Jarvis's mother Eileen was of Irish descent. A secretary when Liz was born, she later studied and gained an Open University degree to become a social worker.[2] Liz's father Harry was a shipping fleet personnel officer from Hampshire who had served in the British Army in the Middle East.[2][3] Her mother was a member of the Labour Party and her father voted Conservative. Jarvis has said that politics was discussed at every meal and she was taken on her first march by her mother as a toddler.[3] She and her younger sister also helped their mother volunteer at women's refuges. Her father, Harry, died suddenly before Jarvis was 21,[4] and her mother, Eileen, died aged 92 in March 2024[2] after a seven-year struggle with Alzheimer's.[2]
The first in her family to go to university, Jarvis graduated from the University of Essex in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in American literature.[5]
Journalism career
Jarvis began her career in journalism on national newspapers and had a national newspaper column by the time she was 25. She went on to work on magazines, editing three, while continuing to contribute to newspapers, including working with Southampton's cruise industry.[3] She was the editor of Cruise International magazine for eight years (2012-2020).[6]
In the 2024 general election she was elected as the Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh,[10] winning the seat back from the Conservatives for the first time since 2015 and overturning a notional majority of 8,641 (calculated as the likely outcome of the 2019 election on the 2024 boundaries).[11] She had a majority of 1,546 (3.3%) over the Conservative candidate; there were six candidates and a turnout of 66%.[12]
Personal life
Jarvis has a son who she raised as a single parent since he was aged 18 months.[13] She lives in Eastleigh.[3] From 2019 to 2023 she was a trustee of Home-Start Westminster, a charity supporting families in London.[6][14]
^"Our Trustees". Home-Start Westminster. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Liz Jarvis.
