Mark Tami is the Labour MP for Alyn and Deeside, having first been elected to parliament at the 2001 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Tami received 18,395 votes, representing 42.4% of the vote share. The Reform UK candidate, Vicki Roskams, received 9,601 votes (22.1%), while the Conservative candidate, Jeremy Kent, secured 7,892 votes (18.2%). Tami was duly re-elected with a majority of 8,794 votes.

The Alyn and Deeside constituency is located in Flintshire, North East Wales, along the border with England. It includes towns such as Buckley, Connah’s Quay, Hawarden, Shotton, and, following boundary changes, Flint. The northern part of the constituency is largely industrial, home to major employers including Tata Steel, Toyota, Airbus and BAE Systems, while the southern part is more rural.

The seat (and its predecessor East Flintshire) has been held by Labour continuously since 1950. Tami succeeded Barry Jones in 2001. Although historically safe, Tami’s majority was reduced to just 213 votes in the 2019 general election. At the 2019 election, Tami was the only Labour MP in North Wales not to lose his seat.

Political Career

Tami currently serves as deputy government chief whip (treasurer of HM household) (since July 2024).

Prior to the 2024 general election, which saw Labour returned to power after 14 years in opposition, Tami held a series of opposition whip roles. He was deputy opposition chief whip (September 2023 – July 2024) and was an opposition whip, including with responsibility for “pairing”, between 2010 and 2023.

Under the last Labour government, Tami served as an assistant whip from 2007-2010. He was briefly parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to the paymaster general, Dawn Primarolo, from November 2005 until September 2006.

In September 2006, Tami resigned alongside five other parliamentary private secretaries (Khalid Mahmood, Wayne David, Ian Lucas, Chris Mole and David Wright) and junior minister Tom Watson in protest at Tony Blair’s refusal to set a date for stepping down as prime minister.

Tami’s resignation came after he signed a letter – coordinated by Chris Bryant and Siôn Simon – calling on Blair to stand down. In the confidential letter, which was soon leaked, the MPs maintained that they had always “believed passionately in the same kind of modern, progressive, electable Labour Party” as Blair.

They added: “Sadly, it is clear to us – as it is to almost the entire party and the entire country – that without an urgent change in the leadership of the party it becomes less likely that we will win that election.”

On 7 September, during a pre-arranged visit to a school in London, Blair conceded that recent developments had not been Labour’s “finest hour” and announced the coming party conference would be his last as leader.

In March 2020, Tami led a cross-party campaign against a controversial benefits rule that left some older people at risk of a possible nine-week gap between their last Universal Credit award and their first state pension payment. After Tami’s campaign, the government changed the regulations.

At the time, Tami said: “I am delighted that my campaign to protect new pensioners and end the up-to nine-week wait for help has been successful after the government today announced plans to change the law.

“This will benefit hundreds of thousands of people over the next five years, and it’s good that the government has responded to the campaign and done the right thing.”

He called the initial system “bizarre and unfair”.

Tami was a member of the House of Commons administration committee (2012-2024), the finance committee (2017-2024), and the Northern Ireland affairs committee (2001-2005).

Tami delivered his maiden speech on 2 July 2001.

In it he said: “While my constituency is doing well and continuing to increase its industry and employment, there are still areas of social deprivation and great need. It is often in constituencies such as mine that those problems go unnoticed, particularly by those outside the community.

“I am always concerned when I see empty properties. They are not only wasteful, but they bring down an area, sap morale and deter people from moving into the community.

“It is important to note, however, that these properties are not necessarily council owned, and that shop properties in particular are owned in the private sector. We must get such properties back into the system as quickly as possible. If we do not, it will be very difficult to reverse the trend.”

Political Views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Labour leadership 2020: Tami 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: Tami was one of 26 Labour MPs who did not nominate any candidate for the party’s leadership in June 2015. The election was triggered by the resignation of Ed Miliband following the 2015 general election defeat and was the first to be conducted under the “one member, one vote” system. The contest eventually saw Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran backbencher, win a landslide victory in the first round with 59.5% of the vote, defeating Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall.

Corbyn loyalty list: In March 2016, Tami 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 Tami as actively and openly antagonistic.

Labour leadership 2010: Tami 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: Tami supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore disagreed with a majority of constituents, 58.1% of whom voted to Leave.

Article 50: In February 2017, Tami 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): Tami 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

Tami voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at both second and third reading.

Social values and conscience issues

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

Iraq War authorisation vote (2003): In March 2003, Tami voted in favour of the government motion authorising military action against Iraq. The vote, one of the most contentious in recent parliamentary history, gave the prime minister, Tony Blair, the authority to join the US-led invasion.

Sanctioned (Russia): In April 2022, Tami 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.

Palestine

Palestinian recognition vote (2014): In October 2014, Tami 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 Mark Richard Tami in Enfield, London, on 3 October 1962, he attended Enfield Grammar School.

He studied history at the University of Wales, Swansea.

Before entering parliament, Tami worked for the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU, later part of Amicus and then Unite), becoming its national head of policy.

He is a past member of the TUC General Council.

Personal Life

Tami married Sally Daniels in 1994. They have two sons. His eldest son, Max, was diagnosed with leukaemia as a child but made a full recovery following treatment including a stem cell transplant.

Tami has subsequently campaigned for better support for cancer patients and their families.

According to the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, Tami has employed his wife Sally as a part-time Diary Secretary.

His son, Oscar Tami, is head of public affairs at the Betting and Gaming Council.

He lives in Llanfynydd, Flintshire.

Trivia

Tami reportedly remains an active member of the Fabian Society.