Lucy Rigby is the Labour MP for Northampton North, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Rigby won 18,209 votes, representing 43.5% of the vote. The Conservative candidate, Dan Bennett, received 9,195 votes (22.0%), while the Reform UK candidate, Antony Antoniou, secured 7,010 votes (16.8%). Rigby was duly elected with a majority of 9,014 votes.

The Northampton North constituency is located in the East Midlands. The seat is considered a national bellwether, having been won by the party forming the government at every general election since its inception in 1974.

Political Career

Rigby currently serves as minister of state in HM Treasury (economic secretary to the Treasury). She was appointed to this role in July 2026, following the Labour leadership contest and Andy Burnham’s elevation as prime minister.

Rigby served in cabinet as chief secretary to the Treasury from May to July 2026). In this role, Rigby is responsible for public expenditure – including spending reviews, driving efficiency across government and value for money. Her appointment to this role was part of a targeted reshuffle designed to stabilise Keir Starmer’s position as prime minister after a series of resignations. The move followed the 2026 local elections and devolved elections to the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru. Conversely, Rigby’s appointment signalled their support for the prime minister.

Specifically, Rigby’s appointment as chief secretary to the Treasury followed the resignation of Wes Streeting as secretary of state for health and social care. She replaced James Murray as chief secretary to the Treasury, who succeeded Streeting as health secretary.

Rigby previously served as economic secretary to the Treasury (2025-2026), solicitor general for England and Wales (2024-2025) and parliamentary private secretary (PPS) in the Ministry of Justice (2024).

Rigby’s appointment as chief secretary to the Treasury made her the first MP elected to parliament in 2024 to attend cabinet (excluding former MPs who returned to parliament in 2024, such as Douglas Alexander).

Rigby has also sat as a member of the House of Commons Treasury committee (2024).

Lucy Rigby delivered her maiden speech on 4 September 2024 during a debate on the Budget Responsibility Bill.

In it, she said: “Service runs deep in my family. My mum worked for the NHS and the Ministry of Defence. My dad served in the Royal Engineers for 30 years, including in the first Gulf war and in the Balkan conflict…

“I learned the true value of service, and acquired a continuing and personal respect for the dedication of our armed forces and a deep patriotism – not for its own sake, but through a commitment to our British values of the rule of law, democracy, tolerance and liberty.”

She added: “That strong sense of fairness led me to train as a lawyer, so 13 years after my dad served on the NATO deployment in Bosnia, I went out to The Hague to be part of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the body established to bring to bear some semblance of justice following that conflict. I will never forget the testimony of witnesses to the most appalling of crimes against humanity.

“That experience showed me not only the importance of the international community, but the value of justice being done. Those principles are particularly important in the context of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the Ukrainian people’s brave fight for freedom.”

Before entering parliament, Rigby served as a councillor on Islington London Borough Council (2010-2012).

Rigby previously stood unsuccessfully as Labour’s candidate for the Lincoln constituency at the 2015 general election.

Political views

Leadership elections

Labour deputy leadership 2025: Rigby 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.

Factional identity and party tradition

Labour Growth Group: Rigby has been listed as a member of the Labour Growth Group (LGG) – a vocal faction of backbenchers committed to ensuring economic growth remains the central mission of the government. The group, largely composed of MPs from the 2024 intake, positions itself as the voice of “the builders, not the blockers” and provides organised support for ministers taking on politically difficult decisions in the name of economic expansion.

In an open letter addressed to Keir Starmer, issued upon the group’s founding in July 2024, LGG MPs said it was imperative that “the government grasps the nettle and goes for growth”.

They added: “This absolutely has to start with the sweeping planning reforms to get Britain building again. Under the Tories, planning permissions for new homes hit record lows and housebuilding cratered. Indeed, not once in their 14 years in power did the Conservatives meet their housing targets.

“Energy and transport projects were promised but not built. That’s why we are writing to you to make clear that it’s in the national interest to start delivering on our manifesto promise, including 1.5 million more homes across this parliament at the earliest opportunity.

“A failure to act will not be forgiven by the public. Britain has a housing crisis and a huge infrastructure deficit – without strong and immediate action, this will only worsen.”

SERA: Rigby 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”.

Welfare

Welfare vote (July 2025): Rigby 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

Rigby 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): Rigby 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

Lucy Clementine Moores Rigby was born at RAF Hospital Wegberg in West Germany in November 1982.

Rigby studied politics at Durham University and completed a postgraduate qualification in law at Nottingham Law School.

Before entering politics, Rigby worked as a solicitor.

Personal Life

Rigby is married. She has two children.

Trivia

Rigby was appointed king’s counsel (KC) in February 2025, reflecting her appointment as solicitor general.