Stephen Matthew Darling[2] (born 1969) is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Torbay since 2024. He has been a member of Torbay Council since 1995 and was the leader of the council from 2019 to 2023. Darling is registered blind and has a guide dog named Jennie.
Darling was first elected to Torbay Borough Council in 1995 for the ward of Shiphay.[3] The council became a unitary authority as Torbay Council in 1998,and Darling was re-elected as a councillor for Shiphay in 1997 and 2000.[4] He represented the ward of Watcombe from the reorganisation of ward boundaries in 2003,[5] and has represented Barton with Watcombe since a further change in ward boundaries in 2019.[6] Darling was the leader of Torbay Council from 28 May 2019 to 16 May 2023.[7][8]
Darling's mentor was Adrian Sanders,Torbay MP from 1997 to 2015,who employed Darling in his constituency office as a caseworker and later senior caseworker during his time in office.
In 2024,Darling was selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the constituency of Torbay at the 2024 general election.[9] At the general election,Darling gained the seat from Foster,winning a majority of 5,349.[10]
Personal life
Darling with his guide dog Jennie in Parliament in July 2024
In 1969,Darling was given up for adoption in Birmingham when he was three months old,and moved to Torquay in Devon at the age of 18 months. He traced his birth family in the 2000s,finding them to be living nearby in South Devon.[11][12]
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