Dame Diana Johnson is the Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham, having first been elected for the predecessor seat of Kingston upon Hull North at the 2005 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Dame Diana won 18,480 votes, representing 48.3% of the vote. The Reform UK candidate, Martin Baker, received 7,801 votes (20.4%), while the Conservative candidate, Callum Procter, secured 4,897 votes (12.8%). Dame Diana was duly elected with a majority of 10,679 votes.

The Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham constituency was newly created for the 2024 election, primarily formed from the abolished Kingston upon Hull North seat plus the village of Cottingham. It covers northern parts of Hull and Cottingham. The area is considered a safe Labour seat.

Political Career

Johnson currently serves as minister of state in the Department of Health and Social Care. She was appointed to this role in July 2026, following the Labour leadership contest and Andy Burnham’s elevation as prime minister.

Previously, Johnson served as minister of state in the Department for Work and Pensions (2025-2026) and minister of state for policing, fire, and crime prevention (2024-2025).

Prior to this, Johnson chaired the influential home affairs select committee from December 2021 until the 2024 general election. By virtue of this role, she also sat on the liaison committee – the so-called “super committee” composed of the cross-party chairs of all the other commons select committees. It has a broad oversight role, but is best known for its questioning of the prime minister in sessions that take place two or three times a year.

Under the last Labour government, she served as parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Children, Schools and Families (2009-2010) and as an assistant government whip (2007-2009).

In opposition, Johnson held shadow ministerial roles covering foreign and commonwealth affairs (2015-2016), home affairs (2010-2015) and health (2010).

In June 2016, Johnson was among those to resign from the shadow frontbench in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and his approach to the Brexit referendum. The shadow ministerial exodus came after shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn was dismissed for plotting to oust Corbyn.

In her resignation letter, Johnson stated: “I have the utmost respect for Hilary Benn as the shadow foreign secretary and believe that he is an outstanding Labour politician. I haven’t always agreed with him… but I believe that he is a huge asset to the party and particularly as a member of the shadow cabinet.”

She added: “I have therefore very sadly come to the conclusion that despite you being a very principled and decent man, I do not believe you possess the vital leadership qualities we need at this crucial time for the Labour Party and the country.”

Dame Diana is renowned for her long-standing campaign on behalf of victims of the NHS contaminated blood scandal. Her work led to the establishment of a public inquiry, and in December 2023, she successfully moved an amendment to government legislation, inflicting a defeat on the government, to expedite the creation of a compensation body.

Johnson’s amendment was voted through on a majority of 246 to 242. The government had intended to wait until the statutory inquiry finished to introduce a compensatory scheme. It marked Rishi Sunak’s first parliamentary defeat as prime minister.

Speaking in the debate, Johnson said: “Many of those who’ve spent decades campaigning for justice are no longer alive. It’s almost eight months now since April this year, when Sir Brian Langstaff published the Infected Blood Inquiry’s final recommendations on compensation.”

She added: “How disappointing it is that [this] government is mounting a very hard three-line whip operation to defeat these amendments and new clauses. It is shocking when ministers have stood at that despatch box and said very clearly that they accept the moral case for compensation.

“Well, if they accept the moral case for compensation, now is the time. Do the right thing.”

Johnson has served on several House of Commons committees, including the home affairs committee (2020-2024, including as chair), the health and social care committee (2017-2019) and the public accounts committee (2005).

She delivered her maiden speech on 24 May 2005. In it, she stated: “Hull is the birthplace of William Wilberforce, who was born in 1759, later became an MP for the city and fought to abolish slavery. The cry of the abolitionists – ‘Am I not a man and a brother?’ – still resonates today as we see slavery, people trafficking and especially women being trafficked for sex, still continuing around the world.”

She added: “Even after eight years of a Labour government and massive investment in our community, we still have more work to do in health and education in Hull. Hull is leading the way, however, in the introduction of free healthy school meals, alongside the Labour government’s fresh fruit scheme, in all our primary schools.”

Before entering parliament, Dame Diana served on Tower Hamlets London Borough Council (1994-2002) and was a member of the London Assembly (2003-2004).

In her maiden speech, Dame Diana said her experience on the London Assembly would stand her in good stead for the “cut and thrust of politics at Westminster.”

Political views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Labour deputy leadership 2025: Johnson 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.

Labour leadership 2020: Johnson was one of 82 Labour MPs who nominated Keir Starmer 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.

