Daniel Colin Aldridge[1] (born 1984 or 1985)[2] 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.
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 | 1984 or 1985 (age 39–40) |
| Political party | Labour |
| Education | Weston College University of Exeter Northumbria University (MSc) |
Early life and education
editAldridge is originally from Stoke-on-Trent.[2] His sister is a nurse in Weston who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
Aldridge studied for his A-levels at Weston College, before studying psychology at the University of Exeter and obtaining a MSc from Northumbria University.[2]
Career
editPrior to the 2024 general election, Aldridge was the Head of Policy at the British Computer Society.[4] He previously worked for the Office for Students, the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the charity Stonewall.[4]
Political career
editOn 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.[2] He was selected from a short-list of three, which included former MEP Alex Mayer.[2]
He won 16,310 votes in the election with a majority of 4,409 votes, defeating the incumbent MP John Penrose.[5][6] He became the first Labour MP to represent the constituency.[7]
Personal life
editAldridge permanently moved to Weston in 2001 with his parents and siblings, having been there on a caravan holiday the previous year.[8]
In 2024, PinkNews listed Aldridge among a number of out LGBTQ+ parliamentarians.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Members Sworn". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 752. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "'I know Weston and our people': Labour Party names new candidate". Weston Mercury. 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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".