Lucy Powell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Lucy Powell MP
Official portrait, 2024
Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council
In office 5 July 2024 – 5 September 2025
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Penny Mordaunt
Succeeded by	Alan Campbell
Chair of the Commons Modernisation Committee
In office 9 September 2024 – 5 September 2025
Preceded by	Office established
Shadow cabinet portfolios 2023–2024 Commons Leader 2021–2023 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 2021–2021 Housing 2015–2016 Education 2014–2015 Cabinet Office
Member of Parliament for Manchester Central
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 November 2012
Preceded by	Tony Lloyd
Majority	13,797 (34.7%)
Personal details
Born	Lucy Maria Powell (1974-10-10) 10 October 1974 (age 50) Manchester, England
Political party	Labour Co-op
Spouse	James Williamson
Children	2
Education	Parrs Wood High School Xaverian College
Alma mater	Somerville College, Oxford King's College London

Lucy Maria Powell, born on 10 October 1974, is a British politician. She served as the Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council from July 2024 until September 2025. She is a member of the Labour and Co-operative parties and has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester Central since 2012. As an MP, she represents the people of her local area in the UK Parliament.

Who is Lucy Powell?

Lucy Powell has held several important roles in government and in the Labour Party. Before becoming an MP, she worked on political campaigns and in public relations. She has been a "Shadow Minister" for different areas, which means she was part of the opposition party's team, preparing to take on government roles if her party won an election.

Early Life and School Days

Lucy Powell was born in Moss Side, Manchester, England, on 10 October 1974. She went to Beaver Road Primary School and Parrs Wood High School in Didsbury. Later, she studied advanced courses at Xaverian College. She continued her education at the University of Oxford, attending Somerville College, Oxford, and then at King's College London.

Starting Her Career

Lucy Powell began her career working for a Member of Parliament. She also worked at the Labour Party's main office during the 1997 general election campaign.

She then worked for a group called Britain in Europe, which supported the UK's involvement in Europe. She started in public relations and later became the campaign director. After this group closed, she worked for NESTA, an organization that supports science, technology, and the arts.

From 2010, Lucy Powell managed Ed Miliband's successful campaign to become the leader of the Labour Party. After that, she worked as his deputy chief of staff until 2012.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Lucy Powell first tried to become an MP for Manchester Withington in 2010 but did not win. However, in November 2012, she was elected as the MP for Manchester Central in a special election called a by-election. She won with a large number of votes.

Once in Parliament, she quickly took on important roles. In 2013, she became a Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Years. In 2014, she joined the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Cabinet Office Minister.

She played a key role in the Labour Party's 2015 general election campaign. After the election, she faced some criticism regarding how the campaign was run. She stated that she took her share of responsibility for the results.

Lucy Powell was re-elected as MP for Manchester Central in the 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2024 general elections. Each time, she continued to represent her constituents in Parliament.

Important Roles in Parliament

In September 2015, Lucy Powell became the Shadow Secretary of State for Education. In this role, she suggested that some types of schools, like free schools and academies, should be managed more closely by local authorities. She later stepped down from this role in 2016 due to disagreements with the party leader at the time.

She supported a different candidate, Owen Smith, in the 2016 Labour leadership election. However, after the 2017 general election, she said that her earlier views on Jeremy Corbyn were mistaken.

In September 2018, Lucy Powell introduced new ideas in Parliament to make online social media groups safer. She wanted to make sure that people who manage these groups are responsible for stopping hate speech or false information. She is also a member of Labour Friends of Israel.

In April 2020, she rejoined the Labour front bench as the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers. She then became the Shadow Secretary of State for Housing in May 2021. Later, in November 2021, she was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. She described herself as a "tech optimist," meaning she believes in the positive potential of technology.

Leading the House of Commons

Lucy Powell was appointed Leader of the House of Commons in July 2024.

After the Labour Party won the 2024 general election, Lucy Powell was appointed as the Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council by the new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, on 5 July 2024.

In this role, she was responsible for managing the government's business in the House of Commons. In September 2024, she discussed challenges related to government spending decisions.

On 5 September 2025, Lucy Powell was dismissed from her position as Leader of the House of Commons as part of a change in the government's team.

Her Life Outside Politics

Lucy Powell is married to James Williamson, who is an emergency medicine doctor. They have three children together.

She is a fan of Manchester City F.C., a football team.

On 6 July 2024, Lucy Powell became a member of the Privy Council, which is a group of senior advisors to the King. This honor allows her to be called "The Right Honourable".