Callum Anderson is the Labour Party MP for Buckingham and Bletchley, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Anderson won 17,602 votes, representing 36.9% of the vote. The Conservative candidate, Iain Stewart, received 15,181 votes (31.9%), while the Reform UK candidate, Jordan Cattell, secured 7,468 votes (15.7%). Anderson was duly elected with a majority of 2,421.

The Buckingham and Bletchley constituency was newly created for the 2024 general election, formed from parts of the former Buckingham and Milton Keynes South constituencies.

The former Buckingham constituency was famously represented by John Bercow, who served as speaker of the House of Commons from 2009 to 2019. The old Milton Keynes South constituency was represented by Iain Stewart of the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2024. Stewart stood as the Conservative candidate in Buckingham and Bletchley at the 2024 general election.

Political Career

Anderson currently serves as a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) in the Office for Equality and Opportunity. A PPS acts as an unpaid parliamentary assistant, providing a link between the senior frontbencher and backbench MPs. The role is widely regarded as the first step on the ministerial ladder. Although they cannot speak for the government in debates, a PPS is bound by collective responsibility and becomes part of the so-called “payroll vote”, expected to support the official line in all divisions. Anderson was appointed to this role in July 2026, following the Labour leadership contest and Andy Burnham’s elevation as prime minister.

Anderson served as a parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology from July 2024 to July 2026.

Anderson was appointed as a government “business champion” for finance and public affairs in the South East – a role established in February 2025 to facilitate engagement between the Labour administration and the private sector.

The position was part of a network of approximately 40 MPs appointed by the Department for Business and Trade to act as conduits for industry views on government policy. The grouping operated under the oversight of Dan Tomlinson, the national “mission champion” for growth.

The selection of champions was designed to leverage the professional expertise of the 2024 intake of MPs, and the role was seen as an early step on the Westminster ladder. However, the scheme was reportedly scrapped in July 2025 following a meeting at 10 Downing Street. According to a Guido Fawkes report, the business champions were told that their services were no longer required.

In a January 2026 interview with Bloomberg Radio, Anderson described Keir Starmer as the “best man for the job” of prime minister.

He stated: “It’s obviously been a very difficult week for the government and it’s been a turbulent 18 months in government. We have inherited an incredibly challenging economic and geopolitical picture, which means we haven’t been able to deliver the change that people who live in my constituency want.”

He spoke of Starmer’s “renewed determination to lead from the front, and I think we owe it to him to support him in delivering on his mandate.”

Anderson delivered his maiden speech on 17 October 2024 during a debate on the International Investment Summit. In it, he said: “The value of international investment is not just financial; it is also a vote of confidence in us – in our workforce, our infrastructure and our unique creative spirit.

“It strengthens our relationships with key global players, ensuring that we continue to be the country that others seek out for collaboration, whether in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence or established ones such as financial services and advanced manufacturing.”

He added: “I wish to address the young people in the towns, villages and city that comprise the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency: regardless of who your parents are, where you come from or what you look like, never stop believing that if you work hard, anything in Britain is possible.

“Every moment I am granted in this place will be spent working towards ensuring that you have the power to write your own life story and live the life that you have imagined for yourself on these islands of ours.”

Anderson previously stood unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate for South West Bedfordshire in the 2019 general election, finishing second to the Conservative incumbent Andrew Selous on 13,629 votes (25.6%).

Anderson was elected as a Labour Party councillor for the South Acton ward on Ealing London Borough Council in May 2022.

Anderson has been a member of Labour’s National Policy Forum (as a representative of the London region) and the BAME Labour Network executive committee.

Anderson unsuccessfully sought selection as a Londonwide candidate for the London Assembly for the 2020 elections and as Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Stevenage in 2022. In this latter contest Anderson lost out to Kevin Bonavia.

In a July 2019 article for LabourList, Anderson wrote that despite London’s promise of opportunity and freedom, for too many residents “that promise… is one that is rarely kept” due to Conservative austerity.

He pointed to the “entrenched economic and social injustices” in the capital.

He wrote: “As a Labour Assembly Member, it would be my number one priority to bring together any Londoner of goodwill – including civil society, trade unions and business – to set out a road map for how we can spread opportunity to every corner of our city.

“This means renewing our ambition to [deliver] sustainable living incomes for every worker, building more homes at prices that families can genuinely afford and making our streets safer. I believe that only by fostering a new spirit of co-operation can opportunity, wealth and power be fairly shared.

“Only then can we build one London together.”

Anderson has also served as a school governor in Ealing – and as one of the council’s race equality commissioners.

In his capacity as an Ealing race equality commissioner, Anderson commented: “As a society we are, in many ways, at a crossroads. The Covid-19 crisis has ruthlessly exposed the inequalities that continue to scar our society, be it in education, social justice, health or housing.

“Without people taking part in this commission, we won’t be able to do our job properly. Residents’ contribution is critical to ensuring the commission can focus on what matters most and what needs prioritising.”

