Louise Haigh is the Labour MP for Sheffield Heeley, having first been elected at the 2015 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Haigh received 21,230 votes (55.2%). The Green Party candidate received 5,926 votes (15.4%), and the Conservative candidate secured 5,242 votes (13.6%). Haigh was duly elected with a majority of 15,304.

The Sheffield Heeley constituency covers the southern part of the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire. The seat has been held continuously by the Labour Party since February 1974. Haigh’s immediate predecessor as the MP for Sheffield Heeley was Meg Munn, who represented the seat from 2001 to 2015.

Louise Haigh: ‘soft left’ figure and Andy Burnham ally

Louise Haigh currently serves as first secretary of state, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and minister for the Cabinet Office. Haigh was appointed to these roles in July 2026, following the Labour leadership contest and Andy Burnham’s elevation as prime minister.

Haigh, an influential force in the Labour Party, was a prominent organiser during the sensational June 2026 Makerfield by-election. She is seen as a member of Burnham’s inner circle.

In November 2025, Haigh was among the seven Labour MPs who set out to revive the parliamentary Tribune Group – an influential caucus representing the party’s “soft left”. Led by Haigh and Vicky Foxcroft, the group was relaunched to provide an organised voice for the centre-left wing of the parliamentary Labour Party (PLP).

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, the group was relaunched by veteran Labour MP Clive Efford with a 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 would “have a space in which to put forward ideas and debate which has not been there under successive leaders”.

Haigh was listed among the supporters of the group’s relaunch in 2017.

Haigh was among those who again relaunched the group in November 2025. Its leading figures included Foxcroft, Debbie Abrahams, Beccy Cooper, Justin Madders, Sarah Owen and Yuan Yang.

In a January 2026 article for LabourList, co-written by this collective, the MPs argued that the party leadership had not “clarified who we stand for, clarity is just as often gained by who we stand against.”

The article added: “So what does a centre-left economic vision look like in practice? First, an economy that serves people, communities, and the common good. That’s why measures like bringing our railways back into public ownership matter.”

In April 2025, Haigh called on the government to end the widespread misuse of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) – leading a Westminster Hall debate on the topic. Haigh had tabled an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill, backed by 66 cross-party MPs, which sought to prohibit the use of NDAs in cases of harassment, discrimination, and abuse.

In an article for Politics.co.uk, Haigh wrote: “The reality is that in today’s world NDAs have become a shorthand for secrecy and silencing.

“Originally designed with a practical objective of protecting intellectual property, they are now routinely used to shut down allegations of harassment, abuse and discrimination — often against those with no means of challenging them.”

In July 2025, the government announced it would bring forward legislation in the Employments Rights Bill to ban the use of NDAs in cases of harassment and discrimination. “It is time we stamped this practice out – and this government is taking action to make that happen”, Angel Rayner commented.

“The Employment Rights Bill will ban any NDA used for this purpose, so that no one is forced to suffer in silence.”

Louise Haigh: transport secretary (2024) and resignation

Haigh served as secretary of state for transport from July to November 2024, when she resigned from cabinet after it emerged she had received a conviction for fraud by false representation in 2014. This related to her falsely reporting her work phone stolen to police in 2013. Heidi Alexander, then serving as justice minister, was appointed as Haigh’s replacement.

Haigh was the first cabinet minister to resign from the Labour government elected in July 2024.

In a statement, Haigh said that while she was working for insurance company Aviva in her mid-20s, she was mugged on a night out. She gave police a list of items missing from her handbag, including her work phone, which she thought had been stolen.

Haigh was issued with a new phone but when she subsequently found her old work phone and turned it on, the police called her in for questioning. In her resignation letter, Haigh said not informing Aviva straight away that she had found her missing work phone “was a mistake”.

She said that “whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering the work of this government”.

Haigh cited her appointment as the “youngest ever” female cabinet minister “remains one of the proudest achievements of my life”.

She added: “I am sorry to leave under these circumstances, but I take pride in what we have done. I will continue to fight every day for the people of Sheffield Heeley who I was first and foremost elected to represent and to ensure that the rest of our programme is delivered in full.”

Accepting her resignation, Starmer thanked Haigh for her work and “huge strides to take our rail system back into public ownership”. “I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future”, he wrote.

https://x.com/BethRigby/status/1862382399268508150

Haigh’s resignation came one month after she was ​​rebuked by Downing Street after calling for a boycott of P&O Ferries. DP World, the ferry company’s Dubai-based owner, threatened to withdraw a planned £1bn investment in the UK in response. Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, maintained that Haigh was not speaking for the government when she dubbed P&O Ferries a “rogue operator”.

In an interview with ITV News, Haigh has stated: “I’ve been boycotting P&O Ferries for two-and-a-half years, and I encourage consumers to do the same”.

The interview coincided with her department announcing new legislation aimed at protecting seafarers from what it described as “rogue employers”.

