Judith Cummins

Judith Cummins
MP
Official portrait, 2020
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons
First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 July 2024
SpeakerSir Lindsay Hoyle
Preceded byDame Rosie Winterton
Member of Parliament
for Bradford South
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byGerry Sutcliffe
Majority4,362 (13.3%)
Member of Leeds City Council
for Temple Newsam
In office
3 May 2012 – 5 May 2016
Preceded byBill Hyde
Succeeded byDebra Coupar
Member of Bradford City Council
for Royds
In office
10 June 2004 – 3 May 2007
Preceded byWard established
Succeeded byGill Thornton
Personal details
Born
Judith Mary Black

(1967-06-26) 26 June 1967 (age 57)
Political partyLabour
Alma mater
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Judith Mary Cummins (née Black; born 26 June 1967) is a British Labour Party politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bradford South since 2015.[1]

Early and personal life

Cummins was born on 26 June 1967 and was educated at Ruskin College and the University of Leeds, attending college as a mature student on a Trade Union scholarship.

She is married to Mark Cummins, whom she employs as a Parliamentary researcher.[2] She has two children.[3]

Political career

Cummins was first elected as a local councillor on Bradford Council in 2004, representing the Royds ward. She served a full three-year term before not standing again at the 2007 election.[4][5] Cummins was later elected as a Leeds City Councillor to represent Temple Newsam ward for a full four-year term from 2012 to 2016.[6]

In advance of the 2015 general election, Cummins contested for selection as the prospective parliamentary candidate in the two constituencies she had been previously elected as a local ward councillor. Despite being an incumbent councillor representing Temple Newsam ward in the constituency, Cummins lost the selection for Leeds East to Richard Burgon. She was later selected by Bradford South Constituency Labour Party to stand for the seat to replace Gerry Sutcliffe.[7][8]

Member of Parliament

Cummins was elected to the House of Commons to represent Bradford South on 7 May 2015, increasing the Labour candidate's majority in the constituency from 4,622 to 6,450 votes.

Cummins served as an opposition whip from September 2015 until January 2018, when she became a Shadow International Trade Minister. She departed the front bench in April 2020.

She supported Owen Smith in the failed attempt to replace Jeremy Corbyn in the 2016 Labour leadership election.[9]

Cummins increased her majority by 250 votes to 6,700 at the 2017 general election before it fell to 2,346 in 2019.[10]

On 19 July 2021, she was appointed Acting Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons in place of Dame Rosie Winterton who was self-isolating due to COVID-19, and she held the position till the summer recess.[11] Cummins was elected as a Deputy Speaker in the House of Commons on 23 July 2024.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Election 2015: Bradford South parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  2. ^ "The Register of Members' Financial Interests". UK Parliament.
  3. ^ "Judith Cummins MP - Who is she?". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  4. ^ "CUMMINS, Judith". Who's Who. Vol. 2017 (online ed.). A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  5. ^ "24 things you may not know about your Bradford South candidates". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Council and democracy". City of Leeds Council. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Leeds East". ukpollingreport.co.uk. Anthony Wells. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  8. ^ Carr, Tim, Dale, Iain and Waller, Robert, eds. (25 June 2015) The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2015. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 1849549230
  9. ^ "Full list of MPs and MEPs backing challenger Owen Smith". LabourList. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Bradford South parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Appointment of an Acting Deputy Speaker". Hansard. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  12. ^ Scotson, Tom (23 July 2024). "Three Women MPs Elected New Deputy Speakers". PoliticsHome. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Judith Cummins.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Bradford South
2015–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by First Deputy Chair of Ways and Means
2024-present 		Incumbent