Sam Carling
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament
for North West Cambridgeshire
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byShailesh Vara
Majority39 (0.1%)
Member of Cambridge City Council
for West Chesterton
In office
9 May 2022 – 1 May 2025
Personal details
BornSamuel Carling
2002 (age 23–24)
County Durham, England
PartyLabour
Christ's College, Cambridge (BA)
Websitesamcarling.org

Samuel Carling (born 2002) is a British Labour politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Cambridgeshire since 2024. He is the first British parliamentarian to be born in the 21st century.[1] By convention, as the youngest member of Parliament, he is accorded the honorary style of Baby of the House.[2][3] Carling represented the ward of West Chesterton on Cambridge City Council from 2022 until 2025.[4][5]

Early life and education

Samuel Carling was born in 2002[6] and raised in Crook, County Durham.[7] He described his background as being from "a totally apolitical family, in quite a deprived part of the north east of England".[2] Carling was raised as a Jehovah's Witness; a faith who are famous for non-participation in politics and not associating with anyone outside their religion.[8]

Originally from Bishop Auckland, Carling completed his GCSEs at Wolsingham School before attending sixth form at Barnard Castle School, an independent boarding school in County Durham, with an academic scholarship.[9] He achieved five A* A-level grades and an Extended Project Qualification.[10] The cancellation of some A-level exams during the COVID-19 pandemic sparked Carling's interest in politics,[11] which developed at university and inspired him to run for elected office.[12]

While at Barnard Castle School, Carling received the Salters–Nuffield Prize[13] for "exceptional performance in biology" from the Worshipful Company of Salters with an essay entitled "Could carbon quantum dots have applications in bioimaging?"[9]

Aged 18, Carling then went to read natural sciences at Christ's College, Cambridge,[2] where he became actively involved in Cambridge University politics. A staff writer for Varsity,[14] Carling served as president of Christ's College JCR and co-chairman of the Cambridge University Labour Club, before being elected debates officer of the Cambridge Union.[15] In March 2022, he was elected as a member of the Cambridge University Council.[16][failed verification][4][a] In 2023, he graduated with first-class honours and became an undergraduate tutor.[18]

While studying for a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) postgraduate degree in pathology at Cambridge,[19] Carling was elected to Parliament in 2024,[4] the academic year having only just ended.

Political career

In 2022, while still a second-year undergraduate, Carling ran on the Labour slate for election to Cambridge City Council to represent the ward of West Chesterton.[4] At the local elections held on 5 May 2022, Carling narrowly defeated incumbent Liberal Democrat councillor Jamie Dalzell,[20] increasing Labour's majority on Cambridge City Council with the Liberal Democrats losing three seats and the Greens gaining one. Carling became the first Cambridge student in memory to successfully contest a City Council seat.[21] He was re-elected at the 2024 Cambridge City Council election. During his tenure, Carling held the office of Executive Councillor for Open Spaces and City Services,[22] and was a member of the Skills Committee of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority for two years. He was an advocate of improvements to adult education and transport throughout Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.[23]

Carling announced his intention to step down as a Cambridge city councillor as soon as a by-election could reasonably be held and, in the following week on 18 July, he resigned from the council's cabinet.[24] Carling has ceased to take councillor allowances since then.[25]

House of Commons

At the 2024 general election,[26] Carling successfully contested the constituency of North West Cambridgeshire for the Labour Party. Campaigning for better public services,[26] he defeated incumbent Conservative MP Shailesh Vara being returned to Parliament by a narrow margin of 39 votes, verified by a recount.[27][28] The seat had been held by the Conservatives since its creation in 1997.[29] At the age of 22, he was the youngest MP elected at the 2024 election and became Baby of the House.[6][29] Carling is the first British MP to be born in the 21st century.[1] He is the Labour Party's joint-youngest MP, tied with Malcolm Macmillan, who was elected at the same age in 1935.[2] On 24 July 2024, Carling made his maiden speech in a debate on education and opportunity.[30]

In November 2024, Carling voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted suicide.[31]

In his first six months, Carling has contributed to various debates including on Renters' Rights and SEND provision.[32]

On 11 May 2026, he called on Keir Starmer to resign after the poor results in the 2026 United Kingdom local elections.[33]

Personal life

In an interview with The Times, Carling described himself as a member of the LGBT community.[7] He further stated: "I don't see any reason why I won't re-stand. But I'm 22, and I don't intend to be in the House of Commons for 40 years. I will come out and do something else eventually."[7]

Electoral history

General election 2024: North West Cambridgeshire[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sam Carling 14,785 33.3 +9.6
Conservative Shailesh Vara 14,746 33.2 −26.8
Reform James Sidlow 8,741 19.7 +19.6
Liberal Democrats Bridget Smith 3,192 7.2 −3.8
Green Elliot Tong 2,960 6.7 +1.5
Majority 39 0.1
Turnout 44,424 58.5 −5.4
Registered electors 75,915
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +18.2

