Damien Egan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Damien Egan
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Member of Parliament for Bristol North East Kingswood (2024) |
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| Assumed office 15 February 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Chris Skidmore |
| Majority | 11,167 (26.6%) |
| Mayor of Lewisham | |
| In office 7 May 2018 – 9 January 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Steve Bullock |
| Succeeded by | Brenda Dacres |
| Member of Lewisham London Borough Council for Lewisham Central | |
| In office 6 May 2010 – 3 May 2018 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Damien James Egan
8 July 1982 Cork, Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Yossi Felberbaum |
| Alma mater | St Mary's University College, Twickenham |
| Website | www.damienegan.com |
Damien Egan is a British politician who belongs to the Labour Party. He is currently a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bristol North East. He became an MP in 2024. Before that, he was the Mayor of Lewisham in Greater London from 2018 to 2024.
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Early Life and Education
Damien James Egan was born on 8 July 1983 in Cork, Ireland. He grew up in the northeast part of Bristol, England. When he was a child, his family did not have a permanent home. They lived in temporary places for a while.
Egan went to Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School. He also attended Hanham High School. Later, he studied at St Mary's University College in Twickenham. After finishing university, he moved to Lewisham in London.
Political Journey Before Parliament
Damien Egan started his political journey as a parish councillor. From 2003 to 2007, he served on the Downend and Bromley Heath Parish Council in Bristol. After this, he moved to London.
In 2010, he was elected as a councillor for Lewisham Central. A few years later, in 2014, he became a cabinet member for housing in the Lewisham London Borough Council. This meant he was in charge of housing matters for the area.
In 2017, the Labour Party chose Egan to run for Mayor of Lewisham. This was a special election where people directly voted for their mayor. He won the election in May 2018 with 54 percent of the votes. He was re-elected as Mayor in 2022, getting even more votes.
Serving as Mayor of Lewisham
Damien Egan was the Mayor of Lewisham from May 7, 2018, until January 9, 2024. As mayor, he focused on several important areas. These included improving schools and building more council homes. He also worked on protecting parks and taking action against climate change.
One of his goals was to make Lewisham the first "Borough of Sanctuary". This happened in May 2021. It means the area welcomes people seeking safety and helps them settle in.
Egan also worked with groups like the London Community Land Trust. They helped create affordable homes for people living in Lewisham. He supported other projects that built homes for the community.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Damien Egan ran for Parliament in earlier elections too. In the 2005 general election, he was a Labour candidate for Weston-super-Mare. He finished third in that election.
He also ran in the 2010 general election for Beckenham. Again, he finished third.
In July 2023, Egan was chosen to be the Labour candidate for a new area called Bristol North East. This new area was created because of changes to how election areas are drawn.
On February 15, 2024, Damien Egan became the MP for Kingswood. This happened after a special election called a by-election. He won with 44.9% of the votes.
Later in 2024, the Kingswood area was changed again. It became part of the new Bristol North East area. In the general election that year, Egan was elected as the MP for Bristol North East. He won with 45.3% of the votes.
Personal Life
Damien Egan is married. He converted to Judaism in 2018.
