Heidi Alexander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heidi Alexander
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Secretary of State for Transport | |
| Assumed office 29 November 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Louise Haigh |
| Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services | |
| In office 8 July 2024 – 29 November 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Mike Freer |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Sackman |
| Member of Parliament for Swindon South |
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| Assumed office 4 July 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Buckland |
| Majority | 9,606 (21.5%) |
| Member of Parliament for Lewisham East |
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| In office 6 May 2010 – 9 May 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Bridget Prentice |
| Succeeded by | Janet Daby |
| Deputy Mayor of London for Transport | |
| In office 21 May 2018 – 31 December 2021 |
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| Mayor | Sadiq Khan |
| Preceded by | Val Shawcross |
| Succeeded by | Seb Dance |
| Member of Lewisham Council for Evelyn |
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| In office 10 June 2004 – 6 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Alicia Chater |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 April 1975 Swindon, Wiltshire, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Grey College, Durham (BA, MA) |
Heidi Alexander (born 17 April 1975) is a British politician. Since November 2024, she has been the Secretary of State for Transport. This means she is in charge of the United Kingdom's transport systems, like roads and railways.
She is a member of the Labour Party. Since 2024, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Swindon South. An MP is a person elected to represent their local area in the House of Commons. Before this, she was the MP for Lewisham East from 2010 to 2018.
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Early Life and Education
Heidi Alexander was born in Swindon, a town in Wiltshire, England. Her father, Malcolm, was an electrician. She went to Churchfields Comprehensive School and later New College Sixth Form in Swindon.
For university, she studied at Grey College, Durham. She earned a degree in geography and later a master's degree in European Urban and Regional Change.
After her studies, she worked as a researcher for Joan Ruddock, who was also a Member of Parliament. She also worked as a campaigns manager for a charity called Clothes Aid.
Political Career
Heidi Alexander's career in politics started in local government before she became a Member of Parliament.
Starting in Local Government
In 2004, Alexander was elected to the Lewisham London Borough Council, representing an area called Evelyn. From 2006 to 2010, she served as the Deputy Mayor of Lewisham. She was also in charge of regeneration, which means improving and redeveloping parts of the borough.
In 2010, she was elected to Parliament to represent Lewisham East.
First Term in Parliament
After becoming an MP, Alexander was given several important jobs. She became an assistant to Mary Creagh, who was the shadow environment secretary. A "shadow" minister is a politician from the main opposition party who follows the work of the actual government minister.
In 2012, she became an opposition whip. A whip's job is to make sure that MPs from their party attend and vote together on important issues.
In 2015, after Jeremy Corbyn became the leader of the Labour Party, Alexander was appointed the shadow secretary of state for health. This made her the Labour Party's main spokesperson on health issues.
In 2016, she resigned from this role. She disagreed with the party leader's response to the UK's vote to leave the European Union.
Working for London's Transport
In 2018, Alexander left Parliament to take on a new role. She became the Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, working with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
She was in charge of helping to run London's transport system, including buses and the Tube. This was a very important job, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she had to make sure transport could still run safely. She left this role at the end of 2021.
Return to Parliament and Cabinet
In 2022, Alexander decided she wanted to return to Parliament. She was chosen as the Labour candidate for Swindon South, the town where she was born. She won the election in 2024 and became the MP for that area.
After the election, she was first made the Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services. Then, in November 2024, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed her as the Secretary of State for Transport. This is one of the most senior jobs in the government, making her a member of the Cabinet.
Because of this high-ranking role, she was also appointed to the Privy Council. This is a group of formal advisors to the monarch, and it gives her the title of The Right Honourable for life.
Personal Life
Heidi Alexander married Martin Ballantyne in 2011.
