Chris Coghlan (politician)
Chris Coghlan | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Dorking and Horley | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Beresford (Mole Valley[a]) |
| Majority | 5,391 (10.8%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher Austin Francis Coghlan |
| Political party |
|
| Alma mater | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army (Reserve) |
| Years of service | 2017 – 2022 |
| Rank | Captain |
Christopher Austin Francis Coghlan[3] is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Dorking and Horley since 2024. He previously co-founded the Renew Party in 2018.
Early life and education
Coghlan grew up in Peaslake, a village near Guildford, Surrey.[4] He graduated from King's College London in 2001, later completing a master's degree in finance at London Business School in 2012 and gaining a Master of Public Administration degree at Harvard Kennedy School in 2014.[5]
A former officer in the Army Reserve, Coughlan was called up to serve in Iraq as a military advisor in 2020.[4] He was a Foreign and Commonwealth Office anti-terrorism officer,[6][7] but resigned because he was "demoralised by the failure of our politicians to deliver opportunity in government, fight Corbyn and a hard Brexit".[8]
Political career
Coghlan stood as an independent anti-Brexit candidate in Battersea in the 2017 general election. In 2018, he co-founded the Renew Party, a minor centrist political party that stood for "a second referendum and a tech revolution to leave no one behind".[6][8] He left the party later that year after disagreements with other senior members.[9]
Coghlan was elected to Mole Valley District Council for the ward of Dorking North in the 2021 council election as a Liberal Democrat.[10]
In the 2024 general election, Coghlan was elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for the new seat of Dorking and Horley with 41.9 per cent of the vote and a majority of 5,391.[11]
Personal life
Coghlan lives in Dorking with his wife Clara and their three daughters.[4] Coghlan is a Roman Catholic.[12] He was barred from receiving Holy Communion due to his support for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.[13]
Notes
- ^ The Mole Valley constituency was renamed "Dorking and Horley" at the 2024 general election, with major boundary changes[1][2]
References
- ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ "South East: New Constituency Boundaries 2023". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ "No. 64465". The London Gazette. 22 July 2024. p. 14085.
- ^ a b c "Cllr Chris Coghlan". Mole Valley District Council. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "2022 Chris Coghlan". Mole Valley Liberal Democrats. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ a b Wright, Robert (14 October 2017). "New anti-Brexit party hopes to capture UK politics centre ground". Financial Times. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ Clark, Sam (4 May 2018). "How Renew Britain aims to start a 'tech revolution'". The Stack. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ a b Coghlan, Chris (12 April 2018). "Why I quit my foreign office job to set up a centrist party". The Times. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ Pack, Mark (24 May 2018). "Implosion at Renew, one of the new centrist/pro-European parties". Mark Pack. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "District Council Election Results – 6 May 2021". Mole Valley District Council. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Dorking and Horley | General Election 2024". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "I was told I was complicit in a murderous act for backing..." The Observer. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ "Priest denies MP holy communion over his support for assi..." The Observer. Retrieved 29 June 2025.