rivers.

Alex also has 15 years’ business experience in the UK and overseas. This has given her an understanding of what matters to both people and businesses, which would inform the way she represents the community.

She says: “People tell me they want a hard-working, visible, local MP. I can promise that’s exactly what I’ll be.”

Twitter: @alexbrewer

Alasdair Pinkerton MP: Surrey Heath

I am an Associate Professor of Geopolitics at Royal Holloway University of London and I spend my professional life engaging with parts of the world affected by international border and territorial disputes, diplomatic crises, and geopolitical tensions. I have worked in Cyprus, India, the United States, the British Overseas Territories of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands, and was working in Sudan until just before the most recent outbreak of civil conflict.

When not researching or teaching, I have provided advice on diplomatic and security issues to the UK and international governments.  In 2013, I was an official observer of the Falkland Islands Referendum and, in 2022, co-organised the Falklands 40 Schools Competition – a key component in the official commemoration of the 1982 conflict.

I have authored dozens of research papers on international diplomacy and conflict, co-authored the seminal Handbook on Displacement (2020), and was the author of Radio: making waves in sound (2019). With the former Crimewatch presenter, Jacqui Hames, I am the co-host of “Surrey Heath Cast: notes from the Blue Wall”.

For me, standing for parliament is about serving in the interests of my community, my constituency, and my country. That means working together, across the political spectrum, to share the very best ideas; to think and plan for the long term; and to work justly in the pursuit of a liberal, open, tolerant, accountable, internationalist and successful United Kingdom.

That starts here and now in Surrey Heath – the place and community where my family and I live.

Twitter @alpinkerton

 

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