Dan Aldridge | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Weston-super-Mare | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | John Penrose |
| Majority | 4,409 (10.4%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 24, 1984 |
| Political party | Labour |
| Education | Weston College University of Exeter Northumbria University (MSc) |
Daniel Colin Aldridge (born 24 August 1984) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Weston-super-Mare since 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he is the first from his party to represent the constituency.
Early life and education
Aldridge is originally from Stoke-on-Trent. His sister is a nurse in Weston who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aldridge studied for his A-levels at Weston College, before studying psychology at the University of Exeter and obtaining a MSc from Northumbria University.
Career
Prior to the 2024 general election, Aldridge was the Head of Policy at the British Computer Society. He previously worked for the Office for Students, the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the charity Stonewall.
Political career
On 13 March 2024, Aldridge was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the constituency of Weston-super-Mare for the 2024 general election by local party members at a hustings event at The Royal Hotel. He was selected from a short-list of three, which included former MEP Alex Mayer.
He won 16,310 votes in the election with a majority of 4,409 votes, defeating the incumbent MP John Penrose. He became the first Labour MP to represent the constituency.
In November 2024, Aldridge voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted suicide.
Personal life
Aldridge permanently moved to Weston in 2001 with his parents and siblings, having been there on a caravan holiday the previous year.
In 2024, PinkNews listed Aldridge among a number of out LGBTQ+ parliamentarians.
References
- ^ "Members Sworn". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 752. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 July 2024.
- ^ https://x.com/DanAldridgeWSM/status/1827429998245847214/photo/1
- ^ Hobbs, Phoebe (2024-04-06). "Meet the man campaigning to become Weston's first Labour MP". Somerset Live. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ a b "Daniel Aldridge | Software Sustainability Institute". www.software.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ "Weston-super-Mare | General Election 2024 | Sky News". election.news.sky.com. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "UK general election results live: Keir Starmer says 'time for us to deliver' as Nigel Farage becomes MP". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "New MP's mother: 'I'm so proud of you'". BBC News. 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading". UK Parliament. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ "About | Daniel Aldridge for Weston-super-Mare". Dan Aldridge for Weston-super-Mare | Making Westminster work for Weston. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "Number of out LGBTQ+ MPS falls following election".
