Henry Tufnell | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament forMid and South Pembrokeshire | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Majority | 1,878 (4%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1992-06-19)19 June 1992 (age 33) |
| Party | Welsh Labour |
| Spouse | [1][2] |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Radley College Brown University (BA) City Law School (GDL &BPTC)[3] |
| Website | www |
Henry Tufnell (born 19 June 1992) is a BritishLabour Party politician and lawyer who has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forMid and South Pembrokeshire since2024.[4]
Tufnell comes from a family ofGloucestershire landowners.[1] His father, Mark Tufnell, was the 55th president of theCountry 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 atNatural England in May 2024.[5] His paternal great-grandfather wasRichard Tufnell, aConservativeMP forCambridge. His great-great-grandfather,Edward Tufnell, was aConservativeMP forSouth East Essex and his great-great-great-grandfather was the civil servant and educationalistEdward Carleton Tufnell.Tufnell Park is named after his family.[6] His mother Rosina Jane Tufnell was born inPontypridd and wasHigh Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 2021.[1]
Tufnell attendedRadley College, an independent boarding school for boys.[7] He graduated fromBrown University in the United States of America, majoring in History.[3] After graduating from his undergraduate studies he attendedCity Law School in London earning aGraduate Diploma in Law and passing theBar Professional Training Course.[3] He wascalled to the bar by theMiddle 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 practising as a barrister at One Crown Office Row.[8] He later worked as an Organiser for CAIWU.[1][3]
Tufnell is a trustee for the Carlie Tufnell Charitable Trust, a charity set up in memory of his younger brother.[9] The charity funds the Carlie Tufnell Spark Fund, which provides a developmental fund for new graduates of theCentral Film School, of which his brother was a student. It supports graduates in bringing their short-film projects to fruition.[10]
Tufnell unsuccessfully stood as a Labour candidate at the2018 Westminster City Council election in the Vincent Square ward. The ward's three seats were held by theConservative Party.[11]
In April 2023, Tufnell was voted in by local Labour Party members to represent the new constituency ofMid 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 inColchester,Essex.[1]
In July 2024, Tufnell was elected as theMP forMid and South Pembrokeshire, with a majority of 1,878, defeating former Conservative Party ministerStephen Crabb.[12]
In 2024, media reports noted that part of Tufnell's family farm was transferred to his brother shortly beforeinheritance tax changes affecting farmers were announced in theOctober 2024 budget.[13] Tufnell denied any wrongdoing, and it was later reported that the changes were unlikely to affect his family directly.[14][15]
Campaigners from the Pembrokeshire basedPARC Against DARC campaign have said Tufnell has failed to respond to a large number of emails sent to him on the local issue.[16]
From 2010 to 2016, Tufnell competed in 800 m and 1500 m races. He placed third in the 800 m at the 2014British Athletics Championships and 11th in the 1500 m at the 2016 Championships[3][17] While attendingBrown University, he was a member of the Track and Field/Cross Country team, becoming the Ivy League champion at 800 m in 2015 and earning Honorable Mention NCAA All-American in 2014.[18][19]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing United Kingdom | |||||
| 2016 | British Athletics Championships | Birmingham,UK | 11th | 1500m | 3:52.16[17] |
| 2014 | British Athletics Championships | Birmingham,UK | 3rd | 800m | 1:50.64[17] |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of Parliament forMid and South Pembrokeshire 2024–present | Incumbent |