Elliot Colburn

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Elliot Colburn

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Official portrait of Elliot Colburn MP crop 2.jpg

| office = Member of Parliament
for Carshalton and Wallington

| parliament =

| predecessor = Tom Brake

| successor = Bobby Dean

| term_start = 12 December 2019

| term_end = 30 May 2024

| office1 = Member of Sutton London Borough Council
for Cheam

| term_start1 = 8 May 2018

| term_end1 = 5 May 2022

| deputy1 =

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1992|08|06}}

| birth_place = St Helier, London, UK

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = British

| partner =

| party = Conservative

| relations =

| children =

| residence = Sutton, London

| alma_mater = Aberystwyth University

| occupation =

| profession = Politician

| signature =

| website = {{URL|https://www.elliotcolburn.co.uk/}}

| footnotes =

}}

Elliot Haydn George Colburn{{cite web|url=https://moderngov.sutton.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=61&RPID=0|publisher=Sutton London Borough Council|accessdate=14 January 2020|title=Election results for Wallington North, 22 May 2014|date=22 May 2014}} (born 6 August 1992){{Cite book|last=Brunskill|first=Ian|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1129682574|title=The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election|date=19 March 2020|isbn=978-0-00-839258-1|pages=141|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers Limited |oclc=1129682574}} is a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carshalton and Wallington from the 2019 general election until he lost his seat in 2024. Colburn also served as councillor for the Cheam ward on Sutton Council from 2018 to 2022.

Early life

Colburn was born at St Helier Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children in St Helier, London. He grew up in Sutton, London,{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/12/17/10-30-meet-new-fresh-faced-mps-arriving-parliament-first-time/|work=The Telegraph|title=10 under 30: meet the new fresh faced MPs arriving in Parliament for the first time|date=17 December 2019|last=Roberts|first=Lizzie|accessdate=14 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107211651/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/12/17/10-30-meet-new-fresh-faced-mps-arriving-parliament-first-time/|archive-date=7 January 2020|url-status=live}}{{subscription required}} and attended Carshalton Boys Sports College.{{cite web|url=https://www.suttonconservatives.org.uk/people/elliot-colburn|publisher=Sutton Conservatives|title=Elliot Colburn|accessdate=14 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103073555/https://www.suttonconservatives.org.uk/people/elliot-colburn|archive-date=3 January 2020|url-status=live}} Colburn has campaigned for the Conservative Party since the age of 13, and studied politics at Aberystwyth University.{{cite web|title=Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs|url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/house/house-magazine/108577/class-2019-meet-new-mps|work=Politics Home|date=16 December 2019|accessdate=12 January 2020|last=Bond|first=Daniel|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217174745/https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/house/house-magazine/108577/class-2019-meet-new-mps|archive-date=17 December 2019|url-status=live}}

After graduation Colburn worked as a parliamentary assistant for the Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Scully, and Scotland Secretary Alister Jack.{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmsecret/register.pdf|title=Register of Interests of Members' Secretaries and Research Assistants|page=14|publisher=UK Parliament|accessdate=14 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102064933/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmsecret/register.pdf|archive-date=2 January 2020|url-status=live}} He has also worked as a public affairs officer for South West London Health and Care Partnership.{{cite web|url=https://moderngov.sutton.gov.uk/mgListDeclarationsOfInterest.aspx?UID=2586|title=Declarations of interest – Councillor Elliot Colburn|publisher=Sutton Council|accessdate=14 January 2020}}

Colburn was a Conservative candidate in the 2014 Sutton Council election for Wallington North ward, and came fourth. In the 2016 referendum on membership of the European Union, Colburn supported Brexit. He was elected to Sutton Borough Council as one of the three Conservative councillors for Cheam ward at the 2018 election, and sat on the council's People Committee and Scrutiny Committee.{{cite web|url=https://www.sutton.gov.uk/info/200538/voting_and_elections/1760/election_results_may_2018#Cheam|title=Election results May 2018 – Cheam|accessdate=14 January 2020|publisher=Sutton Council}}{{cite web|url=https://moderngov.sutton.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2586|title=Councillor Elliot Colburn|publisher=Sutton Council|accessdate=14 January 2020|archive-date=11 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811194007/https://moderngov.sutton.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2586|url-status=dead}} He resigned from his council seat in 2022.{{cite web|url=https://insidecroydon.com/2022/04/08/half-of-sutton-libdem-councillors-quitting-at-mays-elections/|publisher=Inside Croydon|date=8 April 2022|title=Half of Sutton LibDem councillors quitting at May's elections}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sutton.gov.uk/-/cheam-results|accessdate=31 May 2022|title=Cheam Results}}

Parliamentary career

File:Prime Minister's Questions, 7 February 2024 20.jpg, 7 February 2024]]

