Andrew George (politician)
A Cornish Liberal Democrat who became the persistent voice for affordable housing and his coastal constituency through shifting political tides.
Born 1958 (age 68)·British politician·Birthday: December 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Andrew George's political career is inextricably linked to Cornwall's rugged St Ives constituency. First elected in 1997, he carved out a reputation as a grassroots campaigner deeply embedded in local issues, particularly the acute housing crisis affecting Cornwall's coastal communities. His politics were defined by a focus on social justice and environmental protection, often putting him at odds with his own party's leadership on topics like tuition fees. After losing his seat in 2015, he didn't retreat but doubled down on local advocacy, winning a seat on Cornwall Council. In a dramatic return in 2024, he reclaimed the Westminster seat, demonstrating a lasting connection with voters who valued his dogged, community-first approach over party dogma. His story is one of political resilience, built on a belief that representation means fighting for the specific needs of a place and its people.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Andrew was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrew Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Andrew's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives for a total of over 15 years across two non-consecutive periods, from 1997-2015 and again from 2024.
- Championed the 'Cornish Lid' policy to restrict new housing to primary residents, aiming to address the county's affordability crisis.
- Was a prominent opponent of the NHS reforms proposed by the 2010-2015 coalition government, despite being a member of the governing coalition.
- Elected as a Cornwall Councilor for the Ludgvan, Madron, Gulval and Heamoor division in 2021, maintaining a local government role.
Did You Know?
Before politics, he worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau and as a director of a homelessness charity, informing his focus on housing.
He is a fluent Cornish language speaker and a supporter of Cornish cultural and national identity.
He publicly apologized for voting in favor of the Iraq War in 2003, calling it a 'terrible mistake.'
“The housing crisis here is pricing local families out of their own communities.”
