Sam Carling

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Sam Carling

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

| image = Sam Carling 2024 Official Portrait cropped.jpg

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

| parliament = United Kingdom

| constituency_MP = North West Cambridgeshire

| term_start = 4 July 2024

| term_end =

| predecessor = Shailesh Vara

| successor =

| majority = 39 (0.1%)

| office2 = Member of Cambridge City Council
for West Chesterton

| term_start2 = 9 May 2022

| term_end2 = 1 May 2025

| birth_name = Samuel Carling

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|2002 }}

| birth_place = County Durham, England

| party = Labour

| alma_mater = Christ's College, Cambridge (BA)

| website = {{URL|https://samcarling.org}}

}}

Samuel Carling (born 2002) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Cambridgeshire since 2024. He is the first British parliamentarian to be born in the 21st century. By convention, as the youngest member of Parliament, he is accorded the honorary style of Baby of the House.{{Cite news |last=Tyzack |first=Anna |date=10 July 2024 |title='I grew stubble to make myself look older': Meet the disconcertingly young professionals |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/07/10/sam-carling-mp-young-professionals-babyface/ |access-date=3 August 2024 |work=The Daily Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} Carling represented the ward of West Chesterton on Cambridge City Council from 2022 until 2025.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-11 |title=North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling to stand down as Cambridge City Councillor after election win |url=https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics/north-west-cambridgeshire-mp-sam-carling-to-stand-down-as-cambridge-city-councillor-after-election-win-4698864 |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Peterborough Telegraph |language=en}}

Early life and education

Samuel Carling was born in 2002{{cite news |last1=Parry |first1=Louise |last2=Hulland |first2=Louise |date=6 July 2024 |title=Meet the new youngest MP – born in 2002 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c16jpl6707eo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706062051/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c16jpl6707eo |archive-date=6 July 2024 |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=BBC News |publisher=}} and raised in Crook, County Durham. He described his background as being from "a totally apolitical family, in quite a deprived part of the north east of England".

Originally from Bishop Auckland, Carling completed his GCSEs at Wolsingham School before attending sixth form at Barnard Castle School, an independent boarding school in County Durham, with an academic scholarship.{{Cite web |last=Priestley |first=Catherine |date=29 December 2020 |title=Science student's work on nanotechnology used in cancer research wins top award |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/18971829.student-bishop-auckland-wins-salters-nuffield-prize/ |access-date=8 July 2024 |website=The Northern Echo |language=en}} He achieved five A* A-level grades and an Extended Project Qualification.{{Cite web |last=Nicholls |first=Stuart |date=12 January 2021 |title=National Award Success for Sam! - Barnard Castle School |url=https://www.barnardcastleschool.org.uk/2021/01/12/national-award-success-for-sam/ |access-date=10 July 2024 |website=Barnard Castle School |language=en}} The cancellation of some A-level exams during the COVID-19 pandemic sparked Carling's interest in politics,{{Cite web |last=James |first=Rhiannon |date=24 July 2024 |title=Youngest MP says Tory government's response to pandemic 'politicised' him |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/covid-labour-government-parliament-b2585340.html |access-date=4 August 2024 |website=The Independent |language=en}} which developed at university and inspired him to run for elected office.{{Cite web |last=Gordon-Farleigh |first=Neve |date=24 July 2024 |title=New MP says cancelled exams inspired him to get into politics |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4ng08w4365o |access-date=4 August 2024 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

While at Barnard Castle School, Carling received the Salters–Nuffield Prize[https://saltersinstitute.org/programmes/our-alumni/ www.saltersinstitute.org] for "exceptional performance in biology" from the Worshipful Company of Salters with an essay entitled "Could carbon quantum dots have applications in bioimaging?"

Aged 18, Carling then went to read natural sciences at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he became actively involved in Cambridge University politics. A staff writer for Varsity,{{Cite web |last=Carling |first=Sam |date=21 January 2022 |title=When Cambridge SU fails, JCRs pick up the slack |url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/opinion/22798 |access-date=4 August 2024 |website=Varsity |language=en}} Carling served as president of Christ's College JCR and co-chairman of the Cambridge University Labour Club, before being elected an Officer of the Cambridge Union[https://cus.org/whos-who www.cus.org] and then as a member of the Cambridge University Council.[https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/committees/council/Pages/members-listing.aspx www.governance.cam.ac.uk]{{Refn|Carling won the contested post of University Councillor following the Cambridge University election of 3 March 2022. With an 800-vote majority in the first round, Carling then was elected with 896 student votes after eliminating two other candidates.{{Cite web |last=Ullah |first=Emaan |last2=Moss |first2=Bethan |date=3 March 2022 |title=Live: Cambridge SU election results |url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/23302 |access-date=4 August 2024 |website=Varsity |language=en}}|group=lower-alpha}} In 2023, he graduated with first-class honours and became an undergraduate tutor.{{Cite web |last=Baugh |first=Emma |date=6 July 2024 |editor-last=Tisch |editor-first=Barbara |title=Sam Carling: The youngest MP |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cd10ene4n5rt?page=9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240803050659/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cd10ene4n5rt?page=9 |archive-date=3 August 2024 |access-date=3 August 2024 |website=BBC News |page=9 |language=en-GB}}

