With the enormous landslide that Labour had in the recent general election, it’s sometimes easy to overlook some of the other success stories of the night. Hot on the heels of outperforming the Tories in the May local elections, the Liberal Democrats won a record number of seats in parliament; 72, an increase of almost 60 over the 2019 results.
One of the first Liberal Democrat victories of the night was in Harrogate and Knaresborough, where their candidate, Tom Gordon, ousted the incumbent Tory MP, Andrew Jones, with a majority of over 8,000 votes. I spoke to Tom to ask him about what being an MP means to him and what he hopes to do for his constituency.
Evidence-based politics
A scientist by training, Tom initially got into politics when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer (fortunately, she has now recovered) the day before he started his Masters’ degree. As a single parent (Tom has a younger sister) his mum worked in a minimum-wage job. Her employer said she could have two weeks off on full pay, then she would have to go on to statutory sick pay.
“This opened my eyes to the fact that our system – in one of the richest countries in the world – was not fit for purpose. The Lib Dems appealed to me as a scientist, because their policies were evidence-based rather than based in ideological dogma.”
Tom’s pragmatic approach was also very much in evidence at the time of the count when the polls closed on 4 July. “Initially, although I was cautiously optimistic, as the polls had been predicting a win. I was at the count, so quite early on, I realised that we had won, but I didn’t want to jinx it by taking it for granted! It was overwhelming when the results were announced. I felt disbelief but also thrilled and humbled”.
The first few weeks in parliament
It’s been six weeks since the landslide election, so I asked Tom what his first few weeks in parliament have been like. He laughs, “It’s been a whirlwind! When we first arrived, our offices weren’t prepared, so we were operating out of Commons and Lords committee rooms which had been converted for hot-desking! I’ve been recruiting staff and making other arrangements and been dealing with emails from day one. It’s been slightly surreal, seeing the green benches and meeting people that we’re familiar with from TV – for example, the other day I was on the terrace having a chat with Lisa Nandy!”
Priorities for Harrogate and Knaresborough
Tom’s priorities for Harrogate and Knaresborough continue to be the key issues he highlighted since the start of his campaign. “We need more support for both GP and dental services,” he emphasises. “I’ve heard of people using DIY dentistry because they can’t get NHS appointments.” He also highlights infrastructure concerns, pointing out that “Harrogate & District Hospital have some buildings that were constructed with RAAC and will need replacing.”
Beyond the NHS, Tom is focused on the cost of living and water quality. “We are seeing record illegal sewage discharges, while some chief execs of water companies are being given bonuses of £300k plus.” Despite these challenges, Tom is championing the constituency’s successes, such as the recent 165th anniversary of the Great Yorkshire Show and the ongoing success of the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival.
Challenges and opportunities
The job of an MP is not without its challenges. Serving a constituency and also following the party line is quite a tightrope act. However, Tom remains characteristically optimistic.
“The Lib Dems prefer to discuss controversial issues and our approach to them. If we have any conflicting issues, we raise them with the whips and see how we can deal with them. We see it as our opportunity as a party, to show how politics can be different”.
The Liberal Democrats gained 57 more seats in July than they had held previously. However, Labour still has a massive majority, which means that many political decisions will be driven by them. So, what challenges does Tom think this might have for the Lib Dems?
“We’re keen to work with Labour on issues that we agree on, but we’re not afraid to hold them to account. The King’s speech had some positives, but we also believe some things were missing – for example, the crisis in dentistry. Again, our approach is evidence-based, rather than ideological”.
Looking to the future
And what about the future? Tom remains clear about his immediate priorities: “My current priority is mainly trying to deliver at present.” The Lib Dem manifesto is strongly focused on creating a fair deal for the country and for local communities. Tom is keen to play a role in this by involvement in all-party parliamentary groups (APPG) and select committees aligned to this vision:
“We want to be involved in the decision-making process. I’ve already expressed an interest in being on the APPG for infrastructure – it’s vital to have the right infrastructure in place so that people can have happy lives and a good education. I’m also personally prepared to go outside my comfort zone where necessary – for example, I’m interested in the parliamentary armed forces programme [Harrogate has a large Army Foundation College]. I’m not an expert on this, but I’m willing to seek expert advice on this both from within parliament and in the constituency”.
Finally, I asked Tom what his key message to the people of Harrogate and Knaresborough would be.
“I’m here to represent people, whether they voted for me or not. Make sure that our local issues are highlighted in parliament and be the voice of Harrogate and Knaresborough in Westminster”.
More from Josephine Ingram:
- Nineteen Eighty-Four: how close was Orwell’s dystopian vision to life in 2024?
- Apostrophe apocalypse: time to ditch the controversial punctuation mark?
- Erasmus versus Turing: how less wealthy students are losing out
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