Speaking in May 2025, some months after her resignation, Haigh condemned what she saw as a pattern of “misogynistic” and “sexist” briefing from individuals in 10 Downing Street, directed at female cabinet ministers.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Haigh said: “I’m just really fed up of opening the papers and reading briefings against my female former colleagues.

“And I was really angry at the weekend to see the response to the electoral defeat that we had suffered at the hands of Reform [in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election] to be that we should sack two female, northern cabinet ministers and two of our best communicators with those voters that we need to communicate with most.

“I think that does reveal that there are people working in No 10 that are more interested in that kind of politics than they are about running the country.”

Louise Haigh: rise to prominence (2015-2024)

Prior to the 2024 election, Haigh held several senior roles in the shadow cabinet, including shadow secretary of state for transport from November 2021 to July 2024 and shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland from April 2020 to November 2021. She also served as shadow minister for policing from July 2017 to April 2020, shadow digital economy minister from October 2016 to July 2017 and shadow civil service and digital reform minister from September 2015 to October 2016.

Haigh’s government counterpart during her tenure as shadow policing minister, Nick Hurd, described her as “far and away the best shadow minister I have dealt with in eight years” when he left the frontbench in July 2019.

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Haigh has introduced a series of private members’ bills during her tenure as a parliamentarian.

• The Parental Rights (Rapists) and Family Courts Bill, introduced April 2019, sought to automatically strip parental rights from men who father children through rape, preventing them from using the family courts to gain contact with the child. The bill also called for an inquiry into how family courts handle domestic abuse cases.
• The Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill, introduced January 2018, aimed to extend the Freedom of Information Act to cover private companies that deliver public services, making them subject to the same transparency rules as public bodies.
• The Organ Donors (Leave) Bill, introduced November 2016, aimed to remove a financial barrier to organ donation by giving living donors a statutory right to paid leave from their jobs to recover from surgery.
• The Gangmasters (Licensing) and Labour Abuse Authority Bill, introduced June 2016, sought to extend the powers of the official labour watchdog to license and regulate businesses in high-risk sectors such as construction and social care, to better protect workers from exploitation.

Introducing the Parental Rights (Rapists) and Family Courts Bill to the House, Haigh argued that the family court system was failing victims of rape and domestic abuse, citing the “terrible case” of Sammy Woodhouse. She explained that Woodhouse, a survivor of the Rotherham grooming scandal, discovered that the man convicted of raping her had been notified from his prison cell of his right to apply for access to her son.

Haigh told the commons that Woodhouse was left “paralysed with fear” at the prospect of facing her attacker again in court.

Haigh said: “My bill is to remove the automatic parental right of men who have fathered a child through rape and to establish an inquiry into the treatment of domestic abuse and violence against women and girls in the family courts.”

She added: “For family courts and cases involving domestic abuse, there is a fear that, beneath the shroud of secrecy, there is injustice. The women and children we are talking about are some of the most vulnerable in our society. Women such as Sammy have already been let down by the state time and again. We, as public servants, owe it to them to reward the bravery of those who have dared to speak out.”

In 2015, John Bercow, then the speaker of the House of Commons, praised Haigh’s “terrier-like intensity” in her pursuit of answers to concerns raised by constituents.

Bercow told the House: “It is open to ministers to come forward sooner rather than later with announcements to the House if they are so minded. If they are not, even though I have known the hon. Lady for only six months, I rather suspect that she will pursue the matter with the terrier- like intensity that she has thus far demonstrated to colleagues.”

In a point of order, Haigh had said: “Last year [HMRC] outsourced some of its functions relating to tax credits to a US-based company, Concentrix. Many constituents have contacted me in desperation because mistakes made by that company have led to arbitrary cancellations of their much-needed tax credits…

“A cursory glance at Hansard has shown that [MPs] have been unable to get answers about that company from ministers. Can you give me any guidance, Mr Speaker, about how we can best represent our constituents, given the obvious failings of a government agency and its contractor in this matter?”

Haigh delivered her maiden speech on 4 June 2015 during a debate on the economy.

In it, she said: “Change for the very vulnerable, the low paid and all working people is long overdue and we face a very clear choice in this parliament – to continue down the same economic path that has entrenched inequality and embedded vested interests or to stand for a system that will protect the vulnerable, reward working people and create a fairer society so that my successor does not have to repeat the same tired list of issues in another generation’s time.”

Political Views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Labour deputy leadership 2025: Haigh was one of 117 Labour MPs who nominated Lucy Powell 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.

Powell, the former leader of the House of Commons, was seen as a candidate representing the party’s “soft left”; she was support by leading soft left figures including Ed Miliband and Andy Burnham. She secured 117 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), above the 80 required, and went on to win the election – defeating Bridget Phillipson with 54.3% of the vote.

Labour leadership 2020: Haigh was one of 31 Labour MPs who nominated Lisa Nandy 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.

Nandy, the MP for Wigan, argued that the party needed a “bridge” to reconnect with traditional working-class voters in northern England. She finished third in the contest with 16.2% of the vote.

Haigh served as chair of Nandy’s campaign.

