Sir Alan Campbell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Official portrait, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 5 September 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Lucy Powell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chair of theCommons Modernisation Committee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 5 September 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Lucy Powell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Whip of the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 July 2024 – 5 September 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Simon Hart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Reynolds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament forTynemouth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Neville Trotter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 15,455 (31.9%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1957-07-08)8 July 1957 (age 68) Consett,County Durham, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Blackfyne Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Lancaster University (BA) University of Leeds (PGCE) Northumbria University (MA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
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| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sir Alan Campbell (born 8 July 1957) is a British politician who has served asLeader of the House of Commons andLord President of the Council since 2025. He previously served asChief Whip of the House of Commons andParliamentary Secretary to the Treasury from 2024 to 2025.[1] A member of theLabour Party, he has been theMember of Parliament (MP) forTynemouth since1997.
Alan Campbell was born on 8 July 1957 inConsett and went to Blackfyne Grammar School in the town before attendingLancaster University where he was awarded aBA in politics. He then gained aPGCE at theUniversity of Leeds, before finishing his education atNewcastle Polytechnic with anMA in history.[2]
He began his career as a history teacher atWhitley Bay High School in 1981; after eight years there became head of thesixth form at Hirst High School,Ashington, then head of department, where he remained until he was elected to theHouse of Commons.
Campbell was first elected to Parliament at the1997 general election, when he was elected as MP forTynemouth with 55.4% of the vote and a majority of 11,273 votes.[3] He made hismaiden speech on 2 June 1997.[4]
At the2001 general election Campbell was re-elected as MP for Tynemouth with a decreased vote share of 53.2% and a decreased majority of 8,678.[5] After the election he became theParliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to theMinister of State at theCabinet OfficeGus Macdonald, and in 2003 became the PPS toAdam Ingram at theMinistry of Defence.
At the2005 general election, Campbell was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 47% and a decreased majority of 4,143.[6] He entered the government ofTony Blair after the election as an assistant whip, being promoted to a full whip in 2006. On 5 October 2008, Campbell was promoted to theHome Office as aParliamentary Under-Secretary of State.
At the2010 general election, Campbell was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 45.3% and an increased majority of 5,739 votes.[7][8] AfterEd Miliband was appointed party leader, he was appointed Deputy Chief Whip of the Labour Party, serving underRosie Winterton asChief Whip.
Campbell was again re-elected at the2015 general election, with an increased vote share of 48.2% and an increased majority of 8,240.[9] He was again re-elected at the snap2017 general election with an increased vote share of 57% and an increased majority of 11,666.[10] At the2019 general election, Campbell was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 48% and a decreased majority of 4,857.[11]
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At the2024 general election, Campbell was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 50.6% and an increased majority of 15,455.[12]
Following the Labour Party's landslide victory in the 2024 general election, he was appointedChief Whip of the House of Commons andParliamentary Secretary to the Treasury by Prime MinisterKeir Starmer on 5 July,[13] which mirrored his same previous position as the new Chief Whip of the Labour Party in theMay 2021 shadow cabinet reshuffle.[14]
In July 2024, Labour withdrew the party whip from seven MPs who voted against the government’s position on an amendment relating to the two-child benefit cap. The decision was reported as part of a wider effort by the party leadership to limit internal dissent and reinforce support for the government’s legislative programme.[15] Further disciplinary action followed in July 2025 after a number of Labour MPs voted against the government on welfare reform legislation. Campbell wrote to MPs involved in the rebellion, reminding them of their recorded votes and of party expectations regarding support for government policy. Reporting noted that the correspondence contained personalised references to individual voting records and was issued following one of the largest backbench rebellions of the parliamentary term.[16]
Later that month, four Labour MPs were suspended from the parliamentary party for what party officials described as repeated breaches of discipline. Media coverage identified the Chief Whip’s office as responsible for implementing and communicating the suspensions, which were framed as part of ongoing efforts to maintain party cohesion.[17] The whip was subsequently restored to the suspended MPs following a period of dialogue between the whips’ office and the individuals concerned.[18]
During his tenure, Campbell was also involved in the handling of individual disciplinary matters within the parliamentary party. In early 2025, he informed Labour MP Oliver Ryan of his suspension following an internal investigation into offensive messages shared in a private group. Reporting described the action as part of a broader approach by the party leadership to enforce standards of conduct among MPs.[19] Campbell’s approach to discipline attracted criticism from some MPs and political commentators, who argued that the use of suspensions and warnings risked limiting internal debate within the parliamentary party. Coverage characterised these measures as indicative of a more centralised leadership style under Prime Minister Keir Starmer.[20]
During this period, Campbell continued to support government positions in parliamentary divisions. In November 2024, he voted in favour of theTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at second reading, allowing the bill to proceed to further scrutiny.[21] In July 2025, he supported the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which introduced changes to eligibility for certain disability-related benefits, including Personal Independence Payment and the health element of Universal Credit.[22]
In September 2025, Campbell was appointedLeader of the House of Commons andLord President of the Council as a part of the wider2025 British cabinet reshuffle. Campbell replacedLucy Powell, who was sacked from the government. His appointment marked a move from the whips’ office into a Cabinet-facing parliamentary role during the second year of the Starmer administration.[23][24]
In October 2025, Campbell was appointed Chair of theCommons Modernisation Committee, a committee re-established by Lucy Powell in 2024, to examine Commons procedure and working practices. Under his chairmanship, the committee initiated inquiries into accessibility in parliamentary proceedings and the use of proxy voting, as well as the effectiveness of existing sitting arrangements.[25]
He married Jayne Lamont in August 1991 inNewcastle upon Tyne; they have a son and a daughter.
In May 2000, he had an operation atNewcastle General Hospital to remove a benign tumour from the top of his spine.
He was knighted asKnight Bachelor in the2019 New Year Honours List.[26]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forTynemouth 1997–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office 2008–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Opposition Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons 2010–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons 2021–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Whip of theHouse of Commons 2024–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 2024–2025 | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of the House of Commons 2025–present | Incumbent |
| Lord President of the Council 2025–present | ||
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Labour Deputy Chief Whip in theHouse of Commons 2010–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Whip of the Labour Party in the House of Commons 2021–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Order of precedence in England and Wales | ||
| Preceded by SirKeir Starmer asPrime Minister | Gentlemen as Lord President of the Council | Succeeded byasSpeaker of the House of Commons |
| Cabinet members | .svg) | |
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| Also attending meetings | ||
