Anneliese Midgley

The Right Honourable
Anneliese Midgley
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 July 2026
Prime MinisterAndy Burnham
Preceded byJonathan Reynolds
Member of Parliament
for Knowsley
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byGeorge Howarth
Majority18,319 (50.9%)
Personal details
Born (1976-02-08) 8 February 1976
Stockbridge Village, Merseyside, England
PartyLabour

Anneliese Midgley (born 8 February 1976) is a British politician and trade unionist who has served as Chief Whip and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury since 2026. A member of the Labour Party, she has been the Member of Parliament for Knowsley since 2024. She is a former senior trade union and Labour Party official. In Parliament she serves as Secretary of the Trade Union Group of Labour MPs.

Early life

Midgley grew up in Stockbridge Village, Knowsley, Merseyside, formerly known as Cantril Farm. Midgley’s parents had moved there from Everton and Liverpool. Her father worked at the Ford Halewood car plant, now Jaguar Land Rover Halewood. She credits her father's secure, unionised job for providing the family with stability and enabled them to eventually purchase a home. He died three years before Midgley’s election to Parliament.[1]

Midgley moved to Paris at 17 years old and worked in a bookshop. She subsequently worked in the music industry.[2]

Early political career

Midgley has worked as Political Director of Unite the Union and for the Trade Union Congress.[3]

She also worked for Ken Livingstone at City Hall during his time as Mayor of London, for Jeremy Corbyn’s 2015 leadership campaign (becoming his Deputy Chief of Staff), and later joined Keir Starmer’s team as a senior adviser in opposition.[4]

Midgley was Sir Keir Starmer's initial choice for the role of Labour Party General Secretary,[5][6] though she did not stand for the position.[4]

Parliamentary career

In February 2024, she was selected to succeed long-serving MP for Knowsley George Howarth in the 2024 general election.[7] She was elected with 67.3% of the vote.[8]

Midgley has worked with Cheryl Korbel, mother of murder victim Olivia Pratt-Korbel, in support of a proposed law requiring offenders to face victims’ families in court.[9] She read Korbel’s victim impact statement aloud in the House of Commons to press the issue.[10]

She has also campaigned on behalf of creatives and musicians with regard to the impact of generative artificial intelligence on copyright, performers’ rights and livelihoods.[11]

Midgley has supported the Hillsborough Law, calling for a statutory “duty of candour” on public authorities to ensure transparency and justice for victims’ families.[12]

Midgley was one of the key figures in Labour party leadership and Prime Minister hopeful Andy Burnham's 2026 Makerfield by-election victory and his leadership campaign. The New Statesman reported that Midgley was "quickly becoming one of the most influential figures in Labour".[13][14] On 20 July 2026, Burnham appointed Midgley Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip).[15][16]

Personal life

Midgely was married to Bob Stanley of the band Saint Etienne. The two later divorced but remain close friends; Stanley supported her election campaign by allowing her to use the band’s track Only Love Can Break Your Heart in a campaign video.[1]

Honours

On 21 July 2026, Midgley was sworn of the Privy Council, entitling her to the honorific style "The Right Honourable" for life.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 Thorp, Liam (2025-07-27). "'Times were tough. We didn't have much other than each other'". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  2. ↑ https://www.ft.com/content/ef284dd9-60f5-4ea6-b266-574976f87b94?syn-25a6b1a6=1
  3. ↑ Thorp, Liam (2024-02-17). "Anneliese Midgley wins Knowsley Labour selection fight". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  4. 1 2 Rodgers, Sienna (2020-05-20). "Unite's Anneliese Midgley appointed as senior special adviser to Keir Starmer". LabourList. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  5. ↑ Syal, Rajeev (4 May 2020). "Who will be Labour general secretary? Some possible contenders". The Guardian.
  6. ↑ Holden, Paul (2025), The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy, OR Books, pp. 181 & 182, ISBN 9781682195987
  7. ↑ Bhagudia, Pratham (2024-02-20). "Trade Unionist Anneliese Midgley wins Labour Candidacy for Knowsley". MerseyNewsLive. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  8. ↑ "Knowsley - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  9. ↑ O'Neill, Laura (2025-05-20). "Olivia's Law would 'begin to put victims at the heart of justice'". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  10. ↑ "Words of Olivia Pratt-Korbel's mother read out in Parliament in emotional speech by MP". ITV News. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  11. ↑ Gumble, Daniel (2025-02-24). "'Stop AI stealing our artists' music': Cross-Party MPs urge Government to change AI stance". UK Music. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  12. ↑ "Long-awaited Hillsborough Law 'will contain a legal duty of candour' government promises". ITV News. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  13. ↑ Thorp, Liam (22 June 2026). "Who is the Merseyside MP helping to power Andy Burnham's rise". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  14. ↑ Rea, Ailbhe (10 June 2026). "Meet Andy Burnham's northern queens". New Statesman. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  15. ↑ Hatton, Ben; Mason, with Chris; Street, Nick Eardley reporting from Downing (2026-07-20). "Healey appointed chancellor and Miliband becomes foreign secretary as Andy Burnham picks cabinet". BBC News. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  16. ↑ "Ministerial Appointments: July 2026". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2026-07-21.
  17. ↑ "Anneliese Midgley as Privy Counsellor" (PDF). privycouncil.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
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