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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