Dame Jessica Morden is the Labour MP for Newport East, having first been elected to parliament at the 2005 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Morden won 16,370 votes, representing 42.5% of the vote. The Reform UK candidate, Tommy Short, received 7,361 votes (19.1%), while the Conservative candidate, Rachel Buckler, secured 6,487 votes (16.8%). Morden was duly elected with a majority of 9,009 votes.

The Newport East constituency covers eastern parts of the city and surrounding areas in Gwent, South Wales. Following boundary changes for the 2024 election, parts of the former Newport West constituency were added. The seat has been held by Labour since its creation in 1983.

Morden received a DBE as part of the Birthday Honours 2026 for political and public service.

Political Career

Morden currently serves as chair of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP), having been elected to this post in July 2024.

Morden is also chair of the committee of selection (since September 2024). By virtue of this role, Morden sits 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.

Additionally, Morden serves as a trade envoy to Central America (since January 2025). Appointed by the trade secretary, envoys are tasked with boosting British exports and attracting foreign investment. An envoy’s duties typically involve leading trade delegations, lobbying host governments on market access issues, and building relationships with overseas businesses.

Prior to the 2024 general election, which saw Labour returned to power after 14 years in opposition, Morden served as shadow minister for Wales from September 2023 until the July 2024 general election.

Before this, she was parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer from February to September 2023. A PPS acts as an unpaid parliamentary assistant, providing a link between the senior frontbencher and backbench MPs. Morden also served as shadow deputy leader of the House of Commons (December 2021 – September 2023), shadow vice-chamberlain of HM household (a whip role) (April 2020 – September 2023) and an opposition whip from 2015 to 2020.

Under the last Labour government, Morden was PPS to the secretary of state for Wales, Peter Hain. Morden later served as a PPS to Owen Smith during his tenure as shadow secretary of state for Wales (2012-2015).

From 2018 until the 2024 election, Morden chaired the select committee on statutory instruments and the joint committee on statutory instruments. She sat on the liaison committee across the same timespan as a consequence. Morden has also sat on the House of Commons administration committee (2017-2023, the committee of selection (2017-2019), the Welsh affairs committee (2005-2007 and 2010-2015), and the justice committee (2007-2010).

Morden is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) for Armenia, Georgia and hospitality, events, and major food and drink businesses in Wales.

Morden delivered her maiden speech on 7 June 2005.

In it, she said: “My constituency of Newport, East stands at the gateway to England and Wales – or the other way around, depending on how one looks at it.”

She added: “I want to ensure that all my constituents get to share in Newport’s growth. I am proud to represent a party that has done so much over the years to unlock human talent and to deliver social justice, but there is still much to do to improve people’s day-to-day lives for the better.

“Child poverty still blights too many lives; too few people leave school without the skills and qualifications that they need to make their way in the world.”

Political views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Labour leadership 2020: Morden 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: Morden was one of 41 Labour MPs who nominated Liz Kendall 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.

Kendall, the shadow minister for care and older people, was viewed as the “Blairite” candidate in the race. She secured 41 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), exceeding the 35 required to reach the final ballot. She ultimately finished fourth in the contest with 4.5% of the vote.

Corbyn loyalty list: In March 2016, Morden was labelled as “neutral but not hostile” by the Corbyn leadership in a leaked list which categorised Labour MPs by their perceived loyalty.

Labour leadership 2016: Morden 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.

Labour leadership 2010: Morden was one of 81 Labour MPs who nominated David Miliband 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.

Miliband, the former foreign secretary, was seen as closely aligned with the New Labour project – a Blairite figure. He secured 81 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), comfortably exceeding the 33 required to reach the final ballot, but was narrowly defeated by his brother, Ed Miliband, in the final round by 50.7% to 49.3%.

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: Morden supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore disagreed with a majority of constituents, 59.3% of whom voted to Leave.

Article 50: In February 2017, Morden 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 vote (July 2025): Morden 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

Morden 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

Same-sex marriage (2013): In February 2013, Morden 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): Morden 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): Morden 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): Morden 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.

Palestine

Palestinian recognition letter (July 2025): In July 2025, Morden 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.

Palestinian recognition vote (2014): In October 2014, Morden 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”.

Before Politics

Born Jessica Elizabeth Morden in Surrey on 29 May 1968, she grew up in Cwmbran, Wales.

Morden attended Croesyceiliog School before studying Medieval and Modern History (BA) at the University of Birmingham. After university, she worked as a researcher for Labour MPs Huw Edwards (1991) and Llew Smith (1992-1995).

Morden then joined the Wales Labour Party, organising election campaigns before becoming general secretary from 1999 until her election to parliament in 2005.

Personal Life

Morden’s partner is named Sion. They have two children, a daughter named Mali (born 2006) and a son named Ifan (born 2008).

Trivia

Morden was the first female MP elected in South East Wales.