In a June 2020 article for LabourList, co-authored with Martin Edobor for the Labour BAME Network, Anderson expressed “unambiguous” support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

He argued that the UK must “confront our own realities and our own truths here at home”, stating that for too many black Britons, “the police offer fear, not security.”

The article concluded with five suggestions for action, urging people to donate to anti-racism charities, hold elected representatives accountable, and “actively participate in our democratic process to make sure that our institutions… are filled with people committed to delivering practical change.”

Anderson and Edobor wrote: “No speech, statement or article will return Floyd back to his loved ones. Instead, it is now incumbent on a new generation to seize this opportunity to lead and achieve the change and justice we need.”

Political views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Oppose leadership election: In May 2026, Anderson was among the over 100 Labour MPs who signed a joint statement insisting it was “no time for a leadership contest.” The letter was an intervention in the political crisis engulfing Keir Starmer’s premiership, after Labour suffered heavy losses in the 2026 local elections and devolved elections to the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru. It was organised as a counterweight to a mounting rebellion that had seen high-profile figures, including some ministers, call for Starmer’s resignation.

The statement read: “Last week we had a devastatingly tough set of election results. It shows we have a hard job ahead to win back trust from the electorate.

“That job needs to start today – with all of us working together to deliver the change the country needs.

“We must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest.”

Labour deputy leadership 2025: Anderson was one of 175 Labour MPs who nominated Bridget Phillipson 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.

Phillipson, the serving education secretary, was widely viewed as the candidate favoured by Downing Street and the party leadership. She secured 175 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), comfortably exceeding the 80 required to reach the final ballot. She was ultimately defeated by Lucy Powell.

Factional identity and party tradition

SERA: Anderson has been listed as a member of the Socialist Environment and Resources Association (SERA) – a socialist society affiliated with the Labour Party. Founded in 1973, SERA is the party’s official environmental campaign group. The organisation campaigns on a wide range of issues, including renewable energy, biodiversity, air quality and the transition to a green economy. SERA describes its member MPs as “champions for the environment”.

Brexit and Europe

Remain pledge: During the 2019 general election campaign, Anderson was one of 193 Labour candidates to sign the anti-Brexit “Remain pledge”, drawn up by the campaign group Remain Labour.

It stated: “Labour is committed to a confirmatory referendum, to give you the final say on Brexit. If elected as your Labour MP, I pledge to campaign to Remain in the EU.”

Welfare

Welfare vote (July 2025): Anderson voted in favour of the government’s flagship welfare 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.

Assisted dying

Anderson voted in favour of 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).

In a statement setting out his position, issued ahead of the bill’s second reading debate, Anderson said: “For some individuals, the ability to choose how, where, and who is by their side as they pass offers a measure of peace when faced with the certainty of death.

“I sincerely believe that this bill offers this right safely. I consider its clear and narrow scope to be a carefully constructed response to a specific and exceptional situation. This bill does not, rightly, compel anyone to make this choice.”

He added: “This is not about forcing one worldview upon another, but about granting individuals the freedom to decide for themselves, in consultation with their doctors and loved ones, how they wish to face the end of their life.

“While there are no easy answers, I do believe that as democratically elected representatives in a compassionate society, we owe it to our citizens to give them that choice.”

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Anderson voted in favour of a backbench amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that sought to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in June 2025. The amendment, which was passed by a majority of 242 votes, removed women from the threat of prosecution for ending a pregnancy at any stage. As an issue of conscience, MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs.

Before Politics

Born Callum Bradley Anderson in 1991 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, he was raised by his mother, a shopworker.

He graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2013 with a degree in economics with German.

Before becoming an MP, Anderson worked at the London Stock Exchange Group plc. He previously held policy adviser roles at the London Stock Exchange and the City of London Corporation. He has worked for think tanks and research groups including the Community Development Finance Association (CDFA), Demos and Reform.

In an April 2015 article published by ResPublica, Anderson highlighted the importance of Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) in tackling financial exclusion.

In the run up to the 2015 general election, he argued that with the mainstream banking market highly concentrated, a “significant window of opportunity” existed for the next government to support the sector.

He wrote: “An economic recovery will result in an ever increasing demand for credit throughout the UK. With the right support, CDFIs have proven they can flourish and unlock the potential of local economies across the UK.

“Yet, there are still barriers to scaling up the CDFI industry; a shortage of capital prevents many from increasing the level of lending and support they can conduct, which restricts growth and subsequently their ability to bring wealth and prosperity to households and communities.”

Personal Life

In his 2024 maiden speech, Anderson said he owed an “unpayable debt” to his mother.

He told the House: “I owe an unpayable debt to my mother, who brought me up alone in a council flat and sacrificed everything to help her son reach heights that neither of us could have dreamed of 33 years ago – be that the City of London or the home of our democracy – and whose simple values of hard work and quiet perseverance taught me that everyone has value and deserves respect.

Anderson added: “Her example has been a guiding light to me, and for that I will be forever grateful.”

Trivia

Anderson joined the Labour Party at the age of 18.