Saturday October 12 2024
Swindon & Wiltshire News
Newly-elected MP Sarah Gibson has been handed the business brief by party leader Ed Davey in a reshuffle of the Liberal Democrats’ top team this week – and has promised to promote the interests of SMEs in the South West in parliament.
Sarah became an MP in the July 2024 election, taking the Chippenham seat, which includes the market towns of Calne, Chippenham, Corsham and Royal Wootton Bassett.
The Lib Dems won 72 seats in this summer’s general election – 61 more than in 2019.
Following the party’s Conference this week, the top team was reshuffled. Of the 33 front bench positions, 25 jobs went to new MPs.
Before becoming an MP, Sarah – who won 45.5 per cent of the vote at the general election – served on Wiltshire Council.
She has vital experience in business, having practised as an architect since graduating with a BA in architecture from Kingston University in 1987 and a postgraduate diploma in architecture at University College London’s Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning in 1991.
She has been a director of Bradford-on-Avon architecture firm Labox since 2014.
On her appointment, she said: “Sir Ed Davey has made me the Liberal Democrat Business Spokesperson in the Commons. What a privilege!
“This will really help me to promote SMEs particularly in the South West and address the challenges we face.”
As constituency MP, Sarah recently took a tour of the new £2.2 million Wiltshire Business School at Wiltshire College & University Centre‘s Lackham campus (pictured).
