Contributors

Lord Philip Hunt has been a Labour peer since 1997 and is a former deputy leader of the House of Lords.

Catherine Jane Smith, known as Cat Smith MP, is a British Labour Party politician born on 16 June 1985. She has served as a Member of Parliament since 2015, initially representing Lancaster and Fleetwood until that constituency was abolished, and subsequently representing Lancaster and Wyre from 2024. During her parliamentary career, she held prominent positions in the shadow cabinets under both Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer between 2016 and 2021, serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Young People and Democracy, having previously been Shadow Minister for the same brief.

Smith's political work has focused on issues affecting young people and democratic participation. Her experience in opposition frontbench roles has given her particular insight into youth policy and electoral reform matters. She writes commentary for Comment Central.

Lord Moylan is a member of the House of Lords and the Chair of the House of Lords Built Environment Committee.

Baroness Caroline Cox is a crossbench Member of the House of Lords and is founder of the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART).

Lord Holmes of Richmond is a current member of the House of Lords. 

Lord Rennard is a British life peer in the House of Lords, known for being the Director of Campaigns & Elections for the Liberal Democrats from 1989 to 2003, and Chief Executive of the party from 2003 to 2009.

Lilian Rachel Greenwood is a British Labour Party politician who has represented Nottingham South as Member of Parliament since 2010. A former union official, she began her parliamentary career in opposition, serving as a shadow transport minister under Ed Miliband from 2011 to 2015 before her promotion to Shadow Secretary of State for Transport in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet in 2015, a position she held until her resignation in 2016. During her time on the back benches, Greenwood chaired the Transport Select Committee from 2017 to 2020 and the Commons Finance Committee from 2020 to 2021.

Following Labour's return to government, Greenwood has held ministerial office, serving as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Future of Roads from 2024 to 2025 and as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport since September 2025. She has also held senior opposition positions including Opposition Deputy Chief Whip from 2021 to 2023 and Shadow Minister for Arts, Heritage and Civil Society from 2023 to 2024. Her parliamentary focus has been particularly on transport policy and local government matters. She writes commentary for Comment Central.

Tonia Antoniazzi is the Labour MP for Gower and is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Cannabis under Prescription.

Richard Harrington, Baron Harrington of Watford, is a current member of the House of Lords. He previously held ministerial roles in the Boris Johnson, Theresa May, and David Cameron governments.

John Derek Twigg, born on 9 July 1959, is a British Labour Party politician who has represented Merseyside constituencies in Parliament since 1997. He served as Member of Parliament for Halton from the 1997 general election until the seat's abolition in 2024, when he was elected to represent the newly created constituency of Widnes and Halewood. Over more than a quarter century in the House of Commons, Twigg has established himself as an experienced parliamentarian with deep roots in his local community.

Throughout his lengthy parliamentary career, Twigg has focused on issues affecting his constituents in the Merseyside area. His continuous representation of the region since the late 1990s has made him one of Labour's longest-serving backbenchers, providing him with extensive knowledge of parliamentary procedures and policy development. Derek Twigg writes commentary for Comment Central, offering insights drawn from his decades of political experience.

Martin John Vickers is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Brigg and Immingham since the 2024 general election. Born on 13 September 1950, he first entered Parliament in 2010 as the representative for Cleethorpes, a position he held until the constituency's abolition in 2024. Over more than a decade in the House of Commons, Vickers has represented constituencies in North East Lincolnshire, bringing his experience and perspectives to parliamentary debates on issues affecting his local communities.

Throughout his parliamentary career, Vickers has maintained a focus on the concerns of his constituents in the Lincolnshire region. His transition from representing Cleethorpes to Brigg and Immingham reflects the boundary changes that reshaped the parliamentary map in 2024, allowing him to continue his service to the area. Martin Vickers writes commentary for Comment Central, sharing his insights on British politics and policy matters.

Baroness Mobarik CBE is a British Conservative politician and Life Peer. She served as MEP for Scotland from 2017 to 2020.