While studying for a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) postgraduate degree at Cambridge,[https://www.christs.cam.ac.uk/news/christs-postgraduate-elected-mp-north-west-cambridgeshire www.christs.cam.ac.uk] Carling was elected to Parliament in 2024,{{cite news |last=Vall |first=Wilf |date=5 July 2024 |title=Cambridge postgrad wins seat in Parliament |url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/27871 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705232558/https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/27871 |archive-date=5 July 2024 |access-date=6 July 2024 |newspaper=Varsity}} the academic year having only just ended.

Political career

In 2022, while still a second-year undergraduate, Carling ran on the Labour slate for election to Cambridge City Council to represent the ward of West Chesterton. At the local elections held on 5 May 2022, Carling narrowly defeated incumbent Liberal Democrat councillor Jamie Dalzell,[https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/passion-for-politics-brought-us-closer-lk97mdk6n www.thetimes.com] increasing Labour's majority on Cambridge City Council with the Liberal Democrats losing three seats and the Greens gaining one. Carling became the first Cambridge student in memory to successfully contest a City Council seat.{{Cite web |last=Mumford |first=Peter |date=6 May 2022 |title=Cambridge student wins seat on City Council |url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/23671 |access-date=4 August 2024 |website=Varsity |language=en}} He was re-elected at the 2024 Cambridge City Council election. During his tenure, Carling held the office of Executive Councillor for Open Spaces and City Services,{{Cite web |title=Councillor Sam Carling |url=https://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=7210 |access-date=6 July 2024 |publisher=Cambridge City Council |archive-date=4 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240704022601/https://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=7210 |url-status=live }} and was a member of the Skills Committee of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority for two years. He was an advocate of improvements to adult education and transport throughout Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.{{cite news |last=Senior |first=Matthew |date=5 July 2024 |title=Meet Sam Carling the North West Cambridgeshire MP who is only 22 |url=https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/meet-sam-carling-north-west-29481290 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705230748/https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/meet-sam-carling-north-west-29481290 |archive-date=5 July 2024 |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=Cambridgeshire Live}}

Carling announced his intention to step down as a Cambridge city councillor as soon as a by-election could reasonably be held and, in the following week on 18 July, he resigned from the council's cabinet.{{Cite news |last=Briggs |first=Stephen |date=11 July 2024 |title=North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling to stand down as Cambridge City Councillor after election win |url=https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics/north-west-cambridgeshire-mp-sam-carling-to-stand-down-as-cambridge-city-councillor-after-election-win-4698864 |archive-url= |access-date=4 August 2024 |work=Peterborough Telegraph}} Carling has ceased to take councillor allowances since then. {title = Same Carling Register of Interests | url = https://members.parliament.uk/member/5308/registeredinterests}

