Emma Lewell is the Labour MP for South Shields, having first been elected to parliament in a by-election on 2 May 2013.

In the 2024 general election, Lewell received 15,122 votes, representing 41.1% of the vote share. The Reform UK candidate, Stephen Holt, received 8,469 votes (23.0%), while the Green Party candidate, David Francis, secured 5,433 votes (14.8%). Lewell was duly re-elected with a majority of 6,653 votes.

The South Shields constituency is located in Tyne and Wear, on the coast at the mouth of the River Tyne. It includes the town of South Shields, along with communities such as Whitburn, Cleadon, and East Boldon. A former mining and shipbuilding area, it is considered a Labour heartland and has elected Labour MPs continuously since 1935. It was previously represented by former foreign secretary David Miliband, whose resignation triggered the 2013 by-election.

Political Career

Lewell is a member of the House of Commons defence select committee (since March 2020) – the committee responsible for monitoring the expenditure, administration and policy of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and its associated public bodies. The committee’s remit includes oversight of the British Armed Forces.

Lewell is also a member of the panel of chairs (since November 2024). The panel of chairs is made up of MPs chosen by the House of Commons speaker, typically at the beginning of every parliament, to chair public bill committees and other commons general committees. In this capacity, Lewell also chairs debates in Westminster Hall and may also act as temporary chair during a committee of the whole House.

Lewell was appointed as a member of the United Kingdom delegation to the Nato parliamentary assembly (Nato PA) by the prime minister in November 2024. The delegation serves as a consultative link between the UK parliament and Nato. The assembly brings together legislators from all 32 member states to debate and provide oversight on security and defence policy. The party distribution of the delegation is intended to reflect the composition of the House of Commons.

Lewell previously served as shadow minister for children and families from October 2016 until March 2019. She resigned this post in order to vote against a confirmatory or second Brexit referendum, defying the Labour whip in the process. The Labour leadership whipped its MPs to abstain from voting on an amendment, tabled by the Independent Group of former Labour and Conservative MPs, to call a second referendum.

Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, paid tribute to Lewell in the wake of her resignation. “Emma was a superb shadow minister for children [and] families and worked so hard in her remit”, Rayner wrote in a social media post.

“Emma made a principled stance and did what she believes is right by her constituents.”

Lewell responded: “I am so proud to have been in your team [Angela Rayner] we had some great wins for the most vulnerable. Thanks for everything, be cheering you all on from the backbenches.”

Lewel briefly served as shadow minister for devolution and local government from January to June 2016. She was among those to resign from the shadow frontbench in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and his approach to the EU referendum.

In her resignation statement, Lewell wrote: “I have supported you wholeheartedly since your election. I believe that you offered hope to people, and ignited in people a passion for politics in a way no politician before you has achieved in my lifetime.”

She added: “The party is shambolic and divided at a critical time rather than providing effective opposition to a government that has so badly damaged the prospects of people in South Shields.

“The situation has now become untenable and is an impossible environment to work in. As a result of this impasse, and after speaking to members of my local party, I feel I have no option but to step down from my role as a shadow minister.”

Lewell was one of six Labour MPs (alongside Jon Cruddas, Grahame Morris, Toby Perkins, Sarah Champion and Rosie Cooper) to support Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal in December 2019, defying the party whip. Lewell said she would support the bill “with the heaviest of hearts”, adding: “I don’t want to oppose for opposition’s sake. We need to build consensus and stop the combative nature of this debate.”

Lewell also served as a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to the shadow Northern Ireland secretary (Ivan Lewis). She was appointed to this role shortly after her election to parliament in 2013.

Lewell has sat on the work and pensions committee (2015-2016), and the environment, food and rural affairs committee (2013-2015).

Lewell delivered her maiden speech on 19 June 2013 during a debate on arts and creative industries.

In it, she said: “[Shields] is a town with a proud history of political organisation and vibrant community and trade union activity. It is a town that knows the dignity and reward that work brings and understands the duty we each have to provide not just for ourselves and our families, but for the world around us. It is a town enriched by a diversity of outlooks and traditions, dating back to the days of the Roman empire but continually refreshed by the arrival of foreign traders and settlers.”

She added: “I am deeply honoured not only to have been chosen by the people of South Shields to represent them as their Member of Parliament, but to be the first woman to do so. Shields has boasted a Labour MP in every election since 1935. It gives me tremendous pride to represent one of the most discerning electorates in the country.”

Before entering parliament, Lewell served as a Labour councillor for South Tyneside between 2004 and 2013.

Political Views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Starmer stand down: In May 2026, Lewell publicly called for Keir Starmer, the prime minister, to step down/set out a timetable for his departure. The move followed the 2026 local elections and devolved elections to the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru.

