After graduating, Tufnell began work as a Trade Union Representative for the non-TUC affiliated Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers' Union (CAIWU), before working as a barrister. He later began work as an Organiser for the CAIWU.[1][3]
Tufnell is a trustee for the Carlie Tufnell Charitable Trust, a charity set up in memory of his younger brother.[7] The charity funds the Carlie Tufnell Spark Fund, which provides a developmental fund for new graduates of the Central Film School, of which his brother was a former student. It supports graduates in bringing their short-film projects to fruition.[8]
In April 2023, Tufnell was selected by Welsh Labour to represent the new constituency of Mid and South Pembrokeshire. Concerns were raised over the process by which Tufnell was selected, rather than a local candidate.[1] He originally stood to be a Labour candidate in Colchester, Essex.[1]
From 2010 to 2016, Tufnell competed in the 800m and 1500m races. He placed 3rd in the 800m at the 2014 British Athletics Championships and 11th in the 1500m at the 2016 Championships[3][11] While attending Brown University, he was a member of the Track and Field/Cross Country team, becoming the Ivy League champion at 800m in 2015 and earning Honorable Mention NCAA All-American in 2014.[12][13]
In November 2024, it was reported that Tufnell's family transferred valuable farmland just 20 days before the party's Budget introduced controversial inheritance tax changes affecting farmers. The timing of the transactions, by his parents, raised questions in the press about potential foreknowledge of Labour's tax plans.[14]
