Dawn Butler was first elected to Parliament as the Labour MP for Brent South in 2005. Having been defeated in the 2010 General Election, she was reelected to Parliament for Brent Central in 2015. She was reelected in 2019 with a majority of 20,870.
The constituency of Brent Central in inner West London contains the communities of Willesden Harlesden, Neasden, Dollis Hill and Park Royal. Containing the area around Wembley stadium, this is an ethnically diverse seat. Brent Central has one of the largest black populations of any seat in the UK, said to number over 40,000. The seat also has a large Hindu population and includes the UK’s largest Hindu Temple in Neasden. The area was previously won by the Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather until 2015, but has since turned heavily to Labour.
Butler served as Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities in Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet between 2018 and 2020. She left that position when Keir Starmer became Labour leader.
Butler was a candidate in the Labour Deputy Leadership election of 2020 but lost to Angela Rayner.
Butler served in the Labour Government of Gordon Brown as Minister for Young Citizen and Youth Engagement from 2009 to 2010. She was previously a Vice Chair of the Labour Party, with particular responsibility for Youth issues.
Butler backed Jeremy Corbyn in the 2015 and 2016 Labour leaderships elections and is considered to be firmly on the left of the Labour Party. She supported Emily Thornberry in the 2020 leadership contest.
Born in 1969, Dawn Butler worked as an officer of the GMB Union, including as a National race and equality officer before becoming an MP. She was also previously an adviser to the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone on employment and social issues.
She has previously been named as the “most promising feminist under 35” by New Statesman magazine, and one of the 25 most influential women in the UK by Vogue.
Dawn Butler is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Governance and Inclusive Leadership; Unconscious Bias; and Jamaica. She is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Music; Race and Community; the Caribbean; the Pacific Islands; American Football; Child and Youth Crime; and Democracy and the Constitution.
Email – dawn.butler.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: www.dawnbutler.org.uk/
Twitter: twitter.com/dawnbutlerbrent
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DawnButlerBrent
