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Simon Lightwood

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Simon Lightwood
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 July 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byGuy Opperman
Shadow Minister for Local Transport[a]
In office
27 September 2022 – 4 July 2024
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded bySam Tarry
Member of Parliament
for Wakefield and Rothwell
Wakefield (2022–2024)
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 June 2022
Preceded byImran Ahmad Khan
Majority9,346 (23.1%)
Personal details
Born
Simon Robert Lightwood

(1980-12-15) 15 December 1980 (age 43)
South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England
Political partyLabour and Co-operative[1]
Residence(s)Ossett, West Yorkshire, England
Alma materBretton Hall College
Websitewww.simonlightwood.org.uk

Simon Robert Lightwood (born 15 December 1980)[2] is a British Labour and Co-operative Party politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Wakefield and Rothwell since 2024. From a 2022 by-election until 2024, he represented Wakefield.[3][4] He has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport since July 2024,[5] having previously been Shadow Minister for Local Transport from 2022 until 2024.[6]

Early life and education

[edit]

Lightwood was born in 1980 and grew up in South Shields.[7] After his family home was repossessed when he was aged 13, he family was forced to live with his grandmother.[8] Lightwood has a degree in theatre acting from Bretton Hall College and bought his first house in Wakefield.[7]

Early career

[edit]

Lightwood was a case worker for the former Wakefield MP Mary Creagh, between 2005 and 2009. He later worked for the National Health Service,[8][9] and has served on the Labour Party's National Policy Forum as a Yorkshire representative.[10] At the time of running for parliament, he was Head of Communications for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.[11]

Parliamentary career

[edit]

On 3 May 2022, Imran Ahmad Khan resigned as MP for Wakefield after being convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage boy, thus forcing a by-election. After Lightwood has been included on the shortlist for the Labour candidate, entire CLP executive committee (barring one externally appointed individual) walked out of the meeting. At final selection meeting on 15 May, there was a further substantial walkout of members, after which Lightwood was chosen as the official candidate.[12] [13][14][15][16] At the by-election held on 23 June 2022, Lightwood was elected as MP with a 4,925 majority.[17]

At the 2022 Labour Party Conference, Lightwood was appointed Shadow Minister for Local Transport.[18] Following the 2024 general election, he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport alongside Mike Kane and Lilian Greenwood.[19]

Personal life

[edit]

Lightwood lives in Ossett within the Wakefield constituency with his husband, having pledged to move from his previous home in Calderdale to Wakefield following his election.[20][11]

Notes

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  1. ^ Shadow Minister for Buses and Taxis (2022–23)

References

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  1. ^ "Simon Lightwood". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Simon Robert Lightwood". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Wakefield by-election: Labour wins back Red Wall seat from Conservatives". Sky News. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Imran Ahmad Khan: MP resigns after being found guilty of sexually assaulting 15-year-old boy". Sky News. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Meet our Shadow Cabinet". The Labour Party. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b Parsons, Rob (10 June 2022). "Wakefield by-election candidate says his family home was repossessed". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  8. ^ a b Adu, Aletha (18 June 2022). "Labour's Wakefield candidate Simon Lightwood insists he's not an 'outsider'". The Mirror. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Meet the Labour candidate who is competing to become Wakefield's next MP". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Simon Lightwood / National Policy Forum / About Labour Policy Forum / Labour Policymaking". policyforum.labour.org.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Head of communications at NHS Trust chosen as Labour candidate in Wakefield by-election". Halifax Courier. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  12. ^ Chappell, Elliot (13 May 2022). "Exclusive: Wakefield local party executive resigns over selection process". LabourList. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  13. ^ Doherty, Caitlin (12 May 2022). "Labour shortlists trade unionist and NHS staff member as potential Wakefield by-election candidates". The Yorkshire Post. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  14. ^ Bloom, Dan; Dickinson, Katie (13 May 2022). "Wakefield Labour group's entire committee resigns in by-election candidates row". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Wakefield Labour candidate chosen after committee walks out". BBC News. 15 May 2022. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  16. ^ Elgot, Jessica (15 May 2022). "Wakefield Labour chiefs walk out of final vote on byelection candidate". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  17. ^ Airey, Tom (24 June 2022). "Wakefield by-election result: Labour defeat Tories to retake seat". BBC News. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  18. ^ Gardner, Tony (11 October 2022). "Wakefield MP Simon Lightwood joins Labour's shadow transport team just four months after by-election victory". Wakefield Express. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  19. ^ Nilson, Peter (10 July 2024). "DfT appointments: who are the new UK transport ministers?". Railway Technology. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). 25 May 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Wakefield
2022–2024 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Wakefield and Rothwell
2024–present 		Incumbent
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