Victoria Collins
{{Short description|British politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Victoria Collins
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}
| image = Official portrait of Victoria Collins MP crop 2.jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2024
| parliament = United Kingdom
| constituency_MP = Harpenden and Berkhamsted
| term_start = 4 July 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = Constituency established
| successor =
| majority = 10,708 (19.7%)
| office1 = Liberal Democrat portfolios
| suboffice1 = Science, Innovation and Technology
| subterm1 = 2024–present
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Liberal Democrats
| alma_mater = {{plainlist|
}}
}}
Victoria Mei Elizabeth Collins{{Cite web |title=Poole (2019) |url=https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/past-election-and-referendum-results/poole-2019 |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=BCP |language=en}} is a Liberal Democrat politician and entrepreneur{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-03-01 |title=New Lib Dem candidate in search of gold in Harpenden |url=https://stalbanstimes.co.uk/harpenden/new-lib-dem-candidate-in-search-of-gold-in-harpenden/ |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=St Albans Times |language=en-GB}} who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Harpenden and Berkhamsted since 2024.{{Cite news |title=Harpenden and Berkhamsted – General election results 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001268 |access-date=2024-07-05 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
Background
Collins was privately educated at Newcastle upon Tyne Church High School,https://www.linkedin.com/in/collinsvictoria/details/education/https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/7160127.students-hot-debates/ before studying history at Durham University from 2006 to 2009.{{cite web |title=Class Notes 2023 |url=https://www.durham.ac.uk/alumni/community/class-notes/2023/ |website=Durham University |publisher=University of Durham |access-date=7 July 2024}} She later completed a master's degree in international economic policy at Sciences Po in Paris.{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=July 2024}}
She is of Chinese descent.https://www.facebook.com/ChineseLibDems/posts/amazing-result-congrats-victoria-collins-for-harpenden-berkhamsted-/881492820682191/ In her maiden speech in Parliament, Collins indicated that her mother arrived in the United Kingdom from Malaysia for her education in 1974, and her mother went go on to run a shop where Victoria helped as she was growing up.{{cite web |title=Economy, Welfare and Public Services |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2024-07-22/debates/67C8D6FC-BDA4-47FF-BECC-537443D53120/EconomyWelfareAndPublicServices#contribution-373960D8-4472-4D1E-9E80-55592BDCD599 |publisher=UK Parliament|access-date=7 November 2024}}
Early career
She has previously worked on economic and environmental policy in the European Parliament,{{Cite web |last=Day |first=Christopher |date=2023-07-07 |title=Lib Dems launch campaign to win new Harpenden & Berkhamsted seat |url=https://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/23641159.lib-dem-leader-ed-davey-launches-harpenden-election-campaign/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Herts Advertiser |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency debate |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/czvvxq5k1dvt |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}} and was a contributor on Forbes's website.{{Cite web |title=Victoria Collins |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriacollins/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Forbes |language=en}} She has also worked as an independent consultant on sustainability.
Political career
Collins contested the Poole constituency for the Liberal Democrats at the 2019 general election. She came third, with 15.5% of the vote.{{Cite news |title=Poole parliamentary constituency – Election 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000881 |access-date=2024-07-01 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
Collins was selected as the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for the South West Hertfordshire constituency in October 2022.{{Cite news |last=Preston |first=Olivia |date=14 October 2022 |title=Liberal Democrats select Victoria Collins as South West Hertfordshire parliamentary candidate |url=https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/politics/liberal-democrats-select-victoria-collins-as-south-west-hertfordshire-parliamentary-candidate-3880909 |work=Hemel Today}} However, due to the 2023 Boundary Commission changes, she was no longer located within the constituency, and she therefore was made to be the candidate for the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.{{Cite web |last=Bates |first=Pearce |date=2023-04-12 |title=Lib Dems select candidate for new Harpenden constituency |url=https://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/23450624.liberal-democrats-select-harpenden-berkhamsted-candidate/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Herts Advertiser |language=en}} She was elected to represent the constituency with a majority of 10,708 votes over the second place Conservative candidate Nigel Gardner.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{UK MP links
| parliament = 5201
| publicwhip = Victoria_Collins
| theywork = 26539
}}
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{{s-par|uk}}
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{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for Harpenden and Berkhamsted|years=2024–present}}
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{{Current UK Liberal Democrat MPs}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Victoria}}
Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Category:People from Hertfordshire
Category:Alumni of Van Mildert College, Durham
Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)