Tim Roca
{{short description|British politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Tim Roca
| honorific_suffix = MP
| image = Official portrait of Tim Roca MP crop 2.jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2024
| office = Member of Parliament
for Macclesfield
| term_start = 4 July 2024
| term_end =
| majority = 9,120 (18.5%)
| predecessor = David Rutley
| office1 = Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council
| term_start1 = May 2022
| term_end1 = January 2024
| predecessor1 =
| office2 = Member of Westminster City Council for Harrow Road
| term_start2 = May 2018
| birth_name = Juan Timothy Charles Roca
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|11|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = Stockport, Greater Manchester, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| resting_place =
| nationality = British
| party = Labour
| spouse =
| relations =
| children =
| education = Poynton High School
| alma_mater = Lancaster University
| termend2 = August 2024
}}
Juan Timothy Charles Roca (born 14 November 1985) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Macclesfield since 2024, when he gained the seat from the Conservative Party.{{Cite web |title=Macclesfield - General Election 2024 |url=https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/macclesfield-388 |access-date=5 July 2024 |publisher=Sky News}} Roca is the first ever Labour MP for Macclesfield, which had been held by the Conservative Party since 1918.{{cite news |last1=Watterson |first1=Kaleigh |title=Historic wins for Labour in Cheshire |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2q0k73zpl0o |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=BBC News |date=5 July 2024}}
Early life and education
Roca grew up in Cheshire, England, attending Disley Primary School in Disley, and Poynton High School.{{cite news | url=https://www.macclesfield-live.co.uk/news/election-candidate-named-7907244| title=Election candidate named|work=Macclesfield Live}} Roca studied History at Lancaster University, where he served as President of the Students' Union from 2007 to 2008.
Career
After attending Lancaster University, Roca moved to London working in Higher Education. He also became a Patron of APARU, the Association of Argentine professionals in the United Kingdom.[https://macclesfield.nub.news/news/general-election-2024/who-is-tim-roca-macclesfields-new-mp-234222 Who is Tim Roca? Macclesfield's new MP], Macclesfield Hub News, 5th July 2024
At the May 2014 Westminster City Council election, Roca was one of Labour's three candidates for the St James's ward. However, all three seats were comfortably held by the Conservative Party.{{Cite web |last=Teale |first=Andrew |title=St James's Ward |url=https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/ward/383/ |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=Local Elections Archive Project}}
Tim Roca subsequently stood as the Labour candidate for Macclesfield in Cheshire at the May 2015 general election. Although he increased Labour's vote share, the Conservative Party held the seat with a 29.8% majority.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}
In July 2015, Roca was elected to represent Harrow Road ward (centred on the street of that name) on Westminster City Council in a by-election, thus becoming a Labour Councillor. He was subsequently re-elected at the 2018 and 2022 local elections and stood down in August 2024.{{Cite web |last=Teale |first=Andrew |title=Harrow Road Ward |url=https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/ward/374/ |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=Local Elections Archive Project}}{{Cite web |title=Harrow Road |url=https://www.westminster.gov.uk/about-council/democracy/elections-referendums-and-how-vote/local-elections-5-may-2022/harrow-road |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=Westminster City Council |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Notice of vacancy of office of Councillor for Harrow Road Ward |url=https://www.westminster.gov.uk/media/document/notice-of-vacancy-for-the-harrow-road-ward |website=Westminster City Council}} He has served as Cabinet Member for Young People and Learning, and, until January 2024, as deputy leader of the council.{{Cite web |title=Changes to Cabinet announced |url=https://www.westminster.gov.uk/news/changes-cabinet-announced |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=Westminster City Council |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Westminster Youth Voice Summit takes place for first time |url=https://www.westminster.gov.uk/news/westminster-youth-voice-summit-takes-place-first-time |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=Westminster City Council |language=en}}
Roca was selected as the Labour candidate for Macclesfield at the 2024 general election, and this time took the seat from the Conservatives, who had represented the constituency since 1918.{{Cite news |title=Macclesfield - General election results 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001347 |access-date=2024-07-10 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
Personal life
Roca is openly gay, and his parliamentary candidacy was supported by the LGBT+ Labour Chris Smith List.{{Cite tweet |number=1796825286060699947 |user=Tim_Roca |title=As a gay man I'm proud to be supported through the Chris Smith List 🏳️🌈 Chris was the first openly gay MP - a trailblazer for LGBT equality. With hate crimes based on sexual orientation up 112% in the last 5 years, there's a long way still to go and much work still to be done. |first=Tim |last=Roca |date=1 June 2024 |access-date=22 July 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{official website}}
{{UK MP links
| parliament = 5287
| publicwhip = Tim_Roca
| theywork = 26549
}}
{{Labour Party UK MPs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roca, Tim}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Category:LGBTQ members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Category:English LGBTQ politicians
Category:Alumni of Lancaster University
Category:Councillors in the City of Westminster
Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors
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