Sarah Olney | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament forRichmond Park | |
| Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Zac Goldsmith |
| Majority | 17,155 (33.3%) |
| In office 1 December 2016 – 3 May 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Zac Goldsmith |
| Succeeded by | Zac Goldsmith |
| Liberal Democrat portfolios | |
| 2017 | Education |
| 2020 | International Trade |
| 2020–2022 | Transport |
| 2020–2024 | Business and Industrial Strategy |
| 2020–2022 | Energy and Climate Change |
| 2022–2024 | Treasury |
| 2024–present | Cabinet Office |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sarah Jane McGibbon (1977-01-11)11 January 1977 (age 48) Frimley, Surrey, England |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | King's College London |
| Occupation | Accountant |
| Website | www |
Sarah Jane Olney (néeMcGibbon; born 11 January 1977) is a BritishLiberal Democrat politician who has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forRichmond Park since2019, previously holding the seat from2016 to2017.[1][2][3][4] Olney has served as the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for theTreasury from July 2022 to 2024. And forbusiness and industrial strategy from January 2020 to 2024, she currently serves as Spokesperon for theCabinet Office since September 2024.
Olney was first MP for Richmond Park for six months, froma by-election in December 2016 to thegeneral election in June 2017, before she regained the seat at the2019 general election, facing off againstZac Goldsmith in both elections. She was the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for international trade from January to September 2020 and for education from May to June 2017. While out of Parliament, she was a financial accountant forHistoric Royal Palaces, from 2018 to 2019.[4]
Sarah McGibbon was born inFrimley on 11 January 1977 to Ian and Rosalyn McGibbon.[5][6] She was educated atAll Hallows Catholic School inFarnham and then studied English Literature and Language atKing's College London.[7][8] She initially worked as a bookseller inHatchards,Piccadilly, from 1998 to 2000.[4]
Olney became aqualified accountant at theAssociation of Chartered Certified Accountants in 2016.[9][4] She worked as an accountant atBarclays,Arts & Business, Distilled Ltd, SCi Sales Group and theNational Physical Laboratory inTeddington until she entered politics after the2015 general election.[10][11]
Olney joined the Liberal Democrats in July 2015, having said that she was a liberal dissatisfied with the direction of the United Kingdom.[11][12]
On 25 October 2016,Conservative MPZac Goldsmith announced hisresignation from the House of Commons over his objection to his party's support for athird runway at Heathrow Airport, triggering aby-election in his seat ofRichmond Park.[13] Goldsmith stood in the by-election as anindependent candidate. On 30 October 2016, Olney was announced as theLiberal Democrats' candidate for the by-election.[14][15] At the by-election, Olney was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) forRichmond Park, with 49.6% of the vote and a majority of 1,872.[16][12][17][18][19]
After her election to Parliament, Olney reaffirmed her opposition to thebuilding of a third runway atHeathrow Airport.[20]
Shortly after her election, Olney ended a radio interview in which she was pressed on her support for a second Brexit referendum.[21] Supporting a second referendum subsequently became official Liberal Democrat policy shortly.[22]
Olney voted against the triggering ofArticle 50, as she had indicated during the by-election campaign that she would do so.[23] She believed thatanother referendum should have been held once theexact terms of Britain's exit from the EU had been announced.[24]
In the run-up to the snap2017 general election, Olney was recorded urging Liberal Democrats to vote forLabour MPs in seats where Labour candidates stood a better chance of defeating Conservatives, rather than Liberal Democrat candidates.[25] Olney referred to the Liberal Democrat candidate forEaling Central and Acton as a "paper candidate" and voiced her support for the incumbent Labour Party MPRupa Huq.
At the snap 2017 general election, Olney lost her seat in Richmond Park, coming second with 45.1% of the vote behind Zac Goldsmith, who stood as the Conservative candidate.[26][27]
On 9 September 2017, it was announced that she would be taking up the post ofchief of staff forLiberal Democrat leader SirVince Cable.[28]
It was reported by theEvening Standard in April 2018 that Olney had been interviewed under caution by the police for allegedly breaking official spending limits in the Richmond Park by-election. TheCrown Prosecution Service ruled that there was no evidence, and closed the case.[29]
In 2019, she was officially confirmed as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Richmond Park at the next general election.[30] At the2019 general election, Olney was elected as MP for Richmond Park with 53.1% of the vote and a majority of 7,766.[31][32][33]
In May 2021, alongside celebrities and other public figures, Olney was a signatory to an open letter fromStylist magazine which called on the government to address what it described as an "epidemic of male violence" by funding an "ongoing, high-profile, expert-informed awareness campaign on men's violence against women and girls".[34]
Olney was re-elected to Parliament as MP for Richmond Park at the2024 general election with an increased vote share of 55.4% and an increased majority of 17,155.[35][36]
On 3 December 2024, Olney'sten minute rule bill calling for the voting system to adoptproportional representation passed on a symbolic vote.[37]
In 2002, she married Benjamin (Ben) James Olney, atown planner presently working as a manager forHigh Speed 1.[14] The couple have a son and a daughter. They have also had another son, who is deceased.[4]
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forRichmond Park 2016–2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forRichmond Park 2019–present | Incumbent |
