About Me

I was born in the North East of England, in Houghton‑le‑Spring, Sunderland, in 1980. I come from a loving working‑class family. My dad was a fireman in the Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade for 30 years and my mum worked for Provident, the door‑to‑door loans company. I have an older sister, Emma, who is now a primary school teacher.

I did well at my local comprehensive school and at 16 went to study my A‑levels at City of Sunderland College. While I was there, one of my tutors inspired me to join the Labour Party. After college, I was offered a place at the University of Manchester to study Politics and Modern History.
Moving to Manchester was one of the best decisions of my life. I graduated in 2001 with first‑class honours and experienced politics directly for the first time after being elected to the Students’ Union Executive.

After graduating, unsure of what to do next but certain I wanted to stay in the area, I took a job working at Stockport Council as an assistant to Labour councillors. At that time, I had hoped to go to law school, but my plans changed significantly after the birth of my son Jack in January 2003. Becoming a father at a young age had a profound impact on me.

After a year at Stockport Council, a vacancy arose to work for James Purnell, then MP for Stalybridge and Hyde. Working for James and seeing first‑hand the impact an MP can have locally and nationally was an invaluable experience. During this period, I was also elected to Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to represent young members, a role I held from 2003–2005. I have always believed that encouraging young people to engage with politics and the wider world is one of our greatest responsibilities.

In 2007, I was finally able to return to my original ambition and enrolled in law school as a mature student. I completed both my Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and Legal Practice Course (LPC) at BPP Law School in Manchester, and was delighted to be offered a training contract with Addleshaw Goddard LLP. It was a fantastic place to work and a hugely formative experience.

That same year, at the local elections, I was elected to Tameside Council to represent Longdendale, covering Mottram, Hollingworth, Hattersley and Broadbottom. It remains one of my proudest moments, and I still keep my Tameside Council chamber name plaque on my desk in Parliament.
In 2008, I married my wife Claire at St Michael’s Church in Mottram. We now have three younger children – Bess, born in 2010, Arthur, born in 2013, and Seth, born in 2015 – alongside Jack. Claire and our children are the most important part of my life.

In early 2010, we were all taken by surprise when James Purnell announced he would not seek re‑election. I had strong views about the kind of candidate and MP our area needed and was approached by several colleagues to put myself forward. My message began to resonate, and barely a month before the General Election, I was selected as Labour’s candidate. In May 2010, I was honoured to be elected as the MP for Stalybridge & Hyde. I resigned my legal career to serve our community full‑time. Shortly afterwards, we moved from Mottram to Stalybridge.

Since entering Parliament, I have held several senior roles. In Opposition, I served as Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and as a Shadow Transport Minister. Following Labour’s return to Government, I was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury, working to deliver economic stability, growth and fairness across the UK.

Outside of politics, I don’t get much spare time, but when I do, I enjoy walking our dogs, watching television , and growing fruit and vegetables in the garden.

At the heart of my politics is the belief that a compassionate society and a strong economy go hand in hand. Too often, British politics has presented these as competing choices, when in fact our country needs both to thrive. I believe in working hard for our community, whether in Parliament or here in the constituency, and I value every conversation I have with residents, whether on the doorstep or at local events.