Tris Osborne

Osborne is a native of the Medway area in Kent and grew up in Rochester.^[1][2] He attended St William of Perth Catholic Primary School in Rochester before receiving a scholarship to the private King's School, Rochester due to being a chorister at Rochester Cathedral.^[1] He has a Bachelor of Science degree in natural sciences (2004) and a Master of Arts degree in business management (2006) from College of St Hild and St Bede, part of Durham University.^[1][3] Osborne, who is gay, was an LGBT activist at university,^[1][4][5] and has since continued to support local LGBT communities, representing the local Labour team at Medway Pride each year.^[6][7]

After leaving university Osborne worked for a banking start-up specialising in financial risk from July 2006 to November 2013 and for a consultancy firm advising political parties about business regulation from December 2013 to July 2016.^[1] Whilst working in London he was a special constable with the Metropolitan Police in Greenwich and Charlton.^[8][9] Osborne then moved back to the Medway area and obtained a teaching qualification in geography from Canterbury Christ Church University in 2017.^[1] He was a geography teacher at Strood Academy from July 2017 to August 2023 and Stone Lodge School from August 2023 to July 2024.^[1]

Osborne contested the 2007 local elections in the Medway as one of the Labour Party candidates in the three-member Strood North ward but was not elected.^[10] He contested the 2011 local elections in Medway as one of the Labour Party candidates in the three-member Luton and Wayfield ward and was elected.^[11][12] He was re-elected at the 2015 and 2019 local elections.^[11] At the 2023 local elections he was elected from the three-member Rochester East and Warren Wood ward.^[13][14] At the election Labour gained control of Medway Council and Osborne was appointed cabinet member for community safety and enforcement.^[1][15] On 17 December 2024, he announced his resignation as councillor for Medway via a post on X (formerly Twitter) after serving for 13 years.^[16]

Osborne contested the 2015 general election as the Labour Party candidate in Chatham and Aylesford but was defeated by Conservative incumbent Tracey Crouch.^[1][17] He contested the 2016 police and crime commissioner elections as the Labour Party candidate in Kent but was defeated by Conservative Matthew Scott.^[18][19]

Osborne contested the 2024 general election as the Labour Party candidate in Chatham and Aylesford and was elected with a majority of 1,998.^[20][21] On 12 September 2024, he made his maiden speech in the House of Commons during the David Amess adjournment debate.^[22]

In May 2026, Osborne was one of more than 100 MPs who signed a letter backing Keir Starmer amidst criticism from other Labour MPs calling for him to resign. ^[23]