Tim Farron

Infobox MP
honorific-prefix =
name = Tim Farron
honorific-suffix =MP
party = Liberal Democrat

---

constituency_MP = Westmorland and Lonsdale
term_start = 5 May2005
term_end =
parliament =
majority = 267 (0.5%)
predecessor = Tim Collins
successor =
office2 = Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats
term_start2 = 22 March2006
term_end2 = 20 December2007
leader2 = Menzies Campbell
predecessor2 =
successor2 = Mark Hunter
birth_date = Birth date and age|1970|5|27|df=y
birth_place = Preston
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = British
spouse = Rosie
relations =
children = 2 daughters, 2 sons
residence =
alma_mater = Newcastle University
occupation =
profession =
religion =


website =
footnotes =

Timothy James Farron (born 27 May 1970) is a British politician who is the Liberal Democrat member of parliament for Westmorland and Lonsdale.

Early life and career

He was born in Preston, Lancashire and was educated at Lostock Hall School and Runshaw College in Leyland. He continued his studies at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics in 1992. He was elected president of the students' union in 1991, becoming its first Liberal Democrat president.

Prior to his election to Parliament he worked in higher education at both Lancaster University and St. Martin's College, Ambleside.

He was also a Councilor for the Milnthorpe ward until the 2008 local elections.

Family

He lives in Milnthorpe, within the constituency he represents, with his wife Rosie and their two sons and two daughters, the youngest son being born since his election to parliament.

Parliamentary career

He contested the Durham North West constituency at the 1992 General Election. He finished in third place some 20,006 votes behind the sitting Labour MP Hilary Armstrong. He served as a councillor on the Lancashire County Council (1993-2000) and was also a councillor on South Ribble Borough Council (1995-1999). He was selected to contest the Labour/Conservative marginal constituency of South Ribble at the 1997 General Election, and again finished in third place.

At the 2001 General Election he contested the Westmorland and Lonsdale seat and finished second, reducing the majority of the sitting Conservative MP Tim Collins to 3,167. Farron was elected as a councillor to the South Lakeland District Council in 2004, and at the 2005 General Election he again fought Collins at Westmorland and Lonsdale. He won this election by just 267 votes. He made his maiden speech on 25 May 2005 [ [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050525/debtext/50525-19.htm#50525-19_spnew1 House of Commons Debates for 25th May 2005] - "Hansard"] .

He has been a member of the Education and Skills Select Committee since his election, and later in 2005 was appointed as Youth Affairs Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats. He is the Chair of the All Party group on Hill Farming.

He was during Menzies Campbell's term as leader Campbell's Parliamentary Private Secretary. In 2007 he was given the responsibility as Liberal Democrat spokesman for Home Affairs. He is a member of the Beveridge Group within the Liberal Democrats. [ [http://www.beveridgegroup.org.uk/about-us/about-us.html About us] - "The Beveridge Group" 2007-10-28] Farron resigned from the front bench of the Liberal Democrats on 5 March 2008 in protest at the parties abstenation from a parliamentary vote on the EU referendum. [ [http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/search/2096143.MP_Tim_Farron_resigns_from_Lib_Dem_frontbench/ MP Tim Farron resigns from Lib Dem frontbench] - "The Westmorland Gazette" 2008-03-05]

References

External links

* [http://www.timfarron.co.uk/ Tim Farron MP] official site
* [http://www.libdems.org.uk/people/tim-farron Tim Farron MP] profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-6938,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Tim Farron MP]
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/tim_farron/westmorland_and_lonsdale TheyWorkForYou.com - Tim Farron MP]
* [http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Tim_Farron&mpc=Westmorland_and_Lonsdale The Public Whip - Tim Farron MP] voting record