=House of Commons=

At the 2024 general election, Carling successfully contested the constituency of North West Cambridgeshire for the Labour Party. Campaigning for better public services,{{cite news |last=Herring |first=Francesca |date=28 May 2024 |title=General Election: Labour North West Cambs candidate Cllr Sam Carling |url=https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/24349557.general-election-labour-north-west-cambs-candidate-cllr-sam-carling/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706102313/https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/24349557.general-election-labour-north-west-cambs-candidate-cllr-sam-carling/ |archive-date=6 July 2024 |access-date=6 July 2024 |newspaper=The Hunts Post}} he defeated incumbent Conservative MP Shailesh Vara being returned to Parliament by a narrow margin of 39 votes, verified by a recount.{{cite news |first1=Tom |last1=Burnett |first2=Cait |last2=Findlay |url=https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/live-north-west-cambridgeshire-general-29474272 |title=New Labour MP for North West Cambridgeshire elected in 'political earthquake' |website=Cambridgeshire Live |date=5 July 2024 |access-date=6 July 2024 |archive-date=6 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706102316/https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/live-north-west-cambridgeshire-general-29474272 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |author=Orla Moore |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cervgm1kyxxo |title=Labour wins Peterborough and NW Cambridgeshire |publisher=BBC News |date=5 July 2024 |access-date=6 July 2024 |archive-date=6 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706102313/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cervgm1kyxxo |url-status=live }} The seat had been held by the Conservatives since its creation in 1997.{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Ben |date=5 July 2024 |title=North West Cambridgeshire elects Britain's youngest MP on night of high drama |url=https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics/north-west-cambridgeshire-elects-britains-youngest-mp-on-night-of-high-drama-4691866 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705090631/https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics/north-west-cambridgeshire-elects-britains-youngest-mp-on-night-of-high-drama-4691866 |archive-date=5 July 2024 |newspaper=Peterborough Telegraph}} At the age of 22, he was the youngest MP elected at the 2024 election and became Baby of the House. Carling is the first British MP to be born in the 21st century.{{Cite news |last=Boyle |first=Cash |date=6 July 2024 |title=Labour's Sam Carling, 22, is first MP to be born in 21st century |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/06/labour-sam-carling-22-first-mp-born-in-21st-century |access-date=6 July 2024 |newspaper=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}} He is the Labour Party's joint-youngest MP, tied with Malcolm Macmillan, who was elected at the same age in 1935.{{Cite news |last=Shirreff |first=Lauren |date=5 July 2024 |title=OMG, I just got elected! Meet Britain's youngest MP |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/07/05/sam-carling-britains-youngest-mp-north-west-cambridgeshire/ |access-date=3 August 2024 |work=The Daily Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} On 24 July 2024, Carling made his maiden speech in a debate on education and opportunity.{{cite Hansard |jurisdiction= United Kingdom |title= Education and Opportunity |url= https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2024-07-24/debates/6313FBF9-78FD-46A8-99C4-3E7CE4E0508F/EducationAndOpportunity#contribution-7347D8F0-FFC9-4CF6-8994-F3B01571A96D |house= House of Commons |date= 24 July 2024 |volume= 752 |column_start= 756 |column_end= 758 |speaker= Sam Carling |position=}}

In November 2024, Carling voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted dying.{{cite web |title=Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading |url=https://votes.parliament.uk/votes/commons/division/1877 |website=Votes in Parliament |date=29 November 2024}}

In his first six months, Carling has contributed to various debates including on Renters' Rights and SEND provision. {title = Sam Carling House of Commons Spoken Contributions | url = https://members.parliament.uk/member/5308/contributions}

Personal life

Carling is an apprentice member of the Salters' Company.[https://saltersinstitute.org/about-us/ www.saltersinstitute.org] In an interview with The Times, Carling described himself as a member of the LGBT community. He further stated: "I don't see any reason why I won't re-stand. But I'm 22, and I don't intend to be in the House of Commons for 40 years. I will come out and do something else eventually."{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Georgina |last2=Perlman |first2=Elisabeth |date=5 August 2024 |title=Order! Gen Z's in the House — meet the twentysomething MPs |url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/celebrity/article/interview-generation-z-mps-politics-prfn6dbc7 |access-date=5 August 2024 |website=The Times |language=en}}

Electoral history

{{Election box begin|title=General election 2024: North West Cambridgeshire{{Cite web |title=Full General Election results for Cambridgeshire |url=https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2024-07-02/cambridgeshires-general-election-results-as-they-happen|access-date=2024-07-05|website=ITV News Anglia |date=5 July 2024 |language=en}}|}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=Sam Carling|votes=14,785|percentage=33.3|change=+9.6}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Shailesh Vara|votes=14,746|percentage=33.2|change=−26.8|}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Reform UK|candidate=James Sidlow|votes=8,741|percentage=19.7|change=+19.6}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Liberal Democrats (UK)|candidate=Bridget Smith|votes=3,192|percentage=7.2|change=−3.8}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Green Party of England and Wales|candidate=Elliot Tong|votes=2,960|percentage=6.7|change=+1.5}}

{{Election box turnout|votes=44,424|percentage=58.5|change=−5.4}}

{{Election box registered electors

|reg. electors = 75,915

}}

{{Election box gain with party link

|winner = Labour Party (UK)

|loser = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +18.2

}}

References

Notes

External links

{{Official website|https://www.samcarling.org/}}
{{UK MP links

| parliament =5308

| publicwhip =

| theywork =26558/sam_carling

}}

[https://www.path.cam.ac.uk/directory/sam-carling Department of Pathology page] at Cambridge University
[https://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=7210 Councillor Sam Carling] at Cambridge City Council
[https://www.lgbt.mp/member/5308/ Profile] at www.lgbt.mp

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for North West Cambridgeshire|years=2024–present}}

Category:2002 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge

Category:Councillors in Cambridgeshire

Category:English LGBTQ politicians

Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors

Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:LGBTQ members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

Category:People educated at Barnard Castle School

Category:People from Bishop Auckland

Category:Politicians from County Durham

Category:UK councillors 2021–2024

Category:UK councillors 2024–2028

Category:UK MPs 2024–present