Victoria Collins is the Liberal Democrat MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Collins won 27,282 votes, representing 50.2% of the vote. The Conservative candidate, Nigel Gardner, received 16,574 votes (30.5%), while the Reform UK candidate, Saba Poursaeedi, secured 4,245 votes (7.8%). Collins was duly elected with a majority of 10,708.

The Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency is located in Hertfordshire, East of England. It is a new constituency created for the 2024 general election, formed from parts of the abolished Hitchin and Harpenden seat and the South West Hertfordshire seat.

Political Career

Collins currently serves on the Liberal Democrat frontbench as science, innovation and technology spokesperson. She was appointed to this role in September 2024.

As Liberal Democrat science, innovation and technology spokesperson, Collins has called for mandatory health warnings on social media apps alongside a two-hour “doom-scrolling cap” for those aged under 18.

In an October 2025 House magazine article, Collins wrote: “Social media giants have failed to tackle the harms they inflict on young people for far too long. Although steps have been taken, the government is moving far too slowly while young people are still calling out for help and parents are sounding the alarm bells.”

Collins also serves as vice president of the Liberal Democrats (since January 2026). In the 2025 Liberal Democrat vice presidential election, Collins won 2788 votes (57%), defeating her rival, Kamran Hussain, who secured 2101 votes (43%).

As vice president, she is responsible for increasing diversity in the party.

Collins is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for entrepreneurship.

Collins delivered her maiden speech in the House of Commons on July 22 2024, during a debate on the Economy, Welfare and Public Services. In it, she said: “I stand here exactly 50 years since my mum came to the UK from Malaysia. She came here for an education and stayed to build a business and raise a family.

“As I helped in my mum’s shop, my parents instilled in me values of community, tolerance and perseverance – something that I hope will guide me during my time as an MP.”

She added: “Given the picture often painted of our corner of Hertfordshire, members might think that we are solely an affluent commuter area, but that is far from the reality for everyone. So many families, individuals and local businesses are struggling to make ends meet as bills continue to rise.

“I remember the struggles that my family faced when the economy turned and business got tough. That is why I am passionate about supporting local families, tackling inequality, and not just the vital local businesses that we value today but the entrepreneurs and enterprises of tomorrow.”

Collins previously stood unsuccessfully as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Poole in the 2019 general election.

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.”

Collins 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.”

Collins is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for fair elections – a cross-party group of MPs and peers that campaigns for electoral reform. The group’s stated aims include replacing the first past the post (FPTP) voting system with a form of proportional representation, eliminating “dark money” and “undemocratic influence” from politics, and countering disinformation.

In December 2024, Collins 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.”

Brexit and Europe

Customs union vote (2025): In December 2025, Collins 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.

Assisted dying

Collins 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

Collins was one of the 38 Liberal Democrat MPs who voted for the Tobacco and Vapes Act at its House of Commons third reading.

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Collins 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.

Before Politics

Born Victoria Mei Elizabeth Collins, she attended Newcastle upon Tyne Church High School. She studied history at Van Mildert College, Durham University, graduating in 2009.

Collins later completed a master’s degree in international economic policy at Sciences Po in Paris.

Before entering frontline politics, she worked on economic and environmental policy within the European Parliament and worked as an independent consultant on sustainability.

She was also the founder of LingUpp, a technology start-up centred on aiding face-to-face language learning.

Personal Life

Collins is of Chinese descent.

Trivia

Collins is a former contributor for the magazine Forbes.

Collins is the first Liberal Democrat MP of East and South East Asian heritage.