James MacCleary | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament forLewes | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Maria Caulfield |
| Majority | 12,624 (23.8%) |
| Liberal Democrat portfolios | |
| 2024–2025 | Europe |
| 2025–present | Defence |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Neville MacCleary |
| Party | Liberal Democrats |
| Alma mater |
|
James Neville MacCleary[1] is an EnglishLiberal Democrat politician who has served asMember of Parliament (MP) forLewes since 2024. He defeated theConservative incumbent,Maria Caulfield, with a majority of almost 13,000. MacCleary has served as a member of East Sussex County Council since 2021, and Lewes District Council from 2007 to 2015 and since 2019.
MacCleary graduated from theUniversity of Kent with aBachelor of Arts (BA) degree in politics and international relations, and theUniversity of Oxford with aMaster of Science (MSc) degree in Russian and East European studies.
He has worked as a director and manager for charities and campaigning organisations, including as Campaign Director for the European Movement UK.[2] He ran a business providing advice and training in communications and data protection.[3][4]
MacCleary was a member ofLewes District Council for the ward of Bridge from 2007 to 2015, and has represented the ward of Newhaven South since 2019.[3][5] He is theLiberal Democrat group leader and served as leader of the council from 20 July 2020 to 15 July 2021,[6][7] and subsequently from 18 July 2022 to 22 May 2023.[8][9] He alternated the role annually with Zoe Nicholson of theGreen Party under the Co-operative Alliance.[10][11]
In the2021 council election, MacCleary was elected toEast Sussex County Council for the division of Newhaven and Bishopstone.[12][13] He was previously a member of Lewes Town Council from 2011 to 2015 and Newhaven Town Council from 2019 to 2023.[3]He has remained on the district and county councils alongside his work as an MP.
MacCleary stood in the constituency ofLewes at the2024 general election. He defeatedMaria Caulfield, the incumbentConservative MP and a government minister, with a majority of 12,624 votes. Lewes was formerly represented for the Liberal Democrats byNorman Baker from 1997 to 2015.[14][15]
Since the election he has been the Europe spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats.[16] In this role he introduced a Ten-Minute Rule Bill on the 15th of January calling for the UK Government to negotiate a new Youth Mobility Scheme with the European Union.[17]
He has also been staunch in his opposition toBidzina Ivanishvili and his rulingGeorgian Dream. He has repeatedly called for sanctions against the Georgian regime due to their democratic backsliding and violent crackdown on protestors, leading them to accuse him of being a member of theGlobal War Party. He signed a joint letter with the U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman, Republican CongressmanJoe Wilson calling for sanctions on Georgia.[18] He is also amongst the British MPs that have been sanctioned by theRussian Federation.[19]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forLewes 2024–present | Incumbent |
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