Liz Kendall is the Labour MP for Leicester West, having first been elected to parliament at the 2010 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Kendall won 15,798 votes, representing 44.6% of the vote. The Conservative candidate, Max Chauhan, received 7,021 votes (19.8%), while the Reform UK candidate, Ian Hayes, secured 5,666 votes (16.0%). Kendall was duly elected with a majority of 8,777 votes.

The Leicester West constituency covers western parts of the city, including areas such as Braunstone and Beaumont Leys. It is considered a safe Labour seat, held by the party since 1945. Kendall succeeded former health secretary Patricia Hewitt as the MP for Leicester West.

Political Career

Kendall served as secretary of state for science, innovation and technology from September 2025 to July 2026. She left government as part of the July 2026 cabinet reshuffle conducted by Andy Burnham upon his appointment as prime minister.

Previously, Kendall served as secretary of state for work and pensions from July 2024 to September 2025. In this capacity, she was tasked with shepherding the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Bill through parliament, which faced a large Labour rebellion.

A total of 120 Labour MPs signed a rebel “reasoned amendment” to the bill which aimed to reject the proposed legislation. The amendment, in the name of senior Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier, objected to the fact that the bill had not been subject to a “formal consultation with disabled people” and that “250,000 people will be pushed into poverty” as a result of it, according to a government impact assessment.

The motion also called on the government to wait for the publication of the review into the Personal Independence Payment, helmed by minister Sir Stephen Timms, and the independent review, conducted by Sir Charlie Mayfield, into how the employment of disabled people could be boosted.

The government was ultimately forced into a dramatic climbdown just 90 minutes before voting began in the House of Commons.

On the Labour benches, the U-turn was met with bemusement. Mary Kelly Foy said she had “popped out earlier for a banana, and when I came back in, things had changed again, so I am even more unclear of what I am voting on.” ​​Paula Barker took aim at the “incoherent and shambolic nature of the process.”

The gutted bill passed by 335 to 260 votes – a majority of 75. At the time, Labour possessed a working majority of 165.

Speaking on 3 July, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, admitted that the government “didn’t get the process right”.

Prior to the 2024 general election, she served as shadow secretary of state for work and pensions (September 2023 – July 2024) and shadow minister for social care (2020 – 2023). Under Ed Miliband, she was shadow minister for care and older people (2011-2015), attending shadow cabinet), and shadow health minister (2010-2011).

Kendall stood in the 2015 Labour leadership contest. The election followed Miliband’s resignation 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 was viewed as the “Blairite” candidate in the race. At the time, she said a “fundamentally new approach” was needed after Labour’s 2015 defeat.

Kendall secured 41 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), exceeding the 35 required to reach the final ballot. However, she ultimately finished fourth in the contest with 4.5% of the vote.

She resigned from the shadow cabinet in response to Jeremy Corbyn’s victory. During the contest, Kendall made it clear that she would not serve under Corbyn’s leadership.

Kendall was a member of the Treasury committee (March 2020 – May 2020), the science, innovation and technology committee (March 2018 – November 2019), the housing, communities and local government committee (October 2015 – October 2016), and the education committee (July 2010 – November 2010)..

Kendall delivered her maiden speech on 10 June 2010, during a debate on tackling poverty in the UK. In it, she said: “Poverty and inequality still blight the lives of too many families and communities in my constituency. More than a third of children in Leicester West are still growing up in workless families.

“Children born into poverty in Braunstone or New Parks are more likely than children in better-off families to die before they are five, more likely to leave school without qualifications, less likely to go to university and get a well-paid job, and more likely to die before their time. This is simply unacceptable in the 21st century in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. That is what I came into politics to help change.”

She added: “I am proud of Labour’s record in Leicester West. The new deal for communities has helped to transform Braunstone, which was one of the most neglected parts of my constituency in 1997. The new Brite centre, skills centre, health and leisure centres and Business Box are helping local residents get the training, jobs and services they need to build a better life for themselves and their families.”

Political views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Labour leadership 2020: Kendall was one of 21 Labour MPs who nominated Jess Phillips 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.

Phillips, the MP for Birmingham Yardley, had been a prominent critic of Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party. She withdrew from the contest on 21 January 2020, suggesting that she could not “unite all parts of our movement”.

Corbyn loyalty list: In March 2016, Kendall was labelled as “hostile group” by the Corbyn leadership in a leaked list which categorised Labour MPs by their perceived loyalty. This label suggested the Corbyn leadership viewed Kendall as actively and openly antagonistic.

Labour leadership 2016: Kendall supported 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: Kendall 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: Kendall supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore disagreed with a majority of constituents, 50.8% of whom voted to Leave.

Article 50: In February 2017, Kendall 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.

People’s vote support (2019): Kendall signed a January 2019 statement by Labour MPs calling for a “people’s vote” or second referendum. The statement, signed by 71 Labour MPs, read: “Defeat of the Tory [Brexit] deal in a public vote would give us all a chance to campaign for the anti-austerity policies and a Labour government that deals with the true causes of the Brexit vote, and a reformed Europe that works for all people.”

Welfare

Welfare vote (July 2025): Kendall 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

Kendall 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 November 2024, Kendall told the BBC: “I’ve always believed in giving people as much choice and control as possible, and with all the right safeguards which this bill has, I believe it’s a really important step forward on such a difficult issue, giving people that choice and control.”

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Kendall 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, Kendall 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): Kendall 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.

Syria airstrikes (2015): Kendall voted in favour of 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 10-hour debate in the House of Commons, authorised the RAF to conduct strikes against Isis targets in Syria.

Syria airstrikes (2013): Kendall 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.

Before Politics

Elizabeth Louise Kendall was born in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire on 11 June 1971. Her father was a Bank of England official and her mother a primary school teacher.

Her parents were involved in politics, with her father initially being a Labour voter before becoming a Liberal councillor.

She attended Watford Grammar School for Girls. She studied History at Queens’ College, Cambridge, graduating with first-class honours in 1993.

After university, she worked at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) focusing on child development.

She became a political adviser to Harriet Harman in 1996, serving as her special adviser at the Department of Social Security after the 1997 election until Harman left government in 1998.

She was later director of the Maternity Alliance charity and director of the Ambulance Services Network. She also worked as a researcher at the health charity the King’s Fund and was a special adviser to her constituency predecessor Patricia Hewitt at the Department of Trade and Industry and later the Department of Health.

Personal Life

Kendall reportedly lives in Notting Hill in a Victorian home purchased for £3.9 million.

She has one son, Henry, who was born via surrogacy in early 2022. She has spoken publicly about her and her partner’s difficult journey to parenthood.

She was previously in a relationship with actor and comedian Greg Davies.

Trivia

Kendall became a mother via surrogacy at the age of 50.

She attended school alongside Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.