Sarah Wollaston (born 17 February 1962) is a British former Liberal Democrat politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Totnes from 2010 to 2019. First elected for the Conservative Party, she later served as a Change UK and Liberal Democrat MP. She was chair of the Health Select Committee from 2014 to 2019 and chair of the Liaison Committee from 2017 to 2019.
Wollaston was born in Woking, Surrey, and studied medicine at Guy's Hospital Medical School. She qualified in 1986 and worked as a junior hospital doctor and then as a general practitioner (GP). After more than 20 years in clinical practice, she ran for political office. She was selected as the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Totnes through an open primary; during the campaign, she emphasised that she was not a career politician and had a professional career. At the 2010 general election, she won the seat with an increased majority, increasing it further in 2015. She rebelled against the Cameron–Clegg government on several key votes – voting in favour of a referendum on British membership of the European Union in 2011, for a cut in the EU budget in 2011, and against military intervention in Syria in 2013. In Westminster, she was a vocal proponent of minimum unit pricing for alcohol and spoke out against political patronage.
Initially uncertain about which way to vote in the referendum, Wollaston announced in June 2016 that she was no longer supporting the Vote Leave campaign in the referendum on European Union membership and would vote to remain in the EU. In February 2019, she resigned from the Conservatives, along with two of her peers, and joined The Independent Group, later Change UK. Four months later, she quit the party to sit as an independent MP. In August 2019, she joined the Liberal Democrats but lost her seat in the 2019 general election standing as a Liberal Democrat.
Early life and education Wollaston was born in February 1962"The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2010", Times Books, 2010, p. 279. in Woking, Surrey, into a military family. Her family moved frequently during her early years as her father – a supplies and catering officer in the Royal Air Force, formerly a diver and bomb disposal specialist in the Royal Navy – was posted around the world, including Hong Kong and Malta.
Wollaston was educated at service and civilian primary schools, later attending a girls' grammar school in Watford, where she was Head Girl in 1979–1980. Whilst at secondary school, Wollaston took on a range of part-time jobs, including a Saturday job at her local branch of John Lewis. She left sixth form with high grades in science subjects at A-level, which she needed to study Medicine at university.
Medical career In 1980, Wollaston entered Guy's Hospital Medical School in London as a medical student. She took an intercalated degree in pathology in the third year of her undergraduate career, gaining a Bachelor of Science degree in the subject."The Class of 2010", Total Politics/Weber Shandwick, London, 2010, p. 330-2. While at Guy's, she met her future husband, Adrian. Alongside her studies, she took a part-time role as a healthcare assistant at the hospital to supplement her student grant.
Wollaston graduated with a degree in Medicine in 1986. She embarked on a career in hospital paediatrics but, after five years as a junior doctor in London, she moved to Bristol to train as a general practitioner, qualifying as a family doctor in 1992.
Wollaston then moved to Devon to work as a part-time GP in a town on the edge of Dartmoor. She was also a police surgeon from 1996 to 2001, dealing with victims of sexual assaults, advising the police on whether suspects were fit to be interviewed, and treating people in custody. After 1999, she became a full-time GP; she taught medical students and trainee GPs, and worked as an examiner for the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Wollaston remains on the medical register, but ceased practising medicine in 2010 on her election to Parliament.
2009 open primary and selection
Wollaston joined the Conservative Party in 2006, having been spurred into politics by her opposition to the threatened closure of Moretonhampstead Community Hospital."Three candidates for pioneering public vote are named", Western Morning News, 15 July 2009, p. 3. However, Wollaston accepted that she had "no background in politics" when in 2009 she put her name forward for the selection of a candidate for the Totnes constituency, citing as qualifications "only real life experience, approachability and enthusiasm"."Choosing your Tory candidate", Herald Express, 23 July 2009, p. 10. The Conservative Association placed her on the shortlist of three to succeed Anthony Steen, who had announced his retirement following criticism as part of the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal.
Urged to do so by the national party, the local Conservative Association had already decided that the selection would be made by an open primary, in which non-members would have a vote.Allan Tudor, "Party workers backing under-fire Teign MP", Herald Express, 2 June 2009, p. 6. On 9 July, the Conservative Party leader David Cameron announced that the party would, for the first time, send a postal ballot paper to every voter instead of holding the selection at an open meeting.Steve Peacock, "Voters will choose new Tory candidate", Herald Express, 10 July 2009, p. 5. Wollaston later said that she might not have put her name forward had she known that the selection was to be by open primary.Olivier Vergnault, "Tories face 400 voters in first open primary", Western Morning News, 27 July 2009, p. 8.
