Matthew Robert Turmaine (born 1969) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Watford since the 2024 general election.[1] He was previously the Watford Borough Councillor for Holywell ward from 2012 until his election to Parliament.[2]
Matt Turmaine | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Watford | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Dean Russell |
| Majority | 4,723 (10.62%) |
| Watford Borough Councillor for Holywell | |
| In office 7 May 2012 – 4 July 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Matthew Robert Turmaine 1969 (age 54–55) Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Other political affiliations | Labour and Co-operative (2022–2024) |
Early and personal life
editTurmaine was born in 1969 at Amersham Hospital in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.[1][3][4] Before his election to Parliament, he worked in health and social care. He had also previously worked in public relations for the BBC from November 1998 to January 2002.[5][6][7] Turmaine is a member of the Unison trade union.[8] He is LGBT+.[9]
Political career
editTurmaine joined the Labour Party in 2004, whilst living in London.[7] After moving to Watford in 2011, he stood as the Labour Party candidate for Holywell ward in the 2012 Watford Borough Council election, where he gained the seat from the Liberal Democrats with a majority of 710 votes.[10] In the 2015 general election, Turmaine was selected as the Labour parliamentary candidate for Watford, a historical Bellwether seat, where he finished in second place below the incumbent Richard Harrington of the Conservative Party.[11] In both the 2016 and 2018 council elections, he retained his Holywell seat with an increased majority.[12][13]
In the 2019 general election, Turmaine was selected as the Labour parliamentary candidate for his home seat of Chesham and Amersham, where he finished third below the Liberal Democrat candidate and the Conservative incumbent Cheryl Gillan.[14] He then held his Holywell seat in the 2022 council election with a reduced majority.[15] In July 2022, Turmaine was again selected as the Labour parliamentary candidate for Watford.[7] Throughout the 2024 election campaign, Turmaine pledged to reduce the tax burden on Watford families and waiting times at Watford General Hospital as well as recruiting more teachers to Watford schools, in line with the Labour Party manifesto.[16] He was elected as the MP for Watford in the 2024 general election, defeating the Conservative incumbent Dean Russell with a majority of 4,723 votes.[1] In his victory speech, Turmaine thanked the people of Watford for putting their trust in him.[17]
Electoral performance
editHouse of Commons
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Matt Turmaine | 15,708 | 35.3 | –4.0 | |
| Conservative | Dean Russell | 10,985 | 24.7 | –17.3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Ian Stotesbury | 7,577 | 17.0 | –0.7 | |
| Reform UK | Gary Ling | 4,930 | 11.1 | New | |
| Workers Party | Khalid Mahmood Chohan | 2,659 | 6.0 | New | |
| Green | Arran Bowen-la Grange | 2,428 | 5.5 | +5.2 | |
| Heritage | Sarah Knott | 168 | 0.4 | New | |
| Majority | 4,723 | 10.62 | +3.02 | ||
| Turnout | 44,455 | 61.0% | –7.50 | ||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Cheryl Gillan | 30,850 | 55.4 | –5.3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Dan Gallagher | 14,627 | 26.3 | +13.3 | |
| Labour | Matt Turmaine | 7,166 | 12.9 | –7.7 | |
| Green | Alan Booth | 3,042 | 5.5 | +2.5 | |
| Majority | 16,223 | 29.1 | –11.0 | ||
| Turnout | 55,685 | 76.8 | –0.3 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Richard Harrington | 24,400 | 43.5 | +8.6 | |
| Labour | Matthew Turmaine | 14,606 | 26.0 | –0.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Dorothy Thornhill | 10,152 | 18.1 | –14.3 | |
| UKIP | Nick Lincoln | 5,481 | 9.8 | +7.6 | |
| Green | Aidan Cottrell-Boyce | 1,332 | 2.4 | +0.8 | |
| TUSC | Mark O'Connor | 178 | 0.3 | New | |
| Majority | 9,794 | 17.5 | +15.0 | ||
| Turnout | 56,149 | 66.6 | –1.7 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +4.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour Co-op | Matt Turmaine | 949 | 53.2 | –12.4 | |
| Conservative | Sanjaya Pant | 426 | 23.9 | +9.9 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Penelope Hill | 360 | 20.2 | –0.2 | |
| TUSC | Mark O'Conner | 49 | 2.7 | New | |
| Majority | 523 | 29.3 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 1,784 | 27.4 | |||
| Labour Co-op hold | Swing | –11.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Matt Turmaine | 1,402 | 65.61 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Syed Kazmi | 436 | 20.40 | ||
| Conservative | Yasmin Goldsmith | 299 | 13.99 | ||
| Majority | 966 | 45.21 | |||
| Turnout | 2137 | 33.38 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Nigel Bell | 1,200 | |||
| Labour | Jackie Connal | 924 | |||
| Labour | Matt Turmaine | 917 | |||
| Liberal Democrats | Simonie Rose Jeffree | 210 | |||
| Conservative | Penelope Anne Mortimer | 208 | |||
| UKIP | Gavin Stephen Smith | 199 | |||
| Liberal Democrats | Frances Kershaw | 184 | |||
| Liberal Democrats | Qaiser Mahmood | 172 | |||
| Conservative | Prasi Bhatt | 144 | |||
| Conservative | Camilla Zaman Khawaja | 134 | |||
| Green | Rhiannon Emma Louise Grant | 133 | |||
| Green | Jim Grant | 108 | |||
| Green | Anne Simpson | 72 | |||
| TUSC | Clive Jones | 39 | |||
| Turnout | 26.15 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Matt Turmaine | 1,016 | 62.9 | –5.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Mohammed Umar | 306 | 19.0 | +3.1 | |
| Conservative | Neil John Punter | 165 | 10.2 | –1.5 | |
| Green | Nigel Anthony Filer | 127 | 7.9 | +3.9 | |
| Majority | 710 | 42.9 | |||
| Turnout | 1614 | 26.15 | |||
| Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Declaration of Result of Poll". Watford Borough Council. 5 July 2024. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "Councillor details - Councillor Matt Turmaine". Watford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 5 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "TURMAINE, Matthew Robert birth registration record". FreeBMD. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Joy, Matt (11 November 2019). "'The current system is failing nearly everyone' - Chesham and Amersham Labour candidate unveiled". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Garside, Juliette (12 March 1999). "STOP PRESS: Turmaine to head BBC new media PR". PRWeek. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "BBC dissolves top PR job in internet division reshuffle". PRWeek. 11 January 2002. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ a b c "Matt Turmaine has been selected as Labour's Parliamentary candidate for Watford". Watford Constituency Labour Party. 16 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Issimdar, Mariam (7 July 2024). "Who are the MPs representing Hertfordshire?". BBC News. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Soaper, Lily (17 October 2022). "Campaign Session in Watford". LGBT+ Labour. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ a b "2012 Watford Borough Ward election". Watford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Election for the constituency of Watford on 7 May 2015". UK Parliament. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ a b "2016 Watford Borough Ward election". Watford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ a b "2018 Watford Borough Ward election". Watford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Election for the constituency of Chesham and Amersham on 12 December 2019". UK Parliament. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ a b "2022 Watford Borough Ward election". Watford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Turmaine, Matt (26 May 2024). "'Watford wants change' claims Labour general election candidate". Watford Observer. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ McGuinness, Fintan (5 July 2024). "Labour candidate Matt Turmaine voted in as Watford MP". Watford Observer. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
External links
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