Marie Clare Goldman is a British

Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...

politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for

Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...

since

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

. She is the first non-

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician to represent Chelmsford in 74 years. She is the Liberal Democrat

Shadow Leader of the House of Commons The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom), Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet responsible for working with the Leader of the House of Commons, Leader of the House in arrangi ...

Early life and education

Goldman took her

A-level The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...

s at Exeter College, Devon, and then gained a BA in French and management studies in 2000 at

Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London (RH), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public university, public research university and a constituent college, member institution of the federal University of London. It ...

Political career

Goldman was the deputy leader of

Chelmsford City Council Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London a ...

from 2019 until August 2024, having been elected to the council at the

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

and 2023 council elections for the ward of Moulsham and Central. She has been a member of

Essex County Council Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county; the non-metropolitan county excludes Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock which ...

for the division of Chelmsford Central since the 2021 council election. Goldman was selected by the Liberal Democrats to run in the 2019 general election in the constituency of

, losing to the incumbent Conservative MP,

Vicky Ford Victoria Grace Ford ( Pollock, 21 September 1967) is a British politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chelmsford from 2017 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, she briefly served as Minister of State for Development from ...

. In March 2023, Goldman was re-selected as the candidate for Chelmsford. She won in the

2024 general election This is a list of elections that were held in 2024. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2024 United Nations Security Council election * 2024 national electoral calendar * 2024 local electo ...

, defeating Ford by a majority of 4,753 votes. Goldman is the first non-Conservative MP to serve Chelmsford since Ernest Millington, who was defeated in the 1950 general election. On 18 September 2024,

Ed Davey Sir Edward Jonathan Davey (born 25 December 1965) is a British politician who has served as the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, leader of the Liberal Democrat party since 2020. He served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition as Secretary of State ...

announced his new

Frontbench Team Frontbench Team is a political term used in the Westminster system of government. It is used to describe the senior leadership of opposition parliamentarians in the British House of Commons and the Dáil Éireann. United Kingdom Ireland * ...

with Goldman appointed as the Liberal Democrat Shadow Leader of the House of Commons.

Personal life

Goldman runs a small construction business in

with her husband, Simon Goldman, who also serves as a Chelmsford city councillor.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Goldman, Marie Living people Date of birth missing (living people) 21st-century British women politicians UK MPs 2024–present Members of Essex County Council Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors Liberal Democrats (UK) MPs for English constituencies Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Women councillors in England UK councillors 2019–2023 UK councillors 2021–2025 UK councillors 2023–2027 Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London