Gavin Shuker
Gavin Shuker (born 10 October 1981) is a British former politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Luton South from 2010 to 2019. Shuker was a Labour Party MP before defecting to form Change UK. He then left Change UK to become an Independent politician and was defeated at the 2019 election, coming third with 9.3% of the vote.
Gavin Shuker | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2017 | |
| Convener of Change UK | |
| In office 25 February 2019 – 4 June 2019 | |
| Leader | Heidi Allen (Acting) |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Member of Parliament for Luton South | |
| In office 6 May 2010 – 6 November 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Margaret Moran |
| Succeeded by | Rachel Hopkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 October 1981 Luton, England |
| Political party | Parliamentary affiliation: The Independents (2019) Party membership: Independent (2019–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Change UK (Feb–Jun 2019) Labour and Co-operative (Until Feb 2019) |
| Spouse | Lucie Shuker (Divorced 2016) |
| Children | 1 daughter |
| Education | Girton College, Cambridge |
| Website | Official website |
Shuker successfully defended the seat as the Labour candidate in 2010, after his predecessor Margaret Moran stood down following controversy over her expenses. Shuker was appointed as a Shadow International Development Minister by Ed Miliband in 2013. He left the Opposition Frontbench in September 2015, with the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Party Leader, cited "political differences" with him. In 2018, he lost a motion of no confidence by his constituency party. Shuker resigned from Labour on 18 February 2019 with six other MPs, and they formed Change UK. In June 2019, he left Change UK to sit as an independent MP. He stood as an independent in the 2019 United Kingdom general election but lost his seat.