About Sandra Gidley

MP for Romsey since 2000

Sandra Gidley has been MP for Romsey since winning a sensational victory at a by-election in May 2000. She is now Shadow Health spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats.

Sandra is a qualified pharmacist and became a fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain in 2008. Before becoming an MP she managed a busy pharmacy store. Born in Wales, she was educated at Eggars Grammar School in Alton, Hampshire; the Afcent International School in Brunssum, Netherlands; and the Windsor School in Hamm, Germany. Sandra took her Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Bath in 1978, and worked as a pharmacist and pharmacy manager from 1990 until her election to Westminster in 2000.

Sandra joined the Liberal Democrats in 1994, and was elected as a councillor to the Test Valley Borough Council in 1995. In 1997 Sandra became the youngest female Mayor of Romsey, and in 2000 she was elected to the House of Commons at a by-election following the death of the Conservative MP, Michael Colvin.

Appointed to the Liberal Democrat front bench as spokesperson on women's issues after successfully holding her seat at the 2001 General Election, she also became spokesperson for older people in 2003. Since the election of Sir Menzies Campbell as party leader in March 2006 Sandra has been a frontbench spokesperson on health and this postition was confirmed by Nick Clegg.

Sandra and her husband Bill, an electronics engineer, married in 1979 and have lived in Romsey since 1986. They have a son and daughter, who both attended local schools. Sandra was for many years a voluntary antenatal teacher with the National Childbirth Trust and has been involved with many charitable organisations.

Sandra has chaired the Gender Balance Task Force, an initiative to get more women into politics, and chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health. Sandra is vice-chair of the All Party Parliamentary groups on Men's Health, AIDS, Cancer and pharmacy as well as co-chair of the All Parliamentary Party Group on Mental Health. Sandra is also a member of the influential Health Select Committee. Sandra enjoys reading, cookery, the theatre and a tough game of badminton.

• 2001 Romsey General Election Result.

• 2005 Romsey General Election Result.

At the recent Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet reshuffle in October 2003, Sandra was appointed Spokesperson for Older People in addition to her role as Shadow Minister for Women's Issues. She is also the Chair of the Gender Balance Task Force, an initiative to get more women into politics; vice-chair of an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Men's Health; vice-chair of the APPG on Domestic Violence and the co-chair of the APPGs on Mental Health and Cancer.

As well as politics and family life, Sandra enjoys reading, cookery, the theatre and a tough game of badminton.