• Who We Are

Tim Farron MP – MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Party President

MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Party President

About Me

Biography

Tim Farron was first elected as MP for Westmorland & Lonsdale in 2005. He was elected Party President on 13th November 2010.

Tim has been a member of the Liberal Democrats since the age of 16 and gained a national profile in 1990 as sole Liberal Democrat on the National Union of Students' National Executive standing up against extremism and intolerance in the hard-left dominated NUS while reading politics at Newcastle University. He became the first Liberal Democrat President of Newcastle University Union in 1991- 92.

After completing his degree Tim worked for ten years in higher education, most recently as senior manager at St Martin's College at Ambleside, Lancaster and Carlisle. He also served as a County, Borough and District councillor. He fought the North West Durham constituency for the Liberal Democrats at the 1992 General Election and South Ribble in 1997.

In 2001 he was candidate for Westmorland & Lonsdale, and reduced the Conservative majority to its lowest level since the First World War. When he won the seat in 2005 he brought to an end 95 years of Tory tenure.

In 2005 he was appointed Liberal Democrat Youth spokesman and in March 2006, after Sir Menzies Campbell's election as party leader, Tim was chosen to be Ming's private parliamentary secretary. He is also chair of the All Party Group on Hill Farming. As such, Nick Clegg made him Countryside Spokesperson in his Cabinet reshuffle in December 2007. Tim resigned from his post in March 2008. He was made Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Clegg's October 2008 shadow cabinet restructure.

Tim lives in South Cumbria with his wife Rosie, his daughters Isabella and Gracie, and his sons Jude and Laurie. In his limited spare time Tim follows Blackburn Rovers, plays football himself, and enjoys walking in the Lake District, listening to music and spending time with family and friends.

Parliamentary Experience

October 2008 - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; December 2007 to March 2008 Countryside Spokesperson; 2007 to 2008 Shadow Home Office Minister; 2005 to 2008 Spokesperson for Youth Affairs; 2005 to 2007 Education Select Committee.

Interests

Playing & watching football, reading, walking, psephology, popular music. Political interests: Education, rural affairs, youth work, health, crime and policing, social care

Memberships

Lakes Line User Group, St Thomas' Church Milnthorpe, Liberal Democrat Christian Forum, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Association of University Teachers

Contact Me

Address:

• The Cottage
• Yard 2
• Stricklandgate
• KENDAL
• LA9 4ND