Liz Kendall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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_2.jpg) Official portrait, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 5 September 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Kyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 July 2024 – 5 September 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Mel Stride | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Pat McFadden | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of Parliament forLeicester West | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Patricia Hewitt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 8,777 (24.8%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Elizabeth Louise Kendall (1971-06-11)11 June 1971 (age 54) Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Queens' College, Cambridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elizabeth Louise Kendall (born 11 June 1971)[1] is a British politician who has served asSecretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology since 2025, having previously served asSecretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2024 to 2025. A member of theLabour Party, she has been theMember of Parliament (MP) forLeicester West since2010.
Kendall was born inAbbots Langley,Hertfordshire, and studied at theUniversity of Cambridge.[2] From 2011 to 2015, she served asShadow Minister for Care and Older People on theOfficial Opposition frontbench ofEd Miliband, who invited her to attend meetings of hisShadow cabinet, although she was not technically a Shadow Cabinet member in this position. Kendall stood in theLabour Party leadership election in September 2015 following the resignation of Ed Miliband, finishing in last place.[3][4] In April 2020,Keir Starmer appointed KendallShadow Minister for Social Care on theOfficial Opposition frontbench.
Elizabeth Kendall was born on 11 June 1971 inAbbots Langley,Hertfordshire. She attendedWatford Grammar School for Girls, alongsideGeri Halliwell. Her father, Richard, left school at 16 and studied finance before going on to be a senior official at theBank of England. Her mother was a primary school teacher. As children, Kendall and her brother were encouraged to talk about politics and to get involved in community activism. Having originally been a Labour voter, her father became aLiberal councillor in 1979. Her mother was a school governor and Kendall's first political campaign was for a localzebra crossing. After leaving school, she attendedQueens' College, Cambridge, graduating withfirst class honours in history in 1993.[5][6]
Kendall joined theLabour Party in 1992 and, after graduating from Cambridge, worked at theInstitute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)[5] in the area of child development and early years learning. In 1996, she became a political adviser toHarriet Harman, and then became Harman's governmentspecial adviser in theDepartment for Social Security after Labour won the1997 general election and Harman became a government minister.[5]
In 1998, when Harman was sacked from the government, Kendall resigned and was awarded a fellowship by theKing's Fund, a health charity. She also wrote a series of research papers for the IPPR and was appointed as the Director of the Maternity Alliance, a charity for pregnant women.[5] She was unsuccessful in an attempt to be selected as Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate forChesterfield at the2001 general election, following the retirement ofTony Benn.[7]
In 2001, she returned to government to work forPatricia Hewitt, at theDepartment for Trade and Industry, and then followed her to theDepartment for Health, where she was involved in bringing in thesmoking ban in 2006.[5] After Hewitt left government, Kendall became the Director of the Ambulance Services Network, where she remained until 2010.[8][9]
At the2010 general election, Kendall was elected to Parliament as MP forLeicester West with 38.4% of the vote and a majority of 4,017.[10][11] She made hermaiden speech in a debate on tackling poverty in the UK on 10 June 2010.[12]
She was briefly a member of theEducation Select Committee between July 2010 and October 2010. She supportedDavid Miliband for theleadership of the Labour Party in 2010.
InEd Miliband's first reshuffle in October 2010, she joined theOpposition frontbench as Shadow JuniorHealth Minister where she served underJohn Healey. In 2011, she contributed along with other Labour MPs and former Labour ministers toThe Purple Book, in which she wrote a chapter on the early years and health and social care where she proposed a "Teach Early Years First" scheme. Later that year, she was appointed to the new role of Shadow Minister for Care and Older People and became an attending member of theshadow cabinet.[2][13]
Kendall was re-elected as MP for Leicester West at the2015 general election with an increased vote share of 46.5% and an increased majority of 7,203.[14]
On 10 May 2015, Kendall announced that she was standing as a successor toEd Miliband for theLabour Party leadership following their defeat in the2015 general election.[15][16] Kendall was regarded by many in the media as theBlairite candidate,[15][16][17] though Kendall stated she would like to be known as the "modernising candidate".[18] Her leadership bid was supported by Shadow Cabinet colleaguesIvan Lewis,[19]Chuka Umunna,[20]Tristram Hunt,[21]Emma Reynolds andGloria De Piero.[22] Senior Labour politicians supporting her includedAlan Milburn,[23]Alistair Darling,[24]John Hutton[25] andJohn Reid.[26] She also had the support of theBlue Labour Group within the Labour Party including figures such asMaurice Glasman andRowenna Davis.
