Ian Roome is the Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Roome won 21,820 votes, representing 42.4% of the vote. The Conservative candidate, Selaine Saxby, received 15,076 votes (29.3%), while the Reform UK candidate, Nigel James, secured 8,137 votes (15.8%). Roome was duly elected with a majority of 6,744.

The North Devon constituency, located in South West England, was created in 1950. It has changed hands between the Liberal Party/Liberal Democrats on several occasions in that time. Among Roome’s predecessors were Selaine Saxby of the Conservative Party (2019-2024) and former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe (1959-1979).

Political Career

Roome is a member of the House of Commons defence select committee (since October 2024) – the committee responsible for monitoring the expenditure, administration and policy of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and its associated public bodies. The committee’s remit includes oversight of the British Armed Forces.

Roome is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) for the Celtic Sea, charities and volunteering (co-chair) and dentistry and oral health.

Roome delivered his maiden speech on 16 October 2024 during a debate on access to primary healthcare.

In it, he said: “It is now 35 years since I was posted to what was then RAF Chivenor on the beautiful north Devon coast, while serving in the Royal Air Force. At the time, my flight sergeant at RAF Laarbruch in Germany told me that going to north Devon would probably turn out to be an adventure.

“I confess to the House that I do not think this place is quite what he, or I, had in mind.”

He added: “Out of uniform, I joined the NHS, starting out as a mental health nurse at North Devon district hospital – the most remote acute hospital in mainland England – visiting patients across unique communities, such as Combe Martin and Lynton, and eventually leading the campaign to build a chemotherapy and day treatment unit.

“My area suffers from shortfalls in important medical services such as pharmacy, nursing and, in particular, dentistry. Our hospital now has intensive care units and operating theatres that are approaching 50 years old and are desperately in need of investment from the new hospital programme.”

Before entering parliament, Roome had an extensive career in local government. He was first elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor on Barnstaple Town Council in 2003 and served three terms as mayor of Barnstaple.

Roome was elected to North Devon District Council in May 2015. He served as leader of the council from 2023 to 2024.

In 2021, Roome was elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor on Devon County Council.

Roome stood down from his council roles in 2025.

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.”

Roome 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.”

Roome was endorsed by local groups of the cross-party organisation Compass during the 2024 general election. Compass is a thinktank and campaign group. As part of its “Win as One” campaign in the 2024 election, local Compass groups backed a slate of progressive candidates who had pledged their support for electoral reform. The central aim of the initiative was to elect a “caucus” of MPs who would champion the cause of replacing the first past the post electoral system.

Brexit and Europe

Customs union vote (2025): In December 2025, Roome 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

In December 2024, Roome 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

Roome 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).

Before Politics

Roome was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, in 1968. He attended Chaucer School in Sheffield.

Roome joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1986 after leaving school. He served across the UK and in Germany, working in telecommunications. He was posted to RAF Chivenor in North Devon in 1989.

After leaving the RAF, Roome worked for the NHS in North Devon.

He later worked in social housing management before becoming head of charity fundraising at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Personal Life

Roome has two daughters and one grandson.

Trivia

Roome enjoys watching rugby and travelling, including by motorcycle.