Colburn was selected as the Conservative candidate for Carshalton and Wallington on 11 February 2019.{{cite news|url=https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/17423768.elliot-colburn-announced-as-carshalton-and-wallington-parliamentary-candidate/|title=Elliot Colburn announced as Carshalton and Wallington parliamentary candidate|work=Sutton & Croydon Guardian|date=11 February 2019|accessdate=14 January 2020|last=Kituno|first=Nick|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190211193016/https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/17423768.elliot-colburn-announced-as-carshalton-and-wallington-parliamentary-candidate/|archive-date=11 February 2019|url-status=live}} He was elected as an MP in the 2019 general election with a majority of 629 and 42.4% of the vote,{{Cite web |last=Council |first=Sutton |title=Statement of Persons Nominated & Notice of Poll – Carshalton & Wallington 2019 {{!}} Sutton Council |url=https://www.sutton.gov.uk/downloads/file/4265/statement_of_persons_nominated_and_notice_of_poll_-_carshalton_and_wallington_2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221192609/https://www.sutton.gov.uk/documents/20124/455522/StatementOfPersonsNominatedAndNoticeOfPoll_Carshalton_and_Wallington.pdf/417acc28-5a24-62b7-a55a-ff51d749e90e |archive-date=2022-02-21 |access-date=2019-11-19 |website=www.sutton.gov.uk |language=en}}{{cite web |date=28 January 2020 |title=Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118043715/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf |archive-date=18 November 2021 |access-date=19 January 2022 |publisher=House of Commons Library |location=London}} defeating the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake.{{cite news|url=https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/18099883.new-carshalton-wallington-tory-mp-over-moon-lib-dems-tom-drake-bows/|date=13 December 2019|title=New Carshalton and Wallington Tory MP 'over the moon' as Lib Dem's Tom Brake bows out|work=Sutton & Croydon Guardian|accessdate=15 January 2019|publisher=Newsquest Media Group}}{{cite news|work=Election 2019|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000621|title=Carshalton and Wallington|accessdate=14 January 2020|publisher=BBC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231064744/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000621|archive-date=31 December 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/151/career|publisher=UK Parliament|accessdate=14 January 2020|title=Parliamentary career – Rt Hon Tom Brake|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103090114/https://members.parliament.uk/member/151/career|archive-date=3 January 2020|url-status=live}} His campaign included local promises to extend the London Overground to Sutton, and to oppose the settling of gypsies and travellers in the local area.

Colburn joined the Petitions Committee and the Women and Equalities Committee in 2020.{{cite web|publisher=UK Parliament|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/4775/career|title=Parliamentary career for Elliot Colburn|accessdate=31 May 2022}} He was vice-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS.{{Cite web|title=The APPG on HIV/AIDS—What We Do|url=https://www.appghivaids.org.uk/what-we-do|url-status=live|access-date=9 July 2021|website=All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184440/https://www.appghivaids.org.uk/what-we-do |archive-date=9 July 2021 }} Colburn submitted a letter of no confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson following the publication of Sue Gray's report on Partygate in May 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/2022-05-31/how-many-tories-have-submitted-letters-of-no-confidence-in-boris-johnson|publisher=ITV News|date=31 May 2022|title=How many Tories have submitted letters of no confidence in Boris Johnson?}}

Colburn endorsed Penny Mordaunt in the July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election, and again in the October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/07/13/who-backing-tory-leadership-race-next-prime-minister-rishi-sunak/|work=The Telegraph|date=13 July 2022|accessdate=13 July 2022|title=Who's backing whom in the Tory leadership race?|last1=Boycott-Owen|first1=Mason|last2=Penna|first2=Dominic}}{{Cite web |date=2022-10-24 |title=Sunak or Mordaunt: who is backing whom as next Tory leader? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/21/boris-johnson-penny-mordaunt-rishi-sunak-who-backing-next-tory-leader |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}

He lost his seat in the 2024 general election and was replaced by Liberal Democrat MP Bobby Dean.{{Cite web |title=Carshalton & Wallington {{!}} General Election 2024 {{!}} Sky News |url=https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/carshalton-and-wallington-132 |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=election.news.sky.com |language=en}}

Personal life

Colburn is gay.{{cite web |url=https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/carshalton-and-wallington-conservative-candidate/ |title='I've lived in Sutton all my life, and did my first door knock at 13': meet the new Conservative parliamentary candidate for Carshalton and Wallington |publisher=South West Londoner |work=SW Londoner |accessdate=9 February 2020 |last=Evans |first=Jack |date=14 February 2019}}

After receiving a homophobic death threat in 2021, he spoke out to raise awareness of the abuse MPs face.{{Cite web |date=28 June 2021 |title=South London MP speaks out after receiving homophobic death threat |url=https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/28062021-south-london-mp-speaks-out-after-receiving-homophobic-death-threat/ |access-date=9 July 2021 |website=South West Londoner|language=en-GB}}

Colburn has served as a trustee of the charitable organisation Community Action Sutton and as a Scout Leader for the 6th Carshalton Scout Group.{{Cite web |title=About Elliot |url=https://www.elliotcolburn.co.uk/about-elliot |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=Elliot Colburn |language=en}}

In February 2024, at Prime Minister's Questions, Colburn revealed he had attempted suicide three years previously, and said that he wanted to share the message that "help is out there."{{Cite web |last=Buchan |first=Lizzy |date=2024-02-07 |title=Tory MP close to tears as he tells of suicide attempt in PMQs speech |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tory-mp-elliot-colburn-close-32068245 |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=The Mirror |language=en}} His contribution drew praise from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer.{{cite web |date=7 January 2024 |title=Elliot Colburn: MP tells PMQs about suicide attempt |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68232479 |access-date=8 February 2024 |website=BBC News}}