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Harriet Cross

For the diplomat, see Harriet Cross (diplomat).
Harriet Cross
MP
Official portrait, 2025
Opposition Assistant Whip
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 November 2024
LeaderKemi Badenoch
Member of Parliament
for Gordon and Buchan
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byRichard Thomson
Majority878 (2.0%)
Personal details
Born1990 or 1991 (age 34–35)
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
Political partyScottish Conservatives
Alma mater
Websitewww.harrietcross.uk

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

Early life

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Cross was born in Harrogate and grew up in West Cork, Ireland where her mother was from. She attended Bandon Grammar School before the family moved to Aberdeenshire owing to her father; when she was sixteen.[4][5] She studied zoology at Imperial College London before earning a master's degree in Rural Land and Business Management and from the University of Reading.[5][6] In 2018, she returned to Aberdeenshire to work as a rural surveyor.[7]

Cross stood as the Conservative candidate for Aberdeen Donside at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, finishing second to Jackie Dunbar with 9,488 votes (26.42%).[2]She was also ninth on the party list for the North East Scotland region.[8]

Parliamentary career

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Cross was elected as the MP for the newly created merged seat of Gordon and Buchan at the 2024 UK general election with a narrow majority of 878 votes. The result was the worst defeat nationwide for the Conservative Party in the history of the UK, eclipsing the 1906 and 1997 landslide defeats for Conservative governments. Prior to 2024, the Gordon seat was held by the Scottish Conservatives and the Banff and Buchan seat held by the SNP.[9] In the 2024 UK Conservative party leadership election she backed Tom Tugendhat.[10]

In September 2024, Cross criticised the Bank of Scotland's proposal to close its Ellon branch, leaving the area without a single bank branch. Despite her opposition to the decision, alongside several members of the community, the sole remaining bank branch in the town permanently closed down on 10 September 2014. [11]

Cross was appointed an Opposition Assistant Whip in November 2024.[12]

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. ^ a b Gilmour, Ruaraidh (11 February 2025). "Harriet Cross: Reform isn't driving the debate at Westminster". Holyrood.
  6. ^ Millar, Jim (6 June 2024). "Tory Westminster hopeful Harriet Cross outlines why she is standing for election". The Scottish Farmer. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  7. ^ Fraser, Tali (2 October 2024). "ory MP Harriet Cross on how ultra marathons prepared her for Westminster". The House.
  8. ^ "North East Scotland 2021 - Ballot Box Scotland". Ballot Box Scotland. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Huntly MP vows to serve constituents". Grampian Online. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Harriet Cross endorses Tom Tugendhat for Conservative leadership". Holyrood Website. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "Harriet Cross - Parliamentary career". UK Parliament. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for Gordon and Buchan
2024–present 		Incumbent
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