Alison Bennett is the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Sussex, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Bennett won 21,136 votes, representing 39.6% of the vote. The Conservative candidate, Kristy Adams, received 14,474 votes (27.1%), while the Labour candidate, David Rowntree, secured 9,397 votes (17.6%). Bennett was duly elected with a majority of 6,662.

The Mid Sussex constituency was previously held by the Conservative Party continuously from its creation in 1974 until the 2024 election. Bennett’s immediate predecessor was Mims Davies of the Conservative Party; Nicholas Soames held the seat from 1997 to 2019.

Political Career

Bennett served on the Liberal Democrat frontbench as care and carers spokesperson from September 2024 to October 2026. Her decision to step down came as Lib Dem MPs criticised Ed Davey’s reaction to Andy Burnham’s first speech to Labour conference as prime minister.

Bennett delivered her maiden speech on 26 July 2024 in a debate on making Britain a clean energy superpower.

In it, she said: “What of Mid Sussex? I feel confident in asserting that I and all my predecessors agree that the stunning beauty of our corner of England is spectacular.

“With the High Weald area of outstanding natural beauty in the north, and the South Downs national park in the south, we are truly blessed. I have felt truly blessed to call Mid Sussex my home for the past 12 years, not only because of its beauty but because of its brilliant people.”

She added: “As a Liberal Democrat, I will always advocate closer ties with our European allies and neighbours.

“We believe that, in a world this unstable and dangerous, we are stronger when we turn to face our closest friends and neighbours. Co-operation, not antagonism, is the best way of tackling the challenges that our planet faces.”

Bennett also serves as a Liberal Democrat councillor on Mid Sussex District Council. She was first elected to the council in May 2019. She served as deputy leader of the council from May 2023 until July 2024.

Bennett previously stood unsuccessfully as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Arundel and South Downs in the 2019 general election, finishing second to the Conservative candidate, Andrew Griffith.

Political views

The Liberal Democrats (or Lib Dems) are a liberal political party, occupying the centre to centre-left ground in British politics.

The preamble to the Lib Dem constitution begins: “The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.”

The Liberal Democrat autumn conference in 2021 ratified a policy paper entitled What Liberal Democrats Believe. The paper, an attempt to expand on the constitution’s preamble, was framed around seven “principles and values”.

The party’s core values were described as “liberty, equality, democracy, community, internationalism and environmentalism.”

Bennett is a member of the Green Liberal Democrats, an official environmental group within the Liberal Democrats. It aims to “promote a green approach to policy formation within the Liberal Democrats” and “develop links with the wider green movement.” The grouping, formed in 1977 as a faction within the Liberal Party, is “committed to a net-zero and nature positive future and driving ambition across the national party and in local governance.”

Brexit and Europe

Customs union vote (2025): In December 2025, Bennett voted in favour of the UK-EU Customs Union (Duty to Negotiate) Bill. The bill, introduced under the 10-minute rule procedure by Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton, sought to mandate the government to enter into negotiations with the European Union to establish a bespoke customs union. In total, 13 Labour MPs joined the Liberal Democrats in supporting the motion, while the majority of the party abstained.

Electoral reform

Proportional representation bill: In December 2024, Bennett voted in favour of the Elections (Proportional Representation) Bill – introduced by Liberal Democrat frontbencher Sarah Olney under the 10-minute rule procedure. The bill sought to “introduce a system of proportional representation for parliamentary elections and for local government elections in England”.

A total of 138 MPs supported the bill – with 136 opposed. Notably, 59 Labour MPs backed Olney’s bill.

Introducing the bill, Olney told the House: “First past the post is a broken and unfair system. This summer, the Labour party won a landslide election victory, securing 63% of seats in the House of Commons in return for just 34% of the vote.

“The system leaves millions of voices unheard and creates a divisive, adversarial political climate where collaboration is discouraged and accountability is often sidestepped.”

Assisted dying

Bennett voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at both second reading (November 2024) and third reading (June 2025).

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Bennett voted in favour of a backbench amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that sought to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in June 2025. The amendment, which was passed by a majority of 242 votes, removed women from the threat of prosecution for ending a pregnancy at any stage. As an issue of conscience, MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs.

Palestine

Palestinian recognition letter (July 2025): In July 2025, Bennett was among the over 254 MPs to sign a cross-party letter calling for the government to immediately recognise the state of Palestine. The letter called on the prime minister and foreign secretary to recognise Palestine at the UN Conference then taking place in New York.

Before Politics

Born Alison Elizabeth Bennett, she attended The King’s School, Gloucester. She graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge in 1999 with a degree in social and political sciences.

After university, she worked for British Airways. She later worked for the energy company EON.

Personal Life

Bennett has lived in Mid Sussex since 2012. She has children.

Trivia

Bennett joined the Liberal Democrats in 2015. She became active the following year in the wake of the Brexit referendum and the election of Donald Trump as US president.

Bennet has said of this time: “I was dismayed, but realised that while I couldn’t do anything about what happened on the other side of the Atlantic, I could have an impact in the village where my children were growing up.

“I was fed up of people saying that there was no point voting because the same party always won. I was determined to do something about it.”

At that time, the Conservatives held all seats on Mid Sussex District Council, every county council division in the area – as well as the local parliamentary seat.

Bennett became deputy leader of Mid Sussex District Council in 2023 after the Liberal Democrats emerged as the largest party.

Bennett is the first Liberal Democrat MP to represent the constituency of Mid Sussex.