References

  1. ^ a b Boyle, Cash (6 July 2024). "Labour's Sam Carling, 22, is first MP to be born in 21st century". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Shirreff, Lauren (5 July 2024). "OMG, I just got elected! Meet Britain's youngest MP". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  3. ^ Tyzack, Anna (10 July 2024). "'I grew stubble to make myself look older': Meet the disconcertingly young professionals". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Vall, Wilf (5 July 2024). "Cambridge postgrad wins seat in Parliament". Varsity. Archived from the original on 5 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  5. ^ "North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling to stand down as Cambridge City Councillor after election win". Peterborough Telegraph. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  6. ^ a b Parry, Louise; Hulland, Louise (6 July 2024). "Meet the new youngest MP – born in 2002". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Roberts, Georgina; Perlman, Elisabeth (5 August 2024). "Order! Gen Z's in the House — meet the twentysomething MPs". The Times. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Crime and Policing Bill - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. 27 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025. My concern applies to religious groups in particular. I will use the example of the Jehovah's Witnesses—the religious group I grew up in—to illustrate how and why.
  9. ^ a b Priestley, Catherine (29 December 2020). "Science student's work on nanotechnology used in cancer research wins top award". Northern Echo. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  10. ^ Nicholls, Stuart (12 January 2021). "National Award Success for Sam!". Barnard Castle School. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  11. ^ James, Rhiannon (24 July 2024). "Youngest MP says Tory government's response to pandemic 'politicised' him". The Independent. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  12. ^ Gordon-Farleigh, Neve (24 July 2024). "New MP says cancelled exams inspired him to get into politics". BBC News. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Our Alumni". Salters’ Institute. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  14. ^ Carling, Sam (21 January 2022). "When Cambridge SU fails, JCRs pick up the slack". Varsity. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Who's Who". The Cambridge Union. Cambridge Union Society. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  16. ^ "Council membership". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  17. ^ Ullah, Emaan; Moss, Bethan (3 March 2022). "Live: Cambridge SU election results". Varsity. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  18. ^ Baugh, Emma (6 July 2024). Tisch, Barbara (ed.). "Sam Carling: The youngest MP". BBC News. p. 9. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Christ's postgraduate elected as MP for North West Cambridgeshire". Christ's College, University of Campbridge. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  20. ^ "'Passion for politics brought us closer'". The Times. 12 September 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2025.(subscription required)
  21. ^ Mumford, Peter (6 May 2022). "Cambridge student wins seat on City Council". Varsity. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Councillor Sam Carling". Cambridge City Council. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  23. ^ Senior, Matthew (5 July 2024). "Meet Sam Carling the North West Cambridgeshire MP who is only 22". Cambridgeshire Live. Archived from the original on 5 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  24. ^ Briggs, Stephen (11 July 2024). "North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling to stand down as Cambridge City Councillor after election win". Peterborough Telegraph. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  25. ^ "Sam Carling Register of Interests". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  26. ^ a b Herring, Francesca (28 May 2024). "General Election: Labour North West Cambs candidate Cllr Sam Carling". Hunts Post. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  27. ^ Burnett, Tom; Findlay, Cait (5 July 2024). "New Labour MP for North West Cambridgeshire elected in 'political earthquake'". Cambridgeshire Live. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  28. ^ Moore, Orla (5 July 2024). "Labour wins Peterborough and NW Cambridgeshire". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  29. ^ a b Jones, Ben (5 July 2024). "North West Cambridgeshire elects Britain's youngest MP on night of high drama". Peterborough Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 July 2024.
  30. ^ Sam Carling (24 July 2024). "Education and Opportunity". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 752. United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 756–758.
  31. ^ "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading". UK Parliament. 29 November 2024.
  32. ^ "Sam Carling House of Commons Spoken Contributions". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  33. ^ Sparrow, Andrew (11 May 2026). "Three ministerial aides quit and demand Keir Starmer's resignation as speech fails to quell rebellion – UK politics live". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 May 2026. UK's youngest MP calls for Starmer to resign The UK's youngest MP has become the latest to publicly urge Keir Starmer to stand down, stating the Labour leader is "not the right person to lead" the change the party needs. Sam Carling, MP for North West Cambridgeshire has posted this message on X:
  34. ^ "Full General Election results for Cambridgeshire". ITV News Anglia. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.

Notes

  1. ^ Carling won the contested post of University Councillor following the Cambridge University election of 3 March 2022. With an 800-vote majority in the first round, Carling then was elected with 896 student votes after eliminating two other candidates.[17]
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