Labour deputy leadership 2025: Lewell was one of 117 Labour MPs who nominated Lucy Powell for the party’s deputy leadership in September 2025. The election followed the resignation of Angela Rayner, who stepped down as deputy prime minister and deputy party leader after an investigation into her tax affairs. It marked the first time since 2007 that Labour had held a deputy leadership contest while in government.

Powell, the former leader of the House of Commons, was seen as a candidate representing the party’s “soft left”; she was supported by leading soft left figures including Ed Miliband and Andy Burnham. She secured 117 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), above the 80 required, and went on to win the election – defeating Bridget Phillipson with 54.3% of the vote.

Labour leadership 2020: Lewell was one of 31 Labour MPs who nominated Lisa Nandy for the party’s leadership in early 2020. The election was triggered by the resignation of Jeremy Corbyn following the party’s defeat in the 2019 general election, which resulted in Labour’s fewest seats in the House of Commons since 1935.

Nandy, the MP for Wigan, argued that the party needed a “bridge” to reconnect with traditional working-class voters in northern England. She finished third in the contest with 16.2% of the vote.

Labour leadership 2015: Lewell was one of 68 Labour MPs who nominated Andy Burnham for the party’s leadership in June 2015. The election followed the resignation of Ed Miliband after the party’s defeat in the 2015 general election. It was the first contest held under the “one member, one vote” system, which replaced the previous electoral college.

Burnham, the shadow health secretary, was initially considered the frontrunner. He secured 68 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), comfortably exceeding the 35 required to reach the final ballot. He ultimately finished second in the contest with 19% of the vote, losing to Jeremy Corbyn in the first round.

Corbyn loyalty list: In March 2016, Lewell was labelled as “core group plus” by the Corbyn leadership in a leaked list which categorised Labour MPs by their perceived loyalty. This label suggested the Corbyn leadership viewed Lewell as a reliable supporter.

Labour leadership 2016: Lewell was one of 162 Labour MPs who nominated Owen Smith for the party’s leadership in July 2016. The election was triggered by a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn following the EU referendum, which led to a wave of shadow cabinet resignations and a vote of no confidence supported by 172 MPs. Smith, the former shadow work and pensions secretary, was ultimately defeated by Corbyn, who won with an increased mandate of 61.8% of the vote.

Factional identity and party tradition

Labour Friends of Nato: Lewell is a patron of Labour Friends of Nato (LFN), a parliamentary network and pressure group established in January 2026 to reinforce the Labour Party’s commitment to the Atlantic alliance. According to a LabourList report, the group seeks to deepen understanding of Nato’s strategic role among MPs and party activists. It also seeks to provide a platform to rebut political arguments from both the left and right that seek to diminish Britain’s involvement in the treaty.

The formation of the network was framed by its founders as a return to the post-war traditions of the Clement Attlee government, which helped establish the alliance.

The group set up with plans to organise fact-finding missions to Nato’s military and political headquarters in Brussels, and host an annual lecture in honour of Ernest Bevin, the former foreign secretary and Nato treaty signatory.

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: Lewell supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore disagreed with a majority of her constituents, 62.1% of whom also voted to Leave.

Article 50: In February 2017, Lewell voted in favour of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. The legislation empowered the prime minister to notify the Council of the European Union of the UK’s intention to withdraw, formally triggering the process set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. MPs supported the bill by 498 votes to 114 at second reading.

Welfare

Welfare ‘reasoned amendment’ (June 2025): Lewell was one of the over 120 Labour MPs to sign the reasoned amendment to the government’s flagship welfare bill which aimed to reject the proposed legislation.

The amendment, in the name of senior Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier, objected to the fact that the bill had not been subject to a “formal consultation with disabled people” and that “250,000 people will be pushed into poverty” as a result of it, according to a government impact assessment.

The motion also called on the government to wait for the publication of the review into the Personal Independence Payment (Pip), helmed by minister Sir Stephen Timms, and the independent review, conducted by Sir Charlie Mayfield, into how the employment of disabled people could be boosted.

In an article for the House magazine, published June 2025, Lewell wrote: “We were elected on a promise that those with the broadest shoulders would contribute the most. Yet here we are, nearly a year into this government, and it is disabled and sick people who will be made to pay the price for 14 years of Tory mismanagement and chaos. This is not what people voted for.

“There are always other ways.

“The sensible thing would be to scrap the bill, work with disabled people and organisations, trade unions, and listen to all MPs to produce a new bill.”

In May 2025, Lewell had signed a letter warning the government that the cuts were “impossible to support” and calling for a change in direction.

