Former Conservative MP David Warburton Dies Suddenly at 59: A Look at His Political Legacy and Controversies
Breaking News: Unexpected Death of Former MP
David Warburton, the former MP who represented the Somerton and Frome constituency in Somerset from 2015 until June 2023, has died at the age of 59.
Circumstances of Death
Police were called to an address in Sands End, west London, on 26 August where a man in his 50s was found dead at the scene. The authorities are treating the death as “unexpected but not suspicious.” Initial reports suggest the cause was a suspected pulmonary embolism at his home in Chelsea, London.
Political Career and Controversies
Warburton formally resigned from Parliament on 19 June 2023, leading to a by-election where Liberal Democrat Sarah Dyke won his seat, transforming his previous 19,213 Conservative majority into an 11,008 majority for the Liberal Democrats.
In April 2022, Warburton had the Conservative whip withdrawn pending an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment involving three women. In November 2022, he faced additional scrutiny when the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards found he had breached the MPs’ code of conduct by failing to declare a £150,000 loan from Russian businessman Roman Joukovski, received through a Seychelles shell company in August 2017.
Personal Life and Public Service
Beyond his political career, Warburton was actively involved in various charitable causes, serving as a Trustee of the Down’s Syndrome support charity Ups and Downs Southwest until 2017, and Music for Youth until 2022. He also joined the Board of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and was appointed chair of its Development Board in June 2018, while serving as a Trustee of British Youth Music Theatre.
In his final years, the former MP had faced significant personal challenges, having been admitted to a psychiatric hospital due to stress. His marriage to public relations professional Harriet Baker-Bates, which lasted over 20 years, ended in divorce in 2024.
