Cameron Thomas (politician)
Cameron Thomas | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Laurence Robertson |
| Majority | 6,262 (12.9%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Aaron Thomas December 1982 (age 42) |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Website | cameronthomas |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 2000–2023 |
| Rank | Flight lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
Aaron Cameron Thomas (born December 1982) is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been a Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury since the 2024 general election.[1]
Early life
Aaron Cameron Thomas was born in December 1982.[2] He joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17, initially within the ranks and later served as a Commissioned Officer.[3] He served several operational tours which included Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and the Falkland Islands. Thomas also served heavily in the training environment, including a tour as a Drill Instructor, training 1000 recruits over 3 years,[4] before resigning his commission, as a Flight lieutenant,[5] to enter politics.[6]
In August 2021, Thomas's team helped to plan the British withdrawal from Afghanistan.[4] Later that year, Thomas deployed to East Midlands NHS, to plan and deliver the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines across Leicestershire and Rutland.[4]
Political career
In the 2024 general election, Cameron stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Tewkesbury against the Conservative incumbent Laurence Robertson. He was successfully elected with a majority of 6,262 on a swing of 24.5% from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats.[7] Thomas’ election marked the first time since 1885 that Tewkesbury has had a non-Conservative MP.
Thomas made his maiden speech in Parliament on 18 July 2024 in the King’s Speech Debate.[8] He was the first of the 57 newly elected Liberal Democrat MPs to make a maiden speech.[9] In his maiden speech, Thomas spoke about his experience serving in the Royal Air Force, his family history of military service and his priorities as a member of parliament, including defence, the climate emergency and proportional representation.
Thomas serves as a member of the House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee which considers the extent to which the policies and programmes of government departments and non-departmental public bodies contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development.[10]
In March 2025, Thomas travelled to Ukraine to deliver aid to areas near the front line. Speaking to the BBC following the trip, Thomas paid tribute to the “resilience and resolve of the Ukrainian people, and their adoration for the British and the support we’ve been giving them.”.[11] Thomas’ participation in the aid convoy led to him being sanctioned by Russia for “fabricating anti-Russian narratives”.[12] Two months after the trip, Thomas was accused of sending intimate WhatsApp messages to a Ukrainian translator while on the trip; he denied any wrongdoing.[13]
Electoral history
House of Commons
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Cameron Thomas | 20,730 | 42.7 | 20.7 | |
| Conservative | Laurence Robertson | 14,468 | 29.8 | 28.3 | |
| Reform UK | Byron Davis | 6,000 | 12.4 | 12.4 | |
| Labour | Damola Animashaun | 4,298 | 8.9 | 6.8 | |
| Green | Cate Cody | 2,873 | 5.9 | 1.7 | |
| CPA | David Edgar | 170 | 0.4 | 0.4 | |
| Majority | 6,262 | 12.9 | 20.7 | ||
| Turnout | 48,539 | 66.1 | 8.3 | ||
| Registered electors | 73,458 | 12.5 | |||
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 24.5 | |||
References
- ^ a b "Tewkesbury results – 2024 general election". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Aaron Cameron THOMAS appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- ^ Wharton, James (5 July 2024). "Dozens of military veterans and reservists win seats in the General Election". Forces News. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- ^ a b c "Cameron Thomas | Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury". nctld.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "4FP – FLT LT AARON THOMAS & SIBLINGS". Gloucestershire News Centre. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- ^ Garcia, Carmelo (17 January 2024). "RAF veteran hopeful 'is best chance of unseating' Tories in Tewkesbury". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Election for the constituency of Tewkesbury on 4 July 2024". House of Commons Library. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- ^ "UK Parliament election results: Cameron Thomas - Elections won". UK Parliament election results. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ "Maiden Speech: Cameron Thomas MP". Liberal Democrat Voice. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ "Environmental Audit Committee - Membership - Committees - UK Parliament". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ "Tewkesbury MP visits Ukraine to deliver aid". BBC News. 9 March 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ Courea, Eleni (23 April 2025). "Russia imposes sanctions on 15 UK MPs over 'hostile statements'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ Scott, Geraldine (25 May 2025). "Lib Dem MP accused of sexting Ukrainian translator". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 10 June 2025.