Henry Tufnell (Welsh politician)
Henry Tufnell | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Mid and South Pembrokeshire | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Majority | 1,878 (4%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 June 1992 |
| Political party | Welsh Labour |
| Spouse |
Poppy Rimington-Pounder
(m. 2021) |
| Alma mater | Radley College Brown University (BA) City Law School (GDL & BPTC)[3] |
| Website | www |
Henry Tufnell (born 19 June 1992) is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid and South Pembrokeshire since 2024.[4]
Early life and education
[edit]Tufnell comes from a family of Gloucestershire landowners.[1] His father, Mark Tufnell, was the 55th president of the Country Land and Business Association and was a non-executive director of the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England; he was appointed non-executive board member at Natural England in May 2024.[5] His mother Rosina Jane Tufnell was born in Pontypridd and was High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 2021.[1]
Tufnell attended Radley College, an independent boarding school for boys.[6] He graduated from Brown University in the United States of America, majoring in History.[3] After graduating from his undergraduate studies he attended City Law School in London earning a Graduate Diploma in Law and passing the Bar Professional Training Course.[3] He was called to the bar by the Middle Temple and practised in England.[3]
After graduating, Tufnell began work as a Trade Union Representative for the non-TUC affiliated Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers' Union (CAIWU), before working as a barrister. He later began work as an Organiser for the CAIWU.[1][3]
Tufnell is a trustee for the Carlie Tufnell Charitable Trust, a charity set up in memory of his younger brother.[7] The charity funds the Carlie Tufnell Spark Fund, which provides a developmental fund for new graduates of the Central Film School, of which his brother was a former student. It supports graduates in bringing their short-film projects to fruition.[8]
Political career
[edit]Tufnell unsuccessfully stood as a Labour candidate at the 2018 Westminster City Council election in the Vincent Square ward. The ward's three seats were held by the Conservative Party.[9]
In April 2023, Tufnell was selected by Welsh Labour to represent the new constituency of Mid and South Pembrokeshire. Concerns were raised over the process by which Tufnell was selected, rather than a local candidate.[1] He originally stood to be a Labour candidate in Colchester, Essex.[1]
In July 2024, Tufnell was elected as the MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, with a majority of 1,878, defeating former Conservative Party minister Stephen Crabb.[10]
Athletics
[edit]From 2010 to 2016, Tufnell competed in the 800m and 1500m races. He placed 3rd in the 800m at the 2014 British Athletics Championships and 11th in the 1500m at the 2016 Championships[3][11] While attending Brown University, he was a member of the Track and Field/Cross Country team, becoming the Ivy League champion at 800m in 2015 and earning Honorable Mention NCAA All-American in 2014.[12][13]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  United Kingdom
| |||||
| 2016 | British Athletics Championships | Birmingham, UK | 11th | 1500m | 0:03:52.16[11] |
| 2014 | British Athletics Championships | Birmingham, UK | 3rd | 800m | 0:01:50.64[11] |
Controversy
[edit]In November 2024, it was reported that Tufnell's family transferred valuable farmland just 20 days before the party's Budget introduced controversial inheritance tax changes affecting farmers. The timing of the transactions, by his parents, raised questions in the press about potential foreknowledge of Labour's tax plans.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Mansfield, Mark (2023-05-04). "Concerns raised as Welsh Labour selects candidate with no local connections to stand at general election". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "English candidate whose family has second home in Wales selected for Labour over local rivals". Wales Online. WalesOnline. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Henry Tufnell" (PDF). 1 Crown Office Row. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "General Election 2024 results live as Labour wins seats from the Tories in Wales". Wales Online. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ "Mark Tufnell". Gov.uk. United Kingdom Government. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "The Radley Year 2010/11". YUMPU. Radley College. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "THE CARLIE TUFNELL CHARITABLE TRUST". Charity Commission. Charity Commission. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Carlie Tufnell Spark Fund". Central Film School. Central Film School. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Teale, Andrew. "Vincent Square Ward". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
- ^ "Mid and South Pembrokeshire - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ a b c World Athletics. "Henry TUFNELL - World Athletics". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Brown University. "MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY - Henry Tufnell". Brown Bears. Brown University. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "TFRRS | Henry Tufnell – Track and Field Results & Statistics". tfrrs.org. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ^ "Labour MP's family avoids Rachel Reeves' farming tax with move just days before Budget". express.co.uk. 30 November 2024.
External links
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