SANDRA GIDLEY: MP FOR ROMSEY SINCE 2000

Sandra Gidley has been MP for the Romsey Constituency since winning a sensational victory at a by-election in May 2000. She is now a Shadow Health Minister 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 Town, 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. Sandra has been a Shadow Health Minister since March 2006 and a member of the influential Health Select Committee.

 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 resulting in a greater number of female Lib Dem MPs at the 2005 election. Sandra chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and is co-chair of the Mental Health Group. Sandra is vice-chair of the All Party Parliamentary groups on Men's Health, AIDS, Cancer and Domestic Violence and Dentistry. Sandra enjoys reading, cookery, the theatre and a tough game of badminton.