Derek Thomas was first elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (St Ives) in the 2015 General Election, becoming the first Conservative MP for the area since 1997. He was re-elected as MP in 2019 with an increased majority. To find out more about Derek's previous parliamentary work click here.
A little about Derek
Derek was born in 1972 to missionary parents working with leprosy sufferers. Derek grew up in West Cornwall, in the Helston area. He was in the first cohort of GCSE students and was one of the few to study Cornish Language and Environmental Studies!
Derek qualified as a Cornish Mason in the Construction Industry and, during his years in the trade, primarily concentrated on converting and retrofitting existing buildings. Derek also trained as a Youth and Community Worker, serving in this role at Chapel St Methodist Church, Penzance, and Mustard Seed, Helston, for many years.
His voluntary service has included serving as a director of YMCA Cornwall, Chair of Trustees for Choughs Training Project, School Governor, and Trustee of Cornwall Sport Foundation and St Michael’s Housing Society.
Derek set up SurviveAlive Youthworks, an outdoor adventure project for young people, and continues to oversee the project.
Previously he served as a Penwith District Councillor in Penzance and on St Buryan Parish Council.
Derek was first elected as the MP for West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (St Ives) in 2015. He has served on several Select Committees, most recently, before Parliament was dissolved, on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committees.
He chairs the Brain Tumour Parliamentary Group which battles to increase research into the causes and treatment of brain cancers. This group is also working to improve the support available to patients and their families when this earth-shattering diagnosis arrives.
Derek chairs the Rural Services Parliamentary Group which works to achieve parity with urban areas in funding and access to services. Recent successes include the extension to the bus fares cap and an uplift in the financial settlement for rural councils - including Cornwall and Scilly.
Two things mark Derek’s approach to serving as the constituency MP: he demonstrates a solid commitment to being as accessible as possibly, holding ‘MP drop-ins’ in villages and towns across the constituency week in week out. Secondly, he is an active and vocal advocate for West Cornwall and Scilly in Westminster, speaking about the concerns raised by constituents.
Derek lives with his wife and three children in New Mill. His hobbies include kayaking and tending to his vegetable garden.