Chris Coghlan (politician)

Contents

Christopher Austin Francis Coghlan[1] is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Dorking and Horley since 2024. He previously co-founded the Renew Party in 2018.

Early life and education

Coghlan grew up in Peaslake, a village near Guildford, Surrey.[2] He graduated from King's College London in 2001, later completing a master's degree in finance at London Business School in 2012 and gaining a Master of Public Administration degree at Harvard Kennedy School in 2014.[3]

A former officer in the Army Reserve, Coghlan was called up to serve in Iraq as a military advisor in 2020.[2] He was a Foreign and Commonwealth Office anti-terrorism officer,[4][5] but resigned because he was "demoralised by the failure of our politicians to deliver opportunity in government, fight Corbyn and a hard Brexit".[6]

Political career

Coghlan stood as an independent anti-Brexit candidate in Battersea in the 2017 general election. In 2018, he co-founded the Renew Party, a minor centrist political party that stood for "a second referendum and a tech revolution to leave no one behind".[4][6] He left the party later that year after disagreements with other senior members.[7]

Coghlan was elected to Mole Valley District Council for the ward of Dorking North in the 2021 council election as a Liberal Democrat.[8]

In the 2024 general election, Coghlan was elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for the new seat of Dorking and Horley with 41.9 per cent of the vote and a majority of 5,391.[9]

Personal life

Coghlan lives in Dorking with his wife Clara and their three daughters.[2] Coghlan is a Roman Catholic.[10] He was barred from receiving Holy Communion due to his support for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.[11]

References

  1. 1."No. 64465". The London Gazette. 22 July 2024. p. 14085.
  2. 2.[2.2][2.3]"Cllr Chris Coghlan". Mole Valley District Council. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  3. 3."2022 Chris Coghlan". Mole Valley Liberal Democrats. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  4. 4.[4.2]Wright, Robert (14 October 2017). "New anti-Brexit party hopes to capture UK politics centre ground". Financial Times. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  5. 5.Clark, Sam (4 May 2018). "How Renew Britain aims to start a 'tech revolution'". The Stack. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  6. 6.[6.2]Coghlan, Chris (12 April 2018). "Why I quit my foreign office job to set up a centrist party". The Times. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  7. 7.Pack, Mark (24 May 2018). "Implosion at Renew, one of the new centrist/pro-European parties". Mark Pack. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  8. 8."District Council Election Results – 6 May 2021". Mole Valley District Council. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  9. 9."Dorking and Horley | General Election 2024". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  10. 10."I was told I was complicit in a murderous act for backing..." The Observer. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  11. 11."Priest denies MP holy communion over his support for assi..." The Observer. Retrieved 29 June 2025.