The Liberal Democrat MP for Tewkesbury, Cameron Thomas, was arrested by Gloucestershire Police on Wednesday night, triggering the immediate suspension of both the party whip and his membership while the police investigation continues.
Arrest and party suspension
The party confirmed on Thursday that it had withdrawn the whip and suspended Thomas’s membership, stating it was “unable to comment further” on the ongoing inquiry. The precise nature of the investigation remains unclear. Gloucestershire Police have not disclosed the offence for which Thomas was arrested, nor have they indicated a timeline for their inquiries. The Liberal Democrats have declined to provide any additional context, leaving constituents and the wider public without details about the allegations facing their MP. Such secrecy is standard at this stage of an active investigation, though it has raised questions given the seniority of the individual involved.
Thomas, who has been the constituency’s MP since the 2024 general election, has not made any public statement following his arrest. The party’s swift disciplinary action is consistent with standard procedure for serious allegations and does not itself imply any determination of guilt.
Background and previous controversies
Thomas is a former Royal Air Force officer with 23 years of service. He joined the RAF at 17 and served as a commissioned officer, completing operational tours in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and the Falkland Islands. His roles included Drill Instructor training recruits, Military Police officer, and specialist in telecommunications and IT. He was involved in planning the British withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 and resigned his commission as a Flight Lieutenant to enter politics.
Elected in July 2024, Thomas defeated the Conservative incumbent Laurence Robertson, who had held the seat since 1985. The victory marked the first time Tewkesbury had returned a Liberal Democrat MP since 1885, with a majority of 6,262 votes and a swing of 24.5 per cent from the Conservatives. In Parliament, Thomas served on the House of Commons Committee for Culture, Media and Sport and was previously a member of the Environmental Audit Committee, contributing to a report on flood resilience. He has been a vocal advocate on defence and foreign policy, urging closer collaboration with NATO and EU partners and calling for the rebuilding of the UK’s defence-industrial base.
In March 2025, Thomas travelled to Ukraine to deliver aid and was subsequently sanctioned by Russia, which accused him of “fabricating anti-Russian narratives.” Two months later, in May 2025, he was accused of sending intimate messages to a Ukrainian translator during a trip to the country. Thomas denied any wrongdoing, describing the messages as private correspondence between two people who remained in contact.
Before entering Parliament, Thomas was an environmental campaigner and volunteer. He campaigned for cleaner rivers and oceans and spoke out against pollution in the River Severn. During the pandemic, he deployed to East Midlands NHS to plan and deliver the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines across Leicestershire and Rutland. In 2022, he coordinated aid efforts to Ukraine. He has also volunteered with the Trussell Trust and at the Butterfly Garden, and is a member of Humanists UK.
