Church Member Elected to British Parliament

For the first time, a Church member has been elected a Member of Parliament in Great Britain.

Terry Rooney, thirty-nine, elders quorum president in the Bradford Second Ward, Huddersfield England Stake, is the first member of the Church to be elected as MP, a full-time office that is comparable to a position in the House of Representatives in the United States.

A member of the Labour Party, Brother Rooney was elected with the seat’s largest-ever majority, receiving 18,619 votes, compared with 9,105 for his nearest rival.

Brother Rooney was baptized five years ago, and most people are familiar with his membership in the Church. His wife, Suzanne, reports that he is known as the “orange juice king” because of his abstinence from alcoholic drinks served during political gatherings.

Brother Rooney is a welfare rights officer, helping people who receive benefits and resolving legal problems. He served on the local council for eight years.