In an article for LabourList, published March 2020, Haigh said Nandy’s “clarity gives her the edge over the other candidates in this race.”

She wrote: “Having known Lisa for a decade, I have always been able to say with my hand on my heart that she is genuinely one of the most talented, intelligent and thoughtful people I know…

“She is fearless, principled and, in these troubled political times, her leadership and her analysis are exactly what our party and our country need.”

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Leader of the left letter: In May 2015, Haigh was among 10 newly elected Labour MPs who penned an open letter calling on the party to embrace a decisive break from New Labour. In the letter, the MPs called for a leader who will “challenge an agenda of cuts, take on the powerful vested interests of big business and will set out an alternative to austerity.”

Labour leadership 2015: Haigh was part of a group of MPs who lent their nominations to ensure Corbyn, a veteran backbencher, reached the threshold of 35 required to appear on the ballot, intending to “broaden the debate.” Following Corbyn’s landslide victory with 59.5% of the vote, several of these MPs expressed regret.

Having nominated Corbyn, Haigh reportedly campaigned for Andy Burnham in 2015.

Haigh later explicitly expressed her regret for this decision, telling ITV News she had thought about it “a lot”.

She said: “It is very difficult to overstate the impact that the antisemitism crisis that engulfed the Labour Party under his leadership has had on the Jewish community.

“On that basis alone, I think I have to say I do regret nominating him.”

Corbyn loyalty list: In March 2016, Haigh was labelled as “core group plus” by the Corbyn leadership in a leaked list which categorised Labour MPs by their perceived loyalty.

Labour leadership 2016: Haigh 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.

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: Haigh supported the Remain campaign in the 2016 referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU), and therefore disagreed with a majority of her constituents, 57.2% of whom voted to Leave.

Article 50: In February 2017, Haigh 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 ‘reasoned amendment’ (June 2025): Haigh was one of the over 120 Labour MPs to sign the reasoned amendment to the government’s flagship welfare 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 (Pip), 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.

Welfare vote (July 2025): Haigh 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.

Welfare vote (July 2015): Alongside almost one quarter of her colleagues, Haigh voted against the Conservative government’s Welfare Reform and Work Bill at second reading – defying the party whip which instructed Labour MPs to abstain. This decision to abstain, taken by interim Labour leader Harriet Harman, caused a furious backlash within the party, particularly from its left wing. It became a defining issue in the ongoing leadership contest. Jeremy Corbyn was the only candidate to vote against the bill. Overall, 48 Labour MPs voted against the proposed legislation.

Assisted dying

Haigh 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).

Speaking ahead of the bill’s second reading debate, Haigh said she was “leaning towards” voting in favour of assisted dying.

She told Sky News: “It’s a matter of public record that I voted in favour last time [2015], and that is where I am leaning, totally honestly…

“But I am really conscious that there are concerns particularly from disabled advocacy groups and concerns around palliative care so I am considering that. I think this is a really important moment for the country as a whole to reflect.”

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Haigh 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.

Foreign policy and security

Trident renewal (2016): Haigh voted against 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): Haigh 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.

Sanctioned (Russia): In April 2022, Haigh was among the group of MPs placed on a sanctions list by the Russian government. The measure barred them from entering Russia and was presented by Moscow as a retaliatory response to the UK’s stance on the invasion of Ukraine.

Before Politics

Born Louise Margaret Haigh in Sheffield on 22 July 1987, she attended the independent Sheffield High School. She studied politics at the University of Nottingham and later studied law at Birkbeck, University of London.

Before entering parliament, Haigh worked as a researcher for Lisa Nandy. She also worked as a public policy manager for the insurance company Aviva between 2012 and 2015. She previously worked for the trade union Unite, including time as a shop steward.

From 2009 to 2011, she served as a volunteer special constable with the Metropolitan Police, based in Lambeth.

Personal Life

Haigh’s grandfather and uncle were trade union officials. Her brother is a snooker journalist.

https://x.com/LouHaigh/status/1465427394785943561

Trivia

Haigh’s birthday parties are reportedly well-attended and good-spirited.

In November 2018, Haigh was reprimanded for playing football in the chamber of the House of Commons alongside fellow Women’s Parliamentary Football teammates, Stephanie Peacock, Tracey Crouch, Alison McGovern and Hannah Bardell. It came after Bardell posted a video on social media of herself playing keepie uppie on the floor of the commons.

Bardell posted to Twitter (now X): “The women’s parliamentary football team should have played their first match tonight.

“Myself [Alison McGovern, Tracey Crouch, Louise Haigh and Stephanie Peacock] were all set but votes stopped us alas! Instead we had a kickabout and a photo in the chamber!”

John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons, responded in a statement.

He told MPs: “It has been brought to my attention that some football skills were displayed in the chamber yesterday evening after the House rose.

“I am informed that the doorkeepers on duty told the members concerned that the chamber was not the place for this activity, however, those doorkeepers were advised that permission had been given.

“Let me assure the House that that permission certainly did not come from me.”