Gavin Shuker | |
---|---|
Convener of Change UK[1] | |
In office 25 February 2019 – 4 June 2019 | |
Leader | Heidi Allen (Acting) |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Office abolished |
Member of Parliament for Luton South | |
In office 6 May 2010 – 6 November 2019 | |
Preceded by | Margaret Moran |
Succeeded by | Rachel Hopkins |
Personal details | |
Born | Luton, England | 10 October 1981
Political party | Parliamentary affiliation: The Independents (2019) Party membership: Independent (2019–present) |
Other political affiliations | Change UK (Feb–Jun 2019) Labour and Co-operative (Until Feb 2019) |
Spouse | Lucie Shuker (Divorced 2016) |
Children | 1 daughter |
Education | Girton College, Cambridge |
Website | Official website |
Gavin Shuker (born 10 October 1981)[2] is a British former politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Luton South from 2010 to 2019. Shuker was a Labour and Co-operative Party MP before defecting to form Change UK. He then left Change UK to become an Independent politician and was defeated at the 2019 election, coming third with 9.3% of the vote.
Shuker successfully defended the seat as the Labour candidate in 2010, after his predecessor Margaret Moran stood down following controversy over her expenses.[3] Shuker was appointed as a Shadow International Development Minister by Ed Miliband in 2013.[4] He left the Opposition Frontbench in September 2015, with the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Party Leader, citing "political differences" with him.[5] In 2018, he lost a motion of no confidence by his constituency party. Shuker resigned from Labour on 18 February 2019 with six other MPs, and they formed Change UK.[6] In June 2019, he left Change UK to sit as an independent MP.[7] He stood as an independent in the 2019 United Kingdom general election but lost his seat.[8]