James MacCleary

James Neville MacCleary^[1] is an English Liberal Democrat politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewes since 2024. He defeated the Conservative incumbent, Maria Caulfield, with a majority of almost 13,000. MacCleary has served as a member of East Sussex County Council since 2021, and Lewes District Council from 2007 to 2015 and since 2019.

Councillor James MacCleary MP
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament for Lewes
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 July 2024
Preceded by	Maria Caulfield
Majority	12,624 (23.8%)
Liberal Democrat portfolios
2024–present	Europe
Personal details
Born	James Neville MacCleary
Political party	Liberal Democrats
Alma mater	University of Kent (BA) University of Oxford (MSc)

Early life and career

MacCleary graduated from the University of Kent with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in politics and international relations, and the University of Oxford with a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Russian and East European studies.

He has worked as a director and manager for charities and campaigning organisations, including as Campaign Director for the European Movement UK.^[2] He ran a business providing advice and training in communications and data protection.^[3][4]

Political career

MacCleary was a member of Lewes District Council for the ward of Bridge from 2007 to 2015, and has represented the ward of Newhaven South since 2019.^[3][5] He is the Liberal Democrat group leader and served as leader of the council from 20 July 2020 to 15 July 2021,^[6][7] and subsequently from 18 July 2022 to 22 May 2023.^[8][9] He alternated the role annually with Zoe Nicholson of the Green Party under the Co-operative Alliance.^[10][11]

In the 2021 council election, MacCleary was elected to East Sussex County Council for the division of Newhaven and Bishopstone.^[12][13] He was previously a member of Lewes Town Council from 2011 to 2015 and Newhaven Town Council from 2019 to 2023.^[3]He has remained on the two councils alongside his work as a MP.

MacCleary stood in the constituency of Lewes at the 2024 general election. He defeated Maria Caulfield, the incumbent Conservative MP and a government minister, with a majority of 12,624 votes. Lewes was formerly represented for the Liberal Democrats by Norman Baker from 1997 to 2015.^[14][15]

Since the election he has been the Europe spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats.^[16] In this role he introduced a Ten-Minute Rule Bill on the 15th of January calling for the UK Government to negotiate a new Youth Mobility Scheme with the European Union. ^[17]

He has also been stanch in his opposition to Bidzina Ivanishvili and his ruling Georgian Dream. He has repeatedly called for sanctions against the Georgian regime due to their democratic backsliding and violent crackdown on protestors, leading them to accuse him of being a member of the Global War Party. He signed a joint letter with the U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson calling for sanctions on Georgia.^[18] He is also amongst the British MPs that have been sanctioned by the Russian Federation.^[19]