Manuela Perteghella | |
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Member of Parliament for Stratford-on-Avon | |
Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
Preceded by | Nadhim Zahawi |
Majority | 7,122 (13.5%) |
Personal details | |
Born | 1973 or 1974 (age 50–51) Italy |
Political party | Liberal Democrats |
Spouse | Bruce Horton |
Children | 3 |
Alma mater | |
Occupation |
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Manuela Perteghella (born 1973 or 1974)[1] is an Italian-born British Liberal Democrat politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Stratford-on-Avon since 2024.
Perteghella was born in Italy. She graduated from the University of North London with a Bachelor of Arts in English and theatre studies, and then pursued a master's in literary translation and a PhD in theatre and translation, both from the University of East Anglia.[2]
Perteghella is a former university lecturer and a former school governor.[3] From 2006 to 2012, she was a senior lecturer at London Metropolitan University. She has also worked as a curator of community arts projects, published research in literary translation and been a principal tutor at the University of Warwick, a contributing artist and researcher at King's College London, and an associate lecturer for the Open University.[4][5]
Despite having lived in the United Kingdom for 30 years, Perteghella was not permitted to vote in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum as she was not a British citizen at the time. She cited as her inspiration for entering politics her "feeling of being (quite literally) disenfranchised [which] was, through engaging with politics itself, transformed into a sense of empowerment".[6]
In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, Perteghella won the constituency of Stratford-on-Avon, garnering 23,450 votes.[7] Her majority was 7,122.[7] She is the first non-Conservative MP for the area since 1950 and the first female MP of the constituency.[8][9] Perteghella has served as a Stratford-on-Avon district councillor, representing the ward of Welford-on-Avon since a 2020 by-election.
According to her Register of Members' Interests, she stood down as a Director of Environmental Policy Consulting following her election, and worked as an Associate Lecturer at the Open University.[10]
Perteghella is married to Dr Bruce Horton, who is an environmental economist, and they have three children together.[11] She lives with her family in Welford.[1]
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