Trudy Harrison

Driven by a concern about the supposed decline of village life, Trudy Harrison has been Conservative MP for Copeland since 2017. Harrison worked at Sellafield nuclear power station before joining Bootle Parish Council in 2006 and then becoming regeneration officer for Copeland Borough Council in 2010. Having completed a foundation degree in sustainable communities, Harrison was elected Conservative candidate at a by-election in 2017 (despite having only joined the party a year ago), and became the first Conservative MP for the area since 1935. She campaigned on both national issues – taking a pro-Brexit stance – and local issues, taking a pro-nuclear stance and promising to safeguard local jobs at Sellafield and another potential future nuclear power station. Harrison has also spoken out on issues including the efficacy of family courts in domestic violence cases and banning wild animals in circuses. She has served on the Education and European Statutory Instruments committees, and is co-chair of the Apprenticeships Delivery Board, government ambassador for apprenticeships and vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Nuclear Energy. Following her re-election in 2019, she was made parliamentary private secretary to the prime minister, Boris Johnson.