In June 2015, Kendall's leadership bid received praise fromThe Sun, who said that she is the "only prayer they [the Labour Party] have".The Sun also praised her for saying "the country comes first" in response toAndy Burnham who said "the Labour Party always comes first" in theNewsnight Labour leadership hustings.[27] Commentators from across the political spectrum said that Kendall was the leadership candidate theConservatives would "fear the most".[28][29][30] This claim was even re-stated by some Conservative politicians includingGeorge Osborne,Boris Johnson,Ruth Davidson,Anna Soubry andPhilip Davies.[31][32][33][34]
Ultimately, Kendall finished 4th in the election, obtaining 4.5% (18,857) of the vote.[35]
Kendall resigned from the Shadow Cabinet following the election ofJeremy Corbyn asLabour leader in September 2015.[36] She supportedOwen Smith in the failed attempt to replaceJeremy Corbyn in the2016 Labour leadership election.[37]
At the snap2017 general election, Kendall was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 60.8% and an increased majority of 11,060.[38]
In August 2017, James Chapman, former Director of Communications atHM Treasury underGeorge Osborne, said, "We really need Liz Kendall to be the leader of [a] new centre party".[39] Chapman had already tweeted his proposals for a new centrist political party opposed toBrexit, 'The Democrats'.[40] After stepping down from frontline politics, Kendall was a regular guest on BBC current affairs programmeThis Week until its cancellation in July 2019.
Kendall was again re-elected at the2019 general election, with a decreased vote share of 49.7% and a decreased majority of 4,212.[41]
Keir Starmer reappointed Kendall to the frontbench after winning the2020 Labour leadership election. Following theNovember 2021 shadow cabinet reshuffle, it was announced thatKarin Smyth would cover her duties while Kendall was on maternity leave.[42]
On 4 September 2023, she was appointedShadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by Starmer as part of the2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle.[43]
At the2024 general election, Kendall was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 44.6% and an increased majority of 8,777.[44][45] In the aftermath of the election, Kendall was appointed asSecretary of State for Work and Pensions by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.[46] She was appointed to thePrivy Council and sworn into ministerial office on 6 July.[47]
Following her appointment as Work and Pensions Secretary, Kendall initiated a series of reforms aimed at reshaping the UK’s welfare system. One of her primary objectives was to shift theDepartment for Work and Pensions from merely administering benefits to actively promoting employment. In a speech in Barnsley, Kendall said the need to address factors such as health, skills, childcare, and transport, which significantly influence individuals ability to secure and maintain employment.[48]
Kendall proposed the "Youth Guarantee" for 18 to 21-year-olds, designed to ensure that young people are either earning or learning. This program offers opportunities for training or employment, with the stipulation that refusal to participate could result in benefit reductions. Kendall noted the importance of early career engagement, saying that unemployment during youth can have long-term detrimental effects on job prospects and earning potential.[49]
A significant aspect of Kendall’s reform agenda involved tightening eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and incapacity benefits. These measures aimed to save approximately £5 billion annually by the end of the decade. The proposed changes were expected to affect around one million people, particularly those with mental health conditions and minor physical difficulties.[50]
The proposed disability benefits reforms sparked considerable debate. Disability charities and opposition parties criticized the cuts, labeling them as devastating and immoral. Organisations such as the Disability Benefits Consortium, Scope, and Mind argued that these changes could push disabled individuals further into poverty and exacerbate health issues, highlighting the potential social impact of the reforms.[51]
In response to the criticisms, Kendall emphasised the need for a balanced approach that ensured fiscal responsibility while protecting vulnerable populations. She acknowledged the concerns raised by disability advocates and noted the importance of reinvesting savings into employment programs to support those on health-related benefits, aiming to create a more equitable system.[52]
On 1/7/25 Kendall's proposed bill was severely watered down, following backbench pressure, before being passed.[53]
Kendall's tenure in Work & Pensions was marked by internal party challenges, as some Labour MPs expressed apprehension regarding the impact of welfare reforms on disadvantaged communities. The historical context of previous welfare cuts served as a cautionary backdrop, prompting calls for the party to uphold its commitment to social justice while pursuing necessary fiscal reforms.[54]
In the5/9/25 cabinet reshuffle, Kendall was appointedSecretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, replacingPeter Kyle.[55]
