Damien Egan facts for kids
Damien James Egan (born 8 July 1983) is a British politician from the Labour Party. He is currently a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bristol North East. Before becoming an MP in 2024, he was the Mayor of Lewisham in Greater London from 2018 to 2024.
Quick facts for kids
Damien Egan
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024
|
|
| Member of Parliament for Bristol North East Kingswood (2024) |
|
| Assumed office 15 February 2024 |
|
| Preceded by | Chris Skidmore |
| Majority | 11,167 (26.6%) |
| Mayor of Lewisham | |
| In office 7 May 2018 – 9 January 2024 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
Contents
Early Life and School
Damien James Egan was born in Cork, Ireland, on 8 July 1983. He grew up in northeast Bristol, England. When he was young, his family faced a tough time. They became homeless and lived in temporary housing.
Damien went to Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School. He then attended Hanham High School. Later, he studied at St Mary's University College in Twickenham. After finishing university, he moved to Lewisham.
Political Journey Before Parliament
Damien Egan started his political journey early. From 2003 to 2007, he was a local councillor. He served on the Downend and Bromley Heath Parish Council in Bristol. This was before he moved to London.
In 2010, he was elected as a councillor for Lewisham Central. In 2014, he became a cabinet member for housing. This meant he helped make decisions about homes in the area.
In 2017, the Labour Party chose him. He became their candidate for the Lewisham mayoral elections. These elections took place in May 2018. He won the election with 54 percent of the votes. In 2022, he was re-elected as mayor. He won with an even bigger majority. He received 58 percent of the votes.
As Mayor of Lewisham
Damien Egan was the Mayor of Lewisham from May 2018 to January 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 a "Borough of Sanctuary." This happened in May 2021. A Borough of Sanctuary welcomes people seeking safety. He also worked on projects to create affordable homes. These homes were for people living in Lewisham.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Damien Egan first ran for Parliament in 2005. He was the Labour candidate for Weston-super-Mare. He finished third in that election. In 2010, he ran again for Beckenham. He also finished third there.
In July 2023, Damien Egan was chosen as a Labour candidate again. This time it was for a new area called Bristol North East. This new area was created because of changes to election boundaries.
On 15 February 2024, he became an MP for Kingswood. This was after the previous MP resigned. He won the election with 44.9% of the votes. His majority was 2,501 votes.
Later in 2024, the Kingswood area was changed again. It became part of Bristol North East. In the 2024 general election, Damien Egan was elected as the MP for Bristol North East. He won with 45.3% of the votes. His majority was 11,167 votes.
Personal Life
Damien Egan is married to Yossi Felberbaum. Yossi was born in Israel. Damien was raised as a Catholic. In 2018, he converted to Judaism. This is his husband's faith. They met two years before he converted.
