Harriet Iona Cross[1] (born 1990 or 1991)[2] is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament for Gordon and Buchan since the 2024 general election.[3]

Harriet Cross
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament
for Gordon and Buchan
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byRichard Thomson
Majority878 (2.0%)
Personal details
Born1990 or 1991 (age 33–34)
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
Political partyScottish Conservatives
Alma mater
Websitewww.harrietcross.uk

Harriet Cross was born in Harrogate and lived in West Cork in Ireland where her mother was from before settling in Aberdeenshire.[4] She attended Imperial College London where she studied zoology and earned a master's degree in Rural Land and Business Management and from the University of Reading.[5] In 2018, she returned to Aberdeenshire to work as a rural surveyor and later stood as the Conservative candidate for Aberdeen Donside in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, finishing second to Jackie Dunbar.[2]

Parliamentary career

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In the 2024 UK general election, she narrowly unseated incumbent SNP member Richard Thomson.[6] She became the first female Scottish Conservative MP since Kirstene Hair.[7]

In the 2024 UK Conservative party leadership election she backed Tom Tugendhat.[8]

In September 2024, following the proposal by Bank of Scotland to close its Ellon branch and the closure of all other bank branches in the area, Harriet Cross contacted Bank of Scotland expressing concern about the impact of a lack of banking services and requesting that they send a mobile branch to the area, criticising the proposal as a "disappointing display of attitude".[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Members Sworn". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 752. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Merson, Adele (30 June 2024). "Meet Tory rising star Harriet Cross who could buck national trend in Gordon and Buchan". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  3. ^ Clark, Jonny (5 July 2024). "Conservative Harriet Cross elected as MP for Gordon and Buchan". Grampian Online. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  4. ^ Ross, Calum (12 October 2020). "Shy bairns get nowt: Yorkshire-born Harriet Cross gets straight to the point of politics". Press and Journal. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Tory Westminster hopeful Harriet Cross outlines why she is standing for election". The Scottish Farmer. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Gordon and Buchan – General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Huntly MP vows to serve constituents". Grampian Online. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Harriet Cross endorses Tom Tugendhat for Conservative leadership". Holyrood Website. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  9. ^ Britton, Ruaraidh (5 September 2024). "MP urges Bank of Scotland to roll out mobile branch as Ellon set to lose last physical bank". Aberdeen Live. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for Gordon and Buchan
2024–present
Incumbent


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