Bridget Phillipson was first elected as the Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in 2010, and was reelected in 2019 with a majority of 3,115.
The constituency of Houghton and Sunderland South is located on the south banks of the River Wear. It covers the south of Sunderland alongside the towns of Hetton le Hole and Houghton le Spring. This is a former industrial area that was once dominated by the once staple industries of ship building, coal, and steel. Although the presence of the Brexit Party, which polled 15% in 2019, reduced the Labour majority considerably in 2019, this is a traditional safe Labour seat.
Competing against its rivals over in Newcastle, this is normally one of the earliest seats to declare on election night, with it achieving that honour in both the 2010 and 2015 General Elections.
Phillipson was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education in November 2021. She was first appointed to the Shadow Cabinet by Keir Starmer in 2020 serving as the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. She was an opposition whip between 2013 and 2015.
Bridget Phillipson was born in 1983. She was educated at St Robert of Newminster School in Washington and from there went on to study Modern History at Hertford College, Oxford. She was Chair of the Oxford University Labour Club. Before being elected to Westminster at the age of just 26, she worked for a local charity Wearside Women in Need.
Phillipson nominated Sir Keir Starmer in his 2020 bid for the Labour leadership. In 2016, she supported Owen Smith in his challenge to then Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn. She backed Yvette Cooper in the 2015 contest, and David Miliband back in 2010.
She voted to Remain in the 2016 Brexit Referendum and was an early supporter of calls for a People’s Vote in the form of a second Brexit referendum.
She is married with two children.
Email: bridget.phillipson.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: www.bridgetphillipson.co.uk
Twitter: @bphillipsonMP
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bridgetphillipson
