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Tom Gordon elected Lib Dem MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough

Tom Gordon was elected to Parliament in the general election, with a majority of 8,238 votes over his nearest rival. He is the first Lib Dem MP in North Yorkshire since 2010.

Tom was born and raised in Yorkshire, and growing up nearby he has fond memories of visiting the Great Yorkshire Show with school and day trips to Knaresborough Market with his Gran.

He was the first person in his family to go to University, and studied for a BSc (hons) in Biochemistry and a Masters of Public Health (MPH) at Newcastle University, before working in the scientific recruitment and health services research sector. 

Tom first got involved in politics after family life was turned upside down when his mum was diagnosed with breast cancer. He saw first hand how statutory sick pay (SSP) wasn’t enough for his mum, a single parent working a minimum wage job, to put food on the table and pay the bills. He moved home and switched to studying part time to help care for and support his mum and younger sister.  

It was this experience, and seeing first hand the lack of support for our most vulnerable and sick, that saw Tom become politically engaged and start campaigning for change. His involvement in politics saw him elected to a neighbouring Local Authority, where he was one of the youngest Council Group Leaders in Yorkshire. He took up positions working as a Researcher for an MEP and later running an MP’s office.

Tom now has settled in Harrogate and has worked in a number of policy roles in the charitable sector, including for the Carers Trust. As a former young adult carer himself, he is passionate about fighting for increased support and recognition for carers and the work they do.

Outside of politics, Tom is also a keen runner and badminton player. He has completed over a dozen long distance charity runs, including the Paris and Berlin marathons, raising money for a range of charities including Cancer Research and Alzheimer’s Society. 

In September 2023, Tom ran the Great North Run in support of St Michaels’ hospice alongside Lib Dem friends and colleagues.