Gill Furniss is the Labour Party MP for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough, having first been elected to Parliament in a by-election in 2016. She succeeded her late husband, Harry Harpham, who represented this constituency in Parliament up until his death in 2016.
Gill Furniss was re-elected in the 2019 General Election with a majority of 12,274.
Sheffield Brightside is one of the most deprived of the Sheffield constituencies, and was formerly represented in Parliament for many years by the former Labour Home Secretary, David Blunkett. It has been held by Labour ever since the Second World War. Sheffield Wednesday football club is found within this seat.
Gill Furniss currently serves as an Opposition Whip. She was previously the Shadow Minister of State for Women and Equalities between 2020 and 2021.
Furniss supported Lisa Nandy in the 2020 Labour leadership election.
Born in 1957, Gill Furniss grew up in Sheffield and was later educated at the Leeds Metropolitan University. She then worked as a librarian and went on to work as a hospital administrator before being elected to Parliament. During this time she served as a shop steward for the Union, Nalgo and later Unison.
She served on Sheffield City Council between 1999 and 2016.
Furniss supported Lisa Nandy in the 2020 Labour leadership election.
She is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Drones, and a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gypsies, Travellers and Roma.
Email – gill.furniss.mp@parliament.uk
Website – https://www.gillfurniss.com/about/
Twitter – @GillFurnissMP
