Ben Lake
Welsh politician (born 1993)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ben Morgan Lake[2] (born 22 January 1993) is a Plaid Cymru politician who became the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ceredigion Preseli, formerly Ceredigion, in 2017.[3]
Ben Lake | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Member of Parliament for Ceredigion Preseli Ceredigion (2017–2024) | |
| Assumed office 8 June 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Williams |
| Majority | 14,789 (31.9%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ben Morgan Lake 22 January 1993 |
| Party | Plaid Cymru |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Oxford |
Background
Lake was born in Carmarthen and brought up in Lampeter. He is the son of a police officer and a council worker.[4] He attended Ffynnonbedr Primary School and Ysgol Bro Pedr.[5] After graduating from Trinity College, Oxford, with an undergraduate degree in History and Politics, and a master's degree in Modern British and European History,[6] he became a research officer in the National Assembly for Wales.[7] His first language is Welsh,[8] which was seen as a key factor in his election as MP for one of the strongest Welsh-speaking constituencies in Wales.[9]
Political career
In the 2017 general election, Lake won the Ceredigion constituency, gaining the seat from Liberal Democrat Mark Williams with 11,623 votes (29.2% of the overall vote).[10] In the 2019 general election, Lake retained his seat with 15,208 votes (37.9% of the overall vote). In the 2024 general election, Lake won the new Ceredigion Preseli constituency with 21,738 votes (46.9%).
Lake was appointed the Plaid Cymru spokesperson at Westminster for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Education & Skills, Health, Communities & Local Government, Culture, Media & Sport and Constitutional Affairs shortly after his election in 2017.[11] Since the 2024 General Election, Lake has served as his party’s spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Science, Innovation, and Technology, and the Treasury.
Lake was appointed a member of the Welsh Affairs Committee in September 2017, and remains a member having been reappointed to the committee following both the 2019 and 2024 General Elections.[12] Lake also served as a member of the Public Accounts Committee from June 2023 until the 2024 General Election.
He is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women.[13] He supported Rhun ap Iorwerth in the 2018 Plaid Cymru leadership election.[14]
In December 2017, Lake was awarded the 'Politician to Watch' prize as part of the ITV Welsh Politician of the Year Awards 2017.[15] In August 2019, Lake was awarded the MP of the Year Award, acknowledging MPs who actively work with under-represented and disadvantaged communities across the UK.2019 results[16]
Lake is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Forestry and Tree Planting, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Western Sahara, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on France.[17]