During her leadership campaign in 2015, Kendall committed herself to theliving wage and said theLow Pay Commission's remit should be extended to encourage more firms to pay it.[56] She also said she would end the exploitation of care workers by preventing firms from docking the cost of uniform and travel time from their wages. She has also come out in support ofworker representation on company boards as part of her plans for economic reform. After the Budget, Kendall commissioned the former ministerMargaret Hodge, to undertake a review into the £100bn tax reliefs that firms are entitled to.[56]
Kendall is apro-European and has spoken in favour of rejoining theEuropean Union. She supported anin/out referendum on Britain's membership of the EU,[18] and wanted the Labour Party to play a leading role in a cross-party Yes to Europe campaign. Kendall also backed the NATO target to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence.[18] She is in favour of renewing Britain'sTrident nuclear submarines.[57]
Kendall supports atwo-state solution, but in 2015 she abstained on a motion recognising theState of Palestine, instead favouring the continuation of theIsraeli–Palestinian peace process.[58] She has been a member ofLabour Friends of Israel since 2016[update].[59]
Kendall has spoken about education as a way of tackling inequality. She has spoken in support of expanding theacademies programme and keeping thefree schools initiative saying that focus should be on the quality of education rather than structures and that investment in theearly years should be a priority over cutting university tuition fees.[56][60] Kendall also said that more effort was needed in the education system to raise aspiration for the 'white working class young'.[61] Kendall has also said that as Prime Minister, she would order a review ofNational Lottery Funding to free up funds for early years services.[62]
Kendall has advocated increased patient choice in the NHS,[63] arguing "there will remain a role for the private and voluntary sectors where they can add extra capacity to the NHS or challenges to the system" and with healthcare providers "what matters is what works".[15][16] In 2015, Kendall supported the £23,000 benefit cap.[64] Kendall also said she backs the principle of the two child benefit cap.[65] In 2024 as Work and Pensions Secretary, Kendall suggested that job coaches could visit inpatients on mental health wards.[66] In February 2025 in Kendall's capacity as Work and Pensions Secretary also expressed that she felt some people on benefits were "taking the Mickey", and that this is a justification for a push to get those on benefits due to less severe illnesses back into work.[67]
Kendall gave some support toDavid Cameron's proposal that the right ofEU migrants to claimtax credits and benefits should be withdrawn, or delayed for a number of years.[68] She supports the currentpoints-based immigration system and backed tough rules on abuse of the immigration system but has pledged not to try and "out-UKIP UKIP" and spoke of the benefits of immigration in her own constituency.[69]
Kendall has supported"radical devolution" to England to deal with theWest Lothian question and appointedTristram Hunt to look at what powers ought to be devolved to England. In July 2015, Kendall came out in favour ofEnglish Votes for English laws. Her leadership rivals favoured the formation of aconstitutional convention to consider the issue.[70][71] Kendall has also said that Labour must oppose the 'tyranny of the bureaucratic state' but must also share power at every level so that powers are devolved to communities and individuals too.[72]
Kendall has supportedLabour's links with the trade union movement but has said that both the trade unions and the Labour Party have to change. Kendall said that if she became Prime Minister, she would reverse any changes totrade union and employment rights made by the previous Conservative government.[73] Kendall also criticisedLen McCluskey for threatening to withdraw funding from the Labour Party were his choice of candidate not to be elected.[73]
Kendall is a supporter of LGBT rights and voted for same sex marriage in 2013. Kendall said under her leadership the Labour Party would have worked with other centre-left parties to end thecriminalisation of homosexuality across the world and spoke in favour ofMichael Cashman becoming the UK's special envoy on LGBTI issues.[74]
She announced she was in favour of legislation on assisted dying in November 2024. Alongside the Labour government, she announced on 17 December 2024 that the WASPI women would not be compensated as "no evidence of financial loss had been given".[75]
Kendall was previously in a relationship with the actor and comedianGreg Davies. They ended their relationship a few months before the 2015 general election.[76][77] In November 2021, Kendall announced she would take maternity leave in 2022 as she would be having a baby through surrogacy.[78] Her son was born in January 2022.[79]
Kendall is currently in relationship withOld Etonian and global head of multi-asset solutions atSantander Asset Management, James Ind. She lives inNotting Hill in a Victorian home purchased for £3.9 million in 2021.[80][81][82]
Kendall was sworn of thePrivy Council on 6 July 2024, entitling her to be styled "The Right Honourable".[83]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forLeicester West 2010–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Shadow Minister for Care and Older People 2011–2015 | Succeeded byas Shadow Minister for Older People, Social Care and Carers |
| Preceded by | Shadow Minister for Social Care 2020–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 2023–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 2024–2025 | Succeeded by |
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