The letter, signed by 42 Labour MPs, read: “The planned cuts of more than £7bn represent the biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne ushered in the years of austerity and over 3 million of our poorest and most disadvantaged will be affected.

“Whilst the government may have correctly diagnosed the problem of a broken benefits system and a lack of job opportunities for those who are able to work, they have come up with the wrong medicine. Cuts don’t create jobs, they just cause more hardship.”

Welfare vote (July 2025): Lewell went on to vote against the bill at second reading. The vote came after ministers agreed to significant concessions to avoid defeat via a mass rebellion of Labour MPs on 1 July 2025.

Winter fuel payment EDM: In September 2024, Lewell signed an early day motion (EDM) expressing concern over the government’s proposed changes to the winter fuel payment. The motion called on the government to “postpone the ending of winter fuel payments and establish a comprehensive strategy to tackle fuel poverty, health inequality and low incomes among older people.”

Assisted dying

Lewell voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at both second reading (November 2024) and third reading (June 2025).

Social values and conscience issues

Lying amendment: In January 2026, Lewell was listed as a supporter of an amendment to the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, often referred to as the “Hillsborough Law”, that would extend the proposed criminal offence of misleading the public to include MPs and peers. Luke Myer, the Labour MP behind the proposal, argued that his amendment would mean “no-one in parliament would be above the law”, adding: “If politicians deliberately lie to the public, there should be consequences.”

Myer stated: “This amendment is a proportionate, carefully safeguarded response to a real democratic risk. It is not about stifling debate or political disagreement, it is about ensuring that those who seek or hold public office cannot deliberately and knowingly mislead the public without consequence.

“The polling shows that voters across the political spectrum expect parliament to act.”

Myer’s amendment won the support of 30 cross-party MPs.

Foreign policy and security

Trident renewal (2016): Lewell voted in favour of a government motion calling for the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent system in July 2016. The motion, which was passed by 472 votes to 117, committed the UK to constructing a new fleet of submarines to carry the nation’s nuclear weapons. Labour was split over the issue with 140 of its 230 MPs going against leader Jeremy Corbyn and backing the motion.

Syria airstrikes (2015): Lewell voted against a government motion to extend UK airstrikes against Isis from Iraq into Syria in December 2015. The motion, which was passed by 397 votes to 223 after a ten-hour debate in the House of Commons, authorised the RAF to conduct strikes against Isis targets in Syria.

Syria airstrikes (2013): Lewell voted against the government’s motion on the principle of military intervention in Syria in August 2013. The government motion was defeated by 285 votes to 272, a move which effectively ruled out UK participation in any US-led military strikes.

Sanctioned (Russia): In April 2022, Lewell was among the group of MPs placed on a sanctions list by the Russian government. The measure barred them from entering Russia and was presented by Moscow as a retaliatory response to the UK’s stance on the invasion of Ukraine.

Palestine

LFPME: Lewell has been listed as a member of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East (LFPME). The organisation’s stated aim is to promote peace and justice in the region through the application of international law and respect for human rights.

Palestinian recognition letter (July 2025): In July 2025, Lewell was among the over 254 MPs to sign a cross-party letter calling for the government to immediately recognise the state of Palestine. The letter called on the prime minister and foreign secretary to recognise Palestine at the UN Conference then taking place in New York.

Ceasefire vote (November 2023): Lewell was among 56 Labour MPs to vote in favour of a Scottish National Party (SNP) amendment to the King’s Speech in the House of Commons calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza – defying the instruction set out by the party’s frontbench. Labour had tabled its own motion, making a more moderate appeal for a “humanitarian pause” in the conflict and ordered its representatives to support that stance.

Palestinian recognition vote (2014): In October 2014, Lewell was one of 192 Labour MPs who voted in favour of recognising Palestine as a state. The motion, passed by 274 votes to 12, called on the government to “recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution”.

Civil liberties

Covid passes vote (2021): Lewell was one of 126 MPs to vote against Covid passes in England in December 2021. The measure, introduced by Boris Johnson’s government, was carried by 369 votes to 126.

Before Politics

Born Emma Louise Lewell on 8 November 1978, she grew up in South Shields. She studied politics and media studies at Northumbria University. She later obtained a master’s degree in social work from Durham University.

Before being elected to parliament, she worked as a social worker, specialising in child protection.

Personal Life

Lewell was married to Simon Buck between 2012 and 2021.

Lewell has spoken about being diagnosed with dyspraxia.

Trivia

Lewell is reportedly a direct descendant of William Wouldhave, considered by some to be the inventor of the lifeboat.