During the selection process, Wollaston campaigned on the problems of alcohol-related crime, citing also the 8,000 annual deaths from alcohol. She later supported curbs on low priced alcoholic drinks. but highlighted that the selection offered voters a choice between a career politician and "someone with a real job".Louise Vennells, "All constituents can select new Tory candidate", Western Morning News, 25 July 2009, p. 11. At a public hustings, she was asked whether her lack of political experience would make it difficult for her to throw and take political punches; she replied that this was not what politics was about for her, and that she would not indulge in it. Her reply prompted spontaneous applause.Matthew Parris, "It's queer, this letter from Coutts", The Times, 30 July 2009, p. 22; "I am proud to have joined the Totnes Tories in a pioneering political evening", The Spectator, 1 August 2009.
The primary was conducted under the plurality ("first past the post") method used in general elections. In the selection result, Wollaston was proclaimed the winner with 7,914 votes (48%), ahead of Sara Randall Johnson (leader of East Devon District Council) who had 5,495 (33%), and Nick Bye (Mayor of Torbay) who had 3,088 (19%). Nearly a quarter of all voters returned their ballots, a higher turnout than was expected.Louise Vennells, "Doctor victorious in historic public vote", Western Morning News, 5 August 2009, p. 5.
Wollaston later said "I have no doubt that I was selected because I had no track record in politics", but one Totnes Conservative member told The Guardian of his fear that without a political background, she was the candidate Liberal Democrats could most easily defeat. As the general election approached, Wollaston made clear her anger at suggestions that she would be a part-time MP, saying that she would not continue her medical practice if elected. The local branch of Liberal Democrats denied that they were behind rumours that Wollaston intended to continue to practise medicine on a part-time basis."'I won't be a part-time MP' vows GP running for election", Western Morning News, 10 March 2010, p. 8. She accepted that the scandal over Anthony Steen's expenses claims had damaged the Conservative Party's chances,"Tory candidate admits fears over expenses", Western Morning News, 16 April 2010, p. 5. and declined his offer of the use of his home to run the Conservative campaign."Election Diary", Western Morning News, 19 April 2010, p. 6. She pledged to vote in a eurosceptic direction and to support a bypass for Kingskerswell.Constituency profile, Herald Express, 29 April 2010, p. 7.
Parliamentary career On election day, Wollaston was elected with a 45.9% share of the vote, and more than doubled the Conservatives' majority."'Rollercoaster' campaign doubles majority", Herald Express, 8 May 2010, p. 3. She supported the formation of a Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government as being the most appropriate for her constituency in the circumstances after the election,Matt Chorley, "Cameron leads first coalition for 70 years", Western Morning News, 12 May 2010, p. 1. explaining that voters wanted to see politicians working together.Tina Crowson, "Parties reject truce plea", Herald Express, 13 May 2010, p. 1. Her maiden speech in Parliament, on 2 June 2010, outlined her concerns about alcohol-related crime and alcoholic drink pricing, and also mentioned issues of concern in her constituency, including bovine tuberculosis."New MP targets cheap alcohol and badgers in maiden speech", Herald Express, 4 June 2010, p.5.
Soon after her election, Wollaston was offered the position of Parliamentary Private Secretary – a junior aide – to one of the Health Ministers, influenced by her professional background. Despite this position being the first rung on the ministerial ladder, Wollaston turned the offer down because it would have required her to avoid speaking out against any Government policy she disagreed with. She later said that she would not have been able to "look [her] constituents in the eye" if she had signed away her ability to speak on the issues she had been elected on.
In her first year in the Commons, Wollaston referred to her experience working with sexual assault victims in warning the Government against its plans to introduce anonymity for people suspected of, or charged with, rape. She argued that it would constitute a "further barrier" for victims to report their crime and that the vast majority of sexual assaults already went unreported.Francis Elliott, "Tory women MPs attack rape suspect anonymity plan", The Times, 9 July 2010, p. 8. She successfully pressed the Government to take up the way the European Union's Working Time Directive applied to junior doctors' training, saying that it was causing patient care to suffer.Rebecca Smith, Robert Winnett, "EU law harming doctors' training", The Daily Telegraph, 8 September 2010, p. 1.
In October 2010, she announced she would not vote to repeal the Hunting Act 2004 because "the overwhelming majority" in her constituency were opposed to hunting.Owen Bowcott, "Countryside Alliance outfoxed by new generation of Tory MPs", The Guardian, 29 October 2010, p. 20. She broke the Conservative whip in November 2010 to support an amendment setting a threshold of 40% turnout for the result of the referendum on voting systems to be valid,Division 109. Hansard , HC 6ser vol 517 col 855. and later that month supported a Labour amendment to allow more policyholders to claim compensation over the collapse in Equitable Life dividends.Division 114. Hansard , HC 6ser vol 518 col 323.
In March 2013, Wollaston was reselected by her local Conservative Association to fight the 2015 general election as the Conservative candidate. On polling day she was re-elected with 53% of the vote, more than tripling her majority to 18,285 (38.8%).