Layla Moran | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon | |
| Assumed office 8 June 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Nicola Blackwood |
| Majority | 14,894 (32.4%) |
| Liberal Democrat portfolios | |
| 2023-present | Science, Innovation and Technology |
| 2020-present | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs |
| 2019–2020 | Digital, Culture, Media and Sport |
| 2017-2020 | Education |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Layla Michelle Moran 12 September 1982 Hammersmith, London, England |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Domestic partner | Rosy Cobb |
| Parent |
|
| Alma mater | |
Layla Michelle Moran (/məˈræn/ mə-RAN; born 12 September 1982) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. She has served as the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for foreign affairs and international development since 2020, and has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford West and Abingdon since 2017.
Moran attended schools in Brussels and Kingston before taking her A-levels at Roedean School near Brighton. She studied physics at Imperial College London and completed her PGCE at Brunel University London. She subsequently worked as a maths and physics teacher. Moran unsuccessfully campaigned as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Battersea at the 2010 general election and in the West Central constituency at the 2012 London Assembly election.
She contested Oxford West and Abingdon at the 2015 general election, coming second. Moran was selected for the seat again at the 2017 general election and was elected to the House of Commons, defeating Conservative MP Nicola Blackwood. She served as the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Department for Education under three leaders from 2017 to 2020, and was spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2019 to 2020. After Jo Swinson lost her seat at the 2019 general election, Moran stood to become the leader of the Liberal Democrats in the 2020 leadership election, which she lost to acting leader Sir Ed Davey. On 31 August 2020, Davey appointed Moran as the Liberal Democrats' shadow foreign secretary, and international development spokesperson the following day.
Moran came out as pansexual in 2020 and is the first UK parliamentarian to do so.[1][2] She is the first MP of Palestinian descent.[3][4]
- ^ Duffy, Nick (2 January 2020). "Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran comes out as pansexual: 'Pan is about the person, not the gender'". PinkNews. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ^ "Layla Moran: Lib Dem MP announces she is pansexual". BBC News. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ^ "Lib Dem becomes first MP of Palestinian descent". inews.co.uk. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Meet Layla Moran, Britain's first ever MP of Palestinian descent". uk.news.yahoo.com. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2021.