Contributors

Baroness Ruth Lister is the former Director of the Child Poverty Action Group and currently its Hon President; Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, Loughborough University and Labour peer.

Kim Johnson is the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside.

Peter Gary Tatchell (born 25 January 1952) is an Australian-born British human rights campaigner who has devoted his career to advancing LGBTQ rights and social justice causes. He first entered the political arena as Labour's parliamentary candidate for Bermondsey in 1981, though he was publicly denounced by party leader Michael Foot for reportedly supporting extra-Parliamentary action against the Thatcher government. Despite being allowed to contest the February 1983 Bermondsey by-election, Labour lost the seat to the Liberals. In the 1990s, Tatchell co-founded the direct action group OutRage!, through which he campaigned vigorously for LGBTQ rights, and later led the Stop Murder Music campaign against lyrics inciting violence against LGBT people. His activism has included bold attempts to arrest Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in 1999 and 2001.

Tatchell joined the Green Party of England and Wales in April 2004 and was selected as prospective Parliamentary candidate for Oxford East in 2007, though he stood down in December 2009 due to brain damage sustained largely during protests and from a bus accident. Since 2011, he has served as Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation and has participated in over thirty debates at the Oxford Union on subjects ranging from patriotism to university safe spaces. He writes commentary for Comment Central.

Wera Benedicta Hobhouse has served as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Bath since 2017. Born on 8 February 1960, the British-German politician has established herself as a prominent voice across multiple policy portfolios during her time in Parliament. Throughout her parliamentary career, Hobhouse has held several frontbench positions for the Liberal Democrats, demonstrating her party's confidence in her abilities across diverse policy areas. She has served as spokesperson for Communities and Local Government, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Transport, reflecting her broad range of expertise in domestic policy matters. Additionally, she has taken on the Energy and Climate Change brief and served as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, tackling both environmental concerns and parliamentary procedure. Her varied roles have given her extensive experience in housing, local governance, environmental protection, rural affairs, transport infrastructure, and energy policy. Hobhouse writes commentary for Comment Central.

Baroness Dianne Hayter is a Labour peer and former Shadow leader of the House of Lords.

Bob Blackman MP is a British Conservative politician who has represented Harrow East in Parliament since 2010. Born Robert John Blackman on 26 April 1956, he first entered elected office as a Member of the London Assembly for Brent and Harrow, serving from 2004 to 2008 before moving to Westminster. Throughout his parliamentary career, Blackman has played significant roles in backbench politics, serving as Joint Executive Secretary of the 1922 Committee from 2012 to 2024.

In 2024, Blackman took on expanded responsibilities within Parliament, becoming both chairman of the influential 1922 Committee, which represents Conservative backbenchers, and chair of the Backbench Business Committee. These positions place him at the heart of parliamentary procedure and Conservative Party internal politics. Bob Blackman writes commentary for Comment Central.

Dame Chinyelu Susan "Chi" Onwurah is a British Labour politician who has represented Newcastle upon Tyne in Parliament since 2010. She served as MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central from 2010 until 2024, when constituency boundary changes led to her election as MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West. Throughout her parliamentary career, Onwurah has established herself as a prominent voice on technology and industrial policy matters.

From October 2016 to April 2020, she served as shadow minister for Industrial Strategy, Science and Innovation under Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. In April 2020, following Keir Starmer's election as party leader, she was appointed shadow minister for Science, Research and Digital, reflecting her continued focus on the intersection of technology, research and industrial development. Onwurah writes commentary for Comment Central on these and related policy areas.

Sarah Deborah Champion has represented Rotherham as Labour Member of Parliament since winning a by-election in 2012. Born in July 1969, she studied psychology at Sheffield University and before entering Parliament worked as Chief Executive of a children's hospice in Rotherham and ran a Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester. Her professional background in the charitable sector has informed her parliamentary focus on vulnerable groups and international development.

Champion has held several frontbench positions during her parliamentary career. Jeremy Corbyn appointed her Shadow Minister for Preventing Abuse in September 2015, a role she briefly left in June 2016 before returning shortly afterwards. She was promoted to Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities in October 2016, stepping down from that position in August 2017 following controversy over an article she wrote concerning grooming gangs. Since 2020, Champion has chaired the International Development Select Committee, being re-elected to this position after the 2024 general election. She writes commentary for Comment Central.

Bellavia Janet Ribeiro-Addy is a British Labour Party politician who has represented Clapham and Brixton Hill in Parliament since 2019, having previously served the constituency when it was known as Streatham. Born on 1 March 1985, she briefly held the position of Shadow Minister for Immigration in 2020. Positioned on the political left of the Labour Party, she is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group.

Ribeiro-Addy chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations, reflecting her engagement with issues of historical justice and equality. Her parliamentary work focuses on immigration policy and matters affecting African and Caribbean communities in Britain. She writes commentary for Comment Central on these and other political subjects.

Anna Dixon is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Shipley since 2024. Representing a West Yorkshire constituency with a diverse mix of urban and rural communities, Dixon secured her parliamentary seat during the 2024 general election, contributing to Labour's electoral success in that cycle.

As a relatively newly elected MP, Dixon has begun establishing her presence in the House of Commons whilst working to address the concerns and priorities of her Shipley constituents. Her political career reflects the Labour Party's efforts to regain support in seats across Yorkshire and northern England. Dixon writes commentary for Comment Central, offering insights on British politics and policy matters from her perspective as a serving Member of Parliament.

Adam Thompson MP is a British Labour Party politician who has represented the Erewash constituency in Parliament since 2024. Born on 30 November 1990, Thompson previously stood as Labour's candidate for the nearby Amber Valley seat during the 2019 general election before successfully securing election to the House of Commons five years later.

As a Member of Parliament for a Midlands constituency, Thompson contributes his perspective on political developments and policy matters through his commentary for Comment Central.

Oleksiy Goncharenko is the MP for Odesa, Ukraine and the founder of the Ukrainian network of educational and cultural centres — the Goncharenko Centre.