Alex Sobel | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Shadow Minister for Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment | |
| In office 4 December 2021 – 5 September 2023 | |
| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Olivia Blake |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Shadow Minister for Tourism and Heritage | |
| In office 9 April 2020 – 4 December 2021 | |
| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Kevin Brennan |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Smith |
| Member of Parliament forLeeds Central and Headingley | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Majority | 8,422 (26.7%) |
| Member of Parliament forLeeds North West | |
| In office 8 June 2017 – 30 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Greg Mulholland |
| Succeeded by | Katie White |
| Member of Leeds City Council forMoortown | |
| In office 3 May 2012 – 3 May 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Harris |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed Shahzad |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander David Sobel (1975-04-26)26 April 1975 (age 50) Leeds, England |
| Political party | Labour Co-op |
| Alma mater | University of Leeds |
| Website | alexsobel |
Alexander David Sobel (born 26 April 1975)[1] is a BritishLabour and Co-operative politician who has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forLeeds Central and Headingley, previouslyLeeds North West, since2017. He served as Shadow Minister for Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment from 2021 to 2023.[2][3]
Alexander Sobel was born on 26 April 1975 inHyde Park,Leeds,[1] to parents who came to England from Israel in 1971.[4] He grew up inBeaconsfield, attending Holtspur Middle School andJohn Hampden Grammar School.[5] As a teenager, he joined anti-fascist and environmental protests in Leeds.[6] He is Jewish.[4]
After graduating ininformation systems at theUniversity of Leeds in 1997, Sobel worked with social enterprises, and ran the regional body Social Enterprise Yorkshire and the Humber from 2009 until 2017.[7][8]
Sobel joined theLabour Party in 1997.[6]
After standing unsuccessfully in fourLeeds City Council elections between 2002 and 2007, he was elected as a Labour councillor for theMoortown ward in the2012 council election, and was re-elected in the2016 council election.[9][10][11] He led the council's work on air pollution and climate change.[12]
In December 2015, Sobel co-founded the activist groupOpen Labour.[13]
At the2005 general election, Sobel stood as theLabour candidate inBeaconsfield, coming third with 19.4% of the vote behind the incumbentConservative MPDominic Grieve and theLiberal Democrat candidate.[14]
At the2015 general election, Sobel stood inLeeds North West, coming second with 30.1% of the vote behind the incumbentLiberal Democrat MPGreg Mulholland.[15][16] During the election, Sobel and the Leeds North West Labour Party were required to publish an apology leaflet and pay legal costs after falsely claiming that the incumbentLiberal Democrat MPGreg Mulholland voted for theAcademies Act 2010.[17]
Sobel was elected to Parliament as MP for Leeds North West at the snap2017 general election with 44.1% of the vote and a majority of 4,224.[18]
In October 2017, Sobel was elected as one of the officers of theAll-party parliamentary group on rare, genetic and undiagnosed conditions.[19]
On 15 March 2019, Sobel supportedYouth Strike for Climate, speaking at one of their school strikes, also praising Leeds City Council's decision to declare a Climate Emergency, saying "We will be the biggest council in the country to have declared a climate emergency. Nearly 800,000 people live in our great city".[20]
In October 2019 Sobel openly supported and spoke at anExtinction Rebellion occupation of Westminster, London despite warnings by the Met Police he could be arrested if he did so.[21] Sobel stated that he was protesting outside Parliament because the Government had not declared a climate emergency or met Extinction Rebellion's demands, emphasising the urgent need for action to reduce emissions and prevent severe climate consequences. He stressed the importance of building public and parliamentary pressure for meaningful change.[21]
At the2019 general election, Sobel was re-elected as MP for Leeds North West with an increased vote share of 48.6% and an increased majority of 10,749.[22][23][24]
In December 2019, he formed an All-Party Parliamentary Group aiming to reduce carbon emissions tonet zero as early as possible.[25]
In January 2020, Sobel apologised after receiving criticism for meeting with the director ofPopulation Matters, a controversial humanpopulation control charity.[26]
In April 2020, Sobel became shadowminister for arts, heritage and tourism.[27]
In March 2021, Sobel wrote a letter toRobert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on behalf of Group for Action onLeeds Bradford Airport (GALBA).[28] In the letter he urged the UK Government to review the approval of Leeds Bradford Airport's expansion, arguing that it conflicted with national carbon reduction targets. He believed such significant decisions should be made nationally, not by a small local panel.[28]
In December 2021, Sobel became Shadow Minister for Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment.[2] He left the position in the2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle.[29]
In July 2023 theNew Statesman named Sobel within a small list of Labour MPs who understand climate change. In this article he was described by Richard Benwell as having a "Hermione Granger-style time-turner because he is indefatigable in turning up to almost every environment event".[30]
Following the2023 review of Westminster constituencies, theHeadingley andWeetwood wards of theLeeds North West constituency were moved into the newly created constituency ofLeeds Central and Headingley. At the2024 general election, Sobel was elected to Parliament as MP for Leeds Central and Headingley with 50.2% of the vote and a majority of 8,422 over the second-placedGreen Party candidate. There were eight candidates, and aturnout of 45 %. The result was described as "Labour Hold" because thenotional 2019 result for the new seat was a win for Labour.[31][32]
Sobel is married, with two sons and lives in Leeds.[7] InWho's Who in 2025 he lists his recreations as "attending Indie gigs, running, cycling, video games, going to the gym".[7]
Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) 4 December 2021 – Present
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forLeeds North West 2017–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by New seat | Member of Parliament forLeeds Central and Headingley 2024–present | Incumbent |
