Will Stone
{{Short description|British politician}}
{{for|the British poet|Will Stone (poet)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name =
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}
| image = Official portrait of Will Stone MP crop 2.jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2024
| office = Member of Parliament
for Swindon North
| predecessor = Justin Tomlinson
| term_start = 4 July 2024
| term_end =
| majority = 4,103 (9.3%)
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Swindon, England
| party = Labour
| education =
| alma_mater =
| website = {{URL|https://willstone4northswindon.co.uk/}}
}}
Will Stone is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Swindon North since 2024.{{Cite web |title=Swindon North {{!}} General Election 2024 {{!}} Sky News |url=https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/swindon-north-572 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=election.news.sky.com |language=en}}
Early life
Will Stone was born in Swindon and was an Army rifleman in the 1st Battalion, The Rifles.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-63044705 | title=Ex-soldier's calls for more help for Wiltshire veterans | work=BBC News | date=27 September 2022 }}{{cite news |last1=Merrick |first1=Jane |title=Inside Swindon North, target seat where Starmer hasn't won over voters |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/voters-unconvinced-starmer-swindon-key-target-seat-3109221 |access-date=5 July 2024 |work=inews.co.uk |date=13 June 2024 |language=en}}
Political career
Stone was elected as a councillor on Swindon Borough Council for the ward of Rodbourne Cheney in 2022.{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Aled |title=Labour candidate for North Swindon at the next election says what he'd do if elected |url=https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/23285829.will-stone-announced-labour-candidate-north-swindon/ |access-date=5 July 2024 |work=Swindon Advertiser |date=31 January 2023 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241104113934/https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/23285829.will-stone-announced-labour-candidate-north-swindon/ |archive-date=4 November 2024}} As a councillor, Stone called for more support for veterans.{{Cite news |date=2022-09-27 |title=Ex-soldier's calls for more help for Wiltshire veterans |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-63044705 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250414113325/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-63044705 |archive-date=2025-04-14 |access-date=2025-04-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
He won the Swindon North seat for Labour at the 2024 general election, defeating the Conservative incumbent Justin Tomlinson by a margin of 4,103 votes (9.3%).
In early 2025, Stone was appointed as a 'business champion' of defence and green technology by the Labour Party.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Aled |date=2025-02-20 |title=Swindon North MP takes on 'business champion' role |url=https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/24945742.swindon-mp-will-stone-takes-business-champion-role/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250414113028/https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/24945742.swindon-mp-will-stone-takes-business-champion-role/ |archive-date=2025-04-14 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Swindon Advertiser |language=en}}
In February 2025, Stone introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill to amend the Road Traffic Act 1988, making death caused by an unlicensed driver a careless driving offence under section 3.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-04 |title=Harry Parker: MP seeks to close 'loophole' after schoolboy killed |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8975wpwy83o |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{cite news |url=https://news.sky.com/story/tougher-laws-on-unlicensed-drivers-to-be-considered-after-sky-news-report-13303153 |title=Tougher laws on unlicensed drivers to be considered after Sky News report |work=Sky News |date=4 February 2025 |first=Amanda |last=Akass}} Stone was motivated to introduce the bill in response to the death of 14-year-old teenager from Swindon, who was killed by an unlicensed driver in 2022.{{Cite web |last=Boobyer |first=Leigh |date=2024-11-18 |title=Grieving parents 'failed' as driving charges dropped |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy169qlwk0o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250414121403/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy169qlwk0o |archive-date=2025-04-14 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite news |date=2022-11-29 |title=Harry Parker hit by car outside school was 'charming young man' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-63793952 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250414121546/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-63793952 |archive-date=2025-04-14 |access-date=2025-04-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
Personal life
Stone is a black belt in both Judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.{{cite web |last1=Barltrop |first1=Paul |last2=Boobyer |first2=Leigh |date=29 October 2024 |title=MP to grapple in jiu-jitsu match for charity |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn7mlnm05j2o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250414112324/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn7mlnm05j2o |archive-date=14 April 2025 |access-date=27 November 2024 |website=BBC News}}{{Cite web |date=2024-11-02 |title=Swindon Labour MP Will Stone defeated in charity jiu-jitsu fight |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c629xzq08z7o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250414112037/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c629xzq08z7o |archive-date=2025-04-14 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{official website}}
{{UK MP links
| parliament = 5035
| publicwhip = Will_Stone
| theywork = 26320
}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=Justin Tomlinson}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for Swindon North|years=2024–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}{{Labour Party UK MPs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, Will}}
Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century British Army personnel
Category:Councillors in Wiltshire