James MacCleary

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix = Councillor

| name = James MacCleary

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}

| parliament = United Kingdom

| constituency_MP = Lewes

| term_start = 4 July 2024

| term_end =

| predecessor = Maria Caulfield

| successor =

| majority = 12,624 (23.8%)

| office1 = Liberal Democrat portfolios

| suboffice1 = Europe

| subterm1 = 2024–present

| birth_name = James Neville MacCleary

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| alma_mater = {{Plainlist|

University of Kent (BA)
University of Oxford (MSc)

}}

| party = Liberal Democrats

| image = Official portrait of James MacCleary MP crop 2.jpg

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

}}

James Neville MacCleary{{London Gazette |date=22 July 2024 |issue=64465 |page=14085}} is an English Liberal Democrat politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewes since 2024. He defeated the Conservative 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.

Early life and career

MacCleary graduated from the University of Kent with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in politics and international relations, and the University of Oxford with a Master 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.{{Cite web |title=Britain’s Pro-European Grassroots Campaigns |url=https://archive.europeanmovement.eu/news/britains-pro-european-grassroots-campaigns/ |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=EMI |language=en-US}} He ran a business providing advice and training in communications and data protection.{{Cite web |url=https://ient.me.uk/2024/06/03/james-maccleary-liberal-democrat/ |title=James MacCleary – Liberal Democrat |publisher=Vic Ient |date=3 June 2024 |access-date=9 July 2024 |archive-date=9 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709134210/https://ient.me.uk/2024/06/03/james-maccleary-liberal-democrat/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.libdems.org.uk/mps/lewes |title=James MacCleary |publisher=Liberal Democrats |access-date=2 August 2024}}

Political career

MacCleary was a member of Lewes District Council for the ward of Bridge from 2007 to 2015, and has represented the ward of Newhaven South since 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://democracy.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=478 |title=Councillor James MacCleary |website=Lewes and Eastbourne Councils |access-date=16 July 2024}} He is the Liberal Democrat group leader and served as leader of the council from 20 July 2020 to 15 July 2021,{{Cite web |url=https://democracy.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=431&MId=3205&Ver=4 |title=Agenda and minutes: Annual Council meeting, Lewes District Council Full Council – Monday, 20th July, 2020 6.00 pm |publisher=Lewes and Eastbourne Councils |access-date=2 August 2024}}{{Cite web |url=https://democracy.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=431&MId=3417&Ver=4 |title=Agenda and minutes: Lewes District Council Full Council – Thursday, 15th July, 2021 6.00 pm |publisher=Lewes and Eastbourne Councils |access-date=2 August 2024}} and subsequently from 18 July 2022 to 22 May 2023.{{Cite web |url=https://democracy.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=431&MId=3654&Ver=4 |title=Agenda and minutes: Lewes District Council Full Council – Monday, 18th July, 2022 6.00 pm |publisher=Lewes and Eastbourne Councils |access-date=2 August 2024}}{{Cite web |url=https://democracy.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=431&MId=3658&Ver=4 |title=Agenda and minutes: Annual and Full Council, Lewes District Council Full Council – Monday, 22nd May, 2023 6.00 pm |publisher=Lewes and Eastbourne Councils |access-date=2 August 2024}} He alternated the role annually with Zoe Nicholson of the Green Party under the Co-operative Alliance.{{Cite news |last=Oxburgh |first=Huw |date=21 July 2020 |title=Lewes councillors elect new leader |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/lewes-councillors-elect-new-leader-2919432 |work=Sussex World |access-date=2 August 2024 |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Elliott |first=Frankie |date=19 July 2022 |title=Lewes District Council appoints James MacCleary as new leader |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/lewes-district-council-appoints-james-maccleary-as-new-leader-3774073 |work=Sussex World |access-date=2 August 2024 |language=en}}

In the 2021 council election, MacCleary was elected to East Sussex County Council for the division of Newhaven and Bishopstone.{{Cite web |url=https://democracy.eastsussex.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2300 |title=Councillor James MacCleary |website=East Sussex County Council |access-date=16 July 2024}}{{Cite news |last1=Syed |first1=Yasmin |last2=Donnelly |first2=Luke |date=7 May 2021 |title=The East Sussex council election 2021 winners in full |url=https://www.sussexlive.co.uk/news/sussex-news/east-sussex-council-election-2021-5358087 |work=SussexLive |access-date=2 August 2024 |language=en}} He was previously a member of Lewes Town Council from 2011 to 2015 and Newhaven Town Council from 2019 to 2023.He has remained on the two councils alongside his work as a MP.

MacCleary stood in the constituency of Lewes at the 2024 general election. He defeated Maria Caulfield, the incumbent Conservative MP and a government minister, with a majority of 12,624 votes. Lewes was formerly represented for the Liberal Democrats by Norman Baker from 1997 to 2015.{{Cite news |last=Fuller |first=Christian |date=5 July 2024 |title=Five takeaways from Sussex's general election results |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxe258jrre5o |work=BBC News |access-date=2 August 2024 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Lewes {{!}} General Election 2024 |url=https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/lewes-367 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=Sky News |language=en |archive-date=2024-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705034512/https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/lewes-367 |url-status=live}}