After graduating in 2007 he worked as a journalist. His first permanent job after university was at The Weston Mercury. He later worked as a reporter for Cheltenham’s newspaper, The Gloucestershire Echo. During his time as a journalist, Wilkinson worked as a freelance sports reporter, covering football matches in the West. Wilkinson then worked in communications for Cheltenham Ladies College (2012-2014), and for the PR and communications agency, Camargue, in Cheltenham (2014-2021).[5][6]
Political career before Parliament
Wilkinson was first elected to Cheltenham Borough Council to serve Park ward in 2014, deposing the then Conservative group leader in what was then the Conservative Party’s safest ward in Cheltenham.[3]
He subsequently became the councillor for Oakley ward in 2018,[7] and was reelected in the ward with a much increased majority in 2022.[8] As a backbench councillor, he put affordable housing at the heart of his work. His campaigns led to a large increase in affordable housing investment in Cheltenham, including the town’s £180million housing investment scheme.[9][10]
In 2020 he was appointed as Cheltenham's first Council Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency.[11] He oversaw Cheltenham’s first Climate Emergency Action Plan,[12] led on the Climate Change Supplementary Planning Document,[13] introduced the £10million Cheltenham Zero Fund and led the formation of the Cheltenham Zero Partnership. In 2022 he was made Cabinet Member for economic development, culture, tourism and wellbeing.[14] In that role he oversaw a landmark report and action plan to tackle empty shops in the town centre, focusing on converting empty spaces into flats and apartments.[15] He also came up with the concept of the Feed Cheltenham Leisure Pass, enabling local food pantry users to gain free access to leisure activities.[16] Wilkinson led a campaign to have a memorial tree planting in memory of Cheltenham people lost during the Covid pandemic and all of the public servants who worked so hard to save lives and keep the town going during lockdown. The avenue of trees was planted in Sandford Park.[17]
Wilkinson stood down as a councillor in May 2024.[18]
Parliamentary career
Wilkinson was the Liberal Democrat general election candidate in Stroud at the snap 2017 general election, where he came in third place with 2,053 votes (3.2%).[19] Later that year, he was selected to contest the Cheltenham seat. In the 2019 general election he came second with 27,505 votes (46.3%), 981 votes behind the incumbent Conservative MP Alex Chalk.[20]
Wilkinson was elected MP for Cheltenham in the 2024 general election on 4 July, with 25,076 votes (50.6%) and a majority of 7,210 over Alex Chalk, then Conservative Justice Secretary and incumbent MP. There were five candidates and a turnout of 65%.[2][21] Chalk had held the seat since 2015, taking it from the Liberal Democrats.[22]
