Gen Kitchen is the Labour MP for Wellingborough and Rushden, having first been elected for the predecessor seat of Wellingborough in a by-election on 15 February 2024.  

In the 2024 general election, Kitchen won 17,734 votes, representing 40.3% of the vote. The Conservative candidate, David Goss, received 12,248 votes (27.8%), while the Reform UK candidate, Ben Habib, secured 9,456 votes (21.5%). Kitchen was duly elected with a majority of 5,486 votes.

The Wellingborough and Rushden constituency is located in Northamptonshire and includes the towns of Wellingborough, Rushden, and Higham Ferrers. While considered a safe Conservative seat between 2010 and the 2024 by-election, Labour held the predecessor seat in the past, notably in 1997 and 2001.  

The 2024 by-election was triggered by a successful recall petition. The recall of Peter Bone, the Conservative MP for Wellingborough from 2005 to 2023, followed a complaint made via parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme (ICGS). The ICGS investigation began in September 2022, leading to an investigation and a report by the Independent Expert Panel (IEP). The report, which was published on 16 October 2023, sustained findings of five acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct committed against a staff member between 2012 and 2013.

Political Career

Kitchen serves as comptroller of HM Household (a government whip role) (since May 2026).

Kitchen’s appointment to this post was part of a targeted reshuffle designed to stabilise Keir Starmer’s position as prime minister after a series of resignations. It came as several ministers stepped down calling for Starmer to resign or set out a timetable for his departure. The move followed the 2026 local elections and devolved elections to the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru. Conversely, Kitchen’s appointment signalled their support for the prime minister.

She previously served as lord commissioner of the Treasury from September 2025 to May 2026, and as an assistant whip from July 2024 to September 2025.

Kitchen has sat as a member of the House of Commons education committee (2024).

Kitchen was first elected MP for Wellingborough in the February 2024 by-election. She won the seat with 13,844 votes. The Conservative candidate, Helen Harrison, Peter Bone’s partner, came second with 7,408 votes. Kitchen thereby overturned a Conservative majority of 18,540, recorded at the 2019 general election, and won a majority of 6,436.

Kitchen delivered her maiden speech on 14 March 2024 during a debate on Send (Special educational needs and disabilities) provision.

In it, she said: “As Wellingborough is a bellwether seat, the people of Orlingbury, Wollaston and Irchester often know the problems that the government of the day will face before they do. The result of the campaign saw the largest swing this century, and the cleanliness of high streets, highways, policing, access to education for children with special educational needs and disabilities, and access to healthcare were crucial issues when knocking on doors from Bozeat to Wilby and the Harrowdens.”

She added: “Both sides of my family have served in the armed forces for three generations, and their commitment to public service and duty to our country was instilled in me from a young age. I endeavour to make them proud, and have dedicated my professional career to the charity sector, fundraising for projects to help those in need.”

Before entering parliament, Kitchen served as a Labour councillor on Newham London Borough Council representing the Boleyn ward from 2018 to 2022. During this time, she was deputy cabinet member for regeneration.

She stood unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate for South Northamptonshire in the 2019 general election, finishing second to the Conservative incumbent, Andrea Leadsom.

Political views

Factional identity and party tradition

SERA: Kitchen 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, Kitchen 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): Kitchen 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

Kitchen 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): Kitchen 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 Genevieve Victoria Kitchen on 5 May 1995, her parents are Royal Navy veterans. She grew up in Northamptonshire, attending local schools including Caroline Chisholm School, John Hellins Primary School, and Kingsbrook Secondary School (now Elizabeth Woodville School).  

She studied History and Politics (BA) at Queen Mary University of London, graduating in 2016.  

Her career before politics was in the charity sector as a fundraiser, working for organisations including The Salvation Army, Sarcoma UK, a children’s hospice and a children’s health charity.  

Personal Life

Kitchen married her husband Joe in October 2023. She cut short her honeymoon to campaign in the 2024 Wellingborough by-election.  

Trivia

Kitchen’s February 2024 by-election victory represented a swing of 28.5% from the Conservatives to Labour – the second-largest such swing since the Second World War.