Kate Dearden is the Labour and Co-operative MP for Halifax, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Dearden won 14,135 votes, representing 35.1% of the vote. The Conservative Party candidate, Hazel Sharp, received 7,866 votes (19.6%), while the Reform UK candidate, James Griffith-Jones, secured 7,811 votes (19.4%). Dearden was duly elected with a majority of 6,269 votes.

The Halifax constituency is located in West Yorkshire. It was held by the Labour Party from 1964 to to 1983 and again since 1987. The Conservative Party represented the seat from 1983 to 1987.

Dearden’s immediate predecessor as the MP for Halifax was Holly Lynch of the Labour Party. Lynch, who stood down from parliament at the 2024 election, represented the seat from 2015 to 2024.

Political Career

Dearden currently serves as minister of state in the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. She was appointed to this role in July 2026, following the Labour leadership contest and Andy Burnham’s elevation as prime minister.

Previously, Dearden served as parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department for Business and Trade (2025-2026) and as an assistant government whip (2024-2025).

Dearden delivered her maiden speech on 22 July 2024 during a debate on the economy, welfare and public services.

In it, she said: “Like most of the ex-industrial UK, we have faced decades of neglect and under-investment. Halifax endures significant deprivation, with above-average levels of unemployment and child poverty. Access to housing is a problem, especially for young people, and the availability of GPs came up time and time again on the doorstep.

“The people of Halifax have struggled for too long with the cost of living crisis, low wages and poor public services. That has been the story of my town and of our country.”

She added: “In my previous role at the brilliant Community trade union, I was proud to be part of drafting those aims alongside trade union colleagues.

“The agenda on extending workers’ rights, including for those who are self-employed or part of the gig economy, is one that I want to champion over the next five years.”

Political views

Leadership elections

Labour deputy leadership 2025: Dearden 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.

Welfare

Welfare vote (July 2025): Dearden supported 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.

As an assistant government whip, she was a teller for the ayes during the division.

Assisted dying

Dearden 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): Dearden 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

Dearden was born in April 1994 in Bingley, West Yorkshire. She attended St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College in Bradford and then studied international relations at the University of Edinburgh.

During her time at university, she served as chair of Edinburgh Labour Students.

Before entering parliament, Dearden worked for the trade union Community from 2017 to 2024.

She also worked as a campaign organiser for Labour MP Ian Murray and Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale while at university.

Dearden was national chair of Labour Students from 2016 to 2017.

After graduating, she served as Chair of the National Labour Students Committee until June 2017 and worked as a Campaigns Officer for the Labour Party starting in April 2017.

Personal Life

Dearden lives in her Halifax constituency.

Trivia

Dearden addressed the Labour Party’s annual conference in 2016.