Starmer’s 82 nominations were the highest of any candidate. The shadow Brexit secretary won a decisive victory in the first round with 56.2% of the vote, defeating Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy.

Labour leadership 2015: Johnson nominated Yvette Cooper 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.

Cooper, the shadow home secretary, secured 59 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), comfortably exceeding the 35 required to reach the final ballot. She ultimately finished third in the contest with 17% of the vote.

Corbyn loyalty list: In March 2016, Johnson was labelled as “core group negative” by the Corbyn leadership in a leaked list which categorised Labour MPs by their perceived loyalty. This label suggested the Corbyn leadership viewed Johnson as a critic but not openly hostile.

Labour leadership 2016: Johnson supported Angela Eagle 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.

Eagle, the former shadow first secretary of state, was the first to formally launch a challenge against Corbyn. However, she withdrew from the race on 19 July after attracting fewer nominations than Owen Smith. Johnson subsequently shifted their support to Smith.

Corbyn was ultimately re-elected with an increased mandate of 61.8% of the vote.

Labour leadership 2010: Johnson was one of 33 Labour MPs who nominated Ed Balls for the party’s leadership in May 2010. The election followed the resignation of Gordon Brown, who stepped down as prime minister and Labour leader after the 2010 general election.

Balls, the former children, schools and families secretary, was regarded as the ultimate “Brownite” candidate, having served as Brown’s chief economic adviser for a decade before entering parliament. He secured 33 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), the minimum required to reach the final ballot. He ultimately finished third with 16% of the vote.

Factional identity and party tradition

Tribune group (2017): Johnson was listed as a member of the Tribune steering group – responsible for leading the caucus generally described as representing the party’s “soft left”.

The Tribune group was initially formed in 1964 to support the newspaper of the same name. It served as a prominent forum for those parliamentarians situated on the left of the Labour Party – but it split over Tony Benn’s campaign for the deputy leadership in 1981. Benn’s supporters founded the Campaign group – which evolved into the Socialist Campaign Group (SCG). Today, the Bennite SCG is strongly associated with the Labour left tradition.

During the 1980s, the Tribune group emerged as a more natural home for those on Labour’s “soft left”.

In 2017, Efford officially re-launched the group with a new mission statement calling for “opportunity and aspiration” to be placed at the heart of the party’s programme. Efford said he had reformed the group to ensure that the centre-left of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) “have a space in which to put forward ideas and debate which has not been there under successive leaders”.

He added: “The view of Labour MPs at the moment tends to be that too much are just Blairites who want to stab Jeremy Corbyn in the back. We want to show that is not where we are, and that we want to develop our own ideas that represent the centre-left of the party.”

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: Johnson supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore disagreed with a majority of constituents, 59.8% of whom voted to Leave.

Article 50: In February 2017, Johnson 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.

Brexit trade deal: In December 2020, Johnson was among the 37 Labour MPs to rebel against the leadership’s position on the EU (Future Relationship) Bill – which enabled the government to implement and ratify its post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. Keir Starmer, the newly elected Labour leader, argued that while the trade deal negotiated by Boris Johnson’s government was “thin” and flawed, the only alternative at that late stage was a “no-deal” exit. To enforce the leadership’s position, a three-line whip was imposed. Johnson abstained over the bill. One Labour MP, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, voted against the bill.

Welfare

Welfare vote (July 2025): Johnson 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

Johnson 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).

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Johnson 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.

Same-sex marriage (2013): In February 2013, Johnson voted in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill at its second reading. The landmark piece of legislation, which received its second reading by 400 votes to 175, legalised marriage for same-sex couples in England and Wales.

Foreign policy and security

Trident renewal (2016): Johnson 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): Johnson 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.

Palestine

LFPME: Johnson 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 vote (2014): In October 2014, Johnson 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”.

Before Politics

Born Diana Ruth Johnson in Northwich, Cheshire on 25 July 1966. Her father was an electrical engineer.

She attended Northwich County Grammar School for Girls and Sir John Deane’s College. She gained an LLB in Law from Queen Mary University of London. She became a barrister in 1991 and worked in community law centres, including the Paddington Law Centre.

She served as a Non-Executive Director in the NHS

Personal Life

Johnson’s partner is Kevin Morton. She has been listed as employing him as her research and communications manager.

Trivia

Johnson was the first woman MP elected to represent a Hull constituency.

She was named Backbencher of the Year in 2018 for her successful campaign leading to the Infected Blood Inquiry.