Stephen Lloyd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Lloyd
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Lloyd in 2019
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| Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Work and Pensions | |
| In office 16 June 2017 – 6 December 2018 |
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| Leader | Tim Farron Vince Cable |
| Preceded by | Baroness Bakewell |
| Succeeded by | Christine Jardine |
| Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change | |
| In office 9 January 2014 – 12 December 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Steve Gilbert |
| Succeeded by | Paul Maynard |
| Member of Parliament for Eastbourne |
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| In office 8 June 2017 – 6 November 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Caroline Ansell |
| Succeeded by | Caroline Ansell |
| In office 6 May 2010 – 30 March 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Nigel Waterson |
| Succeeded by | Caroline Ansell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 June 1957 Mombasa, Kenya Colony |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Parliamentary affiliation: Independent (2018–2019) Liberal Democrats (until 2018, 2019–) Party membership: Liberal Democrats |
| Domestic partner | Cherine Maskill (2003–present) |
| Education | St. George's College, Weybridge |
| Occupation | Business Development Director |
Stephen Anthony Christopher Lloyd (born 15 June 1957) is a British politician for the Liberal Democrat party. He served twice as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the town of Eastbourne. An MP is a person elected to represent the people of a specific area, called a constituency, in the House of Commons.
Born in Kenya, Lloyd was educated in England. Before entering politics, he worked for many years in business. He was first elected as Eastbourne's MP in the 2010 general election. He lost his seat in 2015 but won it back in 2017.
In 2018, Lloyd left the Liberal Democrat group in Parliament to become an independent. This was because he disagreed with his party's view on Brexit, the UK's departure from the European Union. He had promised his voters he would respect the result of the 2016 EU referendum. He rejoined the Liberal Democrats in 2019 but was defeated in that year's election.
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Early Life and Career
Stephen Lloyd was born on 15 June 1957, in Mombasa, a city in Kenya. He moved to the United Kingdom when he was eight years old. He attended St. George's College, a private school in Surrey.
When Lloyd was six, he got measles, which caused him to lose all hearing in his left ear. He still has partial hearing in his right ear.
Before becoming a politician, Lloyd had a long career in business. He worked as a commodity broker and later as a business development director for different companies. From 2005 to 2010, he worked as a consultant for the Federation of Small Businesses.
Political Journey
Becoming an MP
Lloyd first tried to become an MP in 2001 in the Beaconsfield area, but he came in third place. In 2002, the Liberal Democrats chose him to be their candidate for Eastbourne. He worked hard in the local community for several years. In the 2005 election, he lost to the current MP, Nigel Waterson.
Lloyd didn't give up. He continued to be active in local issues. For example, he led a campaign against plans to build a giant B&Q store, which was successful.
In the 2010 general election, Lloyd's campaign focused on local problems. He won the election and became the MP for Eastbourne.
First Term in Parliament
From 2010 to 2015, the UK was governed by a coalition, which meant two parties, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, ruled together. Lloyd supported this government. During this time, he was the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Northern Ireland.
He was also a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, a group of MPs who check the government's work on jobs and benefits. He also chaired several groups in Parliament that focused on topics like apprenticeships, mental health, and deafness.
In 2014, Lloyd resigned from a junior government role. He was disappointed that a plan to improve a major local road, the A27 road, was not included in the government's strategy.
Losing and Regaining His Seat
In the 2015 general election, Lloyd lost his seat to the Conservative candidate, Caroline Ansell. After his defeat, he said he would retire from politics. However, many local supporters wanted him to run again.
In 2016, Lloyd announced he would stand for election again. In the 2017 general election, he won his seat back from Caroline Ansell. He then became the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions.
Leaving the Party Whip over Brexit
In 2018, Lloyd made a big decision. He resigned the "party whip," which meant he was no longer part of the official Liberal Democrat group of MPs. He could now vote independently.
He did this because of Brexit. The people of Eastbourne had voted to leave the EU, and Lloyd had promised to respect their decision. The Liberal Democrats wanted a second referendum, which went against his promise. He felt resigning the whip was the "only honourable thing" to do. He remained a member of the Liberal Democrat party but acted as an Independent MP.
In 2019, when a new general election was called, he rejoined the Liberal Democrat group in Parliament. However, he lost the 2019 election to Caroline Ansell again.
Local Campaigns and Causes
Lloyd was known for being very active in his local community of Eastbourne.
- Apprenticeship Drive: In 2011, he started a project to create 100 apprenticeships in 100 days. The project was a huge success, creating 181 apprenticeships for young people.
- Hospital Services: He campaigned to protect services at the Eastbourne District General Hospital.
- Community Projects: He set up a commission of local leaders to work on projects for the town. This group helped bring back the Eastbourne 'Sunshine' Carnival and encouraged local businesses to work together.
- Gosport Hospital Inquiry: Lloyd supported the families of patients who died at Gosport War Memorial Hospital. He pushed for an official investigation. In 2018, a report found that hundreds of patients had been given powerful painkillers without a good medical reason. Lloyd then called for a criminal investigation.
Political Views
Lloyd has described himself as a "business-wing" liberal. This means he supports businesses and believes in less government control, except for big banks. He is a strong supporter of apprenticeships as a great alternative to university.
Regarding welfare, he believed in helping people find work. He supported government programs like the Work Programme and Universal Credit.
On the European Union, he personally voted to remain in the 2016 referendum. However, he promised to respect the result of the vote in his constituency, where most people voted to leave. This promise led to his decision to resign the party whip in 2018.
