James Naish
James Naish | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Ruth Edwards |
| Majority | 7,426 (12.8%) |
| Leader of Bassetlaw District Council | |
| In office 22 September 2022 – 25 July 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James William Naish 20 July 1988 |
| Political party | Labour |
| Relatives | Sir David Naish (great-uncle) Alastair Campbell (uncle) |
| Alma mater | Mansfield College, Oxford (BA) |
| Committees | International Development Committee |
| Website | https://www.jamesnaish.com/ |
James William Naish (/ˈneɪʃ/; born 20 July 1988) is a British Labour Party politician and former energy sector professional, who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Rushcliffe since 2024.[1] He is the first Labour MP to represent Rushcliffe since 1966.[2]
Early life and education
Born in Sheffield and raised on his family's farm in South Wheatley, Nottinghamshire, Naish is the youngest of three triplets.[3][4] He attended Queen Elizabeth's High School in Gainsborough.[5] Following this, he attended Mansfield College, Oxford, where he later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History.[6]
Early career
After graduating, Naish took a role as an analyst and consultant for the Fortune 500 company Accenture, before working in Albania as an advisor in the Prime Minister's Office to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in the aftermath of the Socialist Party of Albania's election victory in the 2013 Albanian parliamentary election.[7][8]
Before his election to Parliament, Naish worked in the energy sector, including as a Programme Manager for Northern Powergrid and SSE plc and served as a director of Nottinghamshire-based property auction franchise Open Door Auctions.[6][9]
Local government career
Naish was elected to Bassetlaw District Council, Nottinghamshire in May 2019, representing the rural Sturton ward, winning the seat for Labour for the first time, with a 40.8% increase in Labour's share of the vote.[10][11] Naish was elected Leader of the Council in September 2022.[12] He was subsequently re-elected in the 2023 local elections with 77.6% of the vote.[13] During his time as Leader, Naish secured additional investment in the district, including the flagship Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype fusion energy plant, and instituted a new local plan, to ensure that vital infrastructure is provided alongside new developments.[14][15]
Parliamentary career
Naish is a member of the International Development Committee, the House of Common's select committee responsible for scrutinising UK aid policy, and the expenditure of Official Development Assistance across UK government departments.[16] He also serves as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the East Midlands, the Chair of the APPG for Fusion Energy, the Vice-Chair of the UK Fresh Produce Network, a Vice-President of the Association for Decentralised Energy and an officer of the APPG for Hydrogen.[17][18][19]
On 29 November 2024, Naish voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at its second reading. In a statement to constituents, he stated that he was "unable to fully support the Bill in its current form".[20]
A member of the APPG for Fair Elections, on 3 December 2024 Naish was among 59 Labour MPs who voted in support of proportional representation in a ten minute rule motion vote.[21][22]
Naish's election coincided with the 2024–25 Premier League season, where Rushcliffe-based football club, Nottingham Forest F.C. performed particularly well and secured European football for the first time in 30 years.[23] Following his election, Naish has regularly advocated on behalf of supporters of the club, such as calling on the FA to change its rules in the aftermath of Taiwo Awoniyi's injury on 11 May 2025.[24] In June 2025, Naish was appointed onto the Bill committee for the Football Governance Bill, engaging in line-by-line scrutiny of the bill.[25]
On 14 May 2025, Naish led calls by MPs for the British Government to strengthen protections for wildlife. Naish called for the law governing wildlife, currently spread across 33 statutes, some of which date back to the early 1800s, to be consolidated and updated in the form of a new animal welfare-centred Wildlife Act.[26]
Personal life
Naish is the great-nephew of Sir David Naish, who was National President of the National Farmers' Union from 1991 to 1998, and the nephew of Alastair Campbell, who served as Press Secretary to Tony Blair from 1994 to 2003.[6][27][28]
References
- ^ "Members Sworn". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 752. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 July 2024.
- ^ Palmer-Soady, George; Moore, Joel (2024-07-05). "First Labour MP in Rushcliffe for 57 years says 'people made it very clear'". Nottinghamshire Live. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
- ^ "About". James Naish. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Maiden Speech of James Naish MP - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. 2025-12-02. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ Mann, Sebastian (2022-09-02). "Labour chiefs at district council elect new leader". Lincolnshire Live. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ a b c "Naish, James, MP (Lab) Rushcliffe, since 2024". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U300181. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ https://balkaninsight.com/2014/05/05/albania-s-government-secret-advisor-revealed/
- ^ "Edi Rama's secret adviser is revealed". Telegrafi. 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "James Naish". LinkedIn.
- ^ "Councillor details - Councillor James Naish". Bassetlaw District Council. 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Election result for Sturton". Bassetlaw District Council. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ "Agenda item - Leader of the Council". Bassetlaw District Council. 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Sturton - 2023 Election Result". Bassetlaw District Council. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ "Council Leader and Deputy Leader step down". Bassetlaw District Council. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ Locker, Joe (2023-05-05). "Labour statement after record majority on Bassetlaw District Council | West Bridgford Wire". Retrieved 2025-02-13.
- ^ "International Development Committee - Membership - Committees - UK Parliament". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ "East Midlands APPG". 2024-01-19. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ "APPG officer roles for James Naish - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ Ade, The. "James Naish MP". www.theade.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
- ^ Wire (2024-11-29). "Assisted Dying Bill: James Naish MP writes to Rushcliffe residents explaining his position | West Bridgford Wire". Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "APPG for Fair Elections". www.fairelections.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
- ^ "Elections (proportional representation): Ten Minute Rule Motion - Commons' votes in Parliament - UK Parliament". votes.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-01-28. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
- ^ Lansley, Peter (2025-05-11). "Nottingham Forest's Champions League hopes hit by late Leicester leveller". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ Rapheal (2025-05-22). "MP calls for urgent FA review after Awoniyi's horror injury". The Sun Nigeria. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "Football Governance Bill [HL] Committee stage - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament". bills.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "Strengthen laws to ensure better protection for Britain's wildlife, urge cross-party MPs in open letter to the Government | Humane World for Animals". www.humaneworld.org. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ Pridmore, Oliver (July 5, 2024). "Alastair Campbell praises his nephew as he becomes Rushcliffe MP". Nottinghamshire Live.
- ^ "Sir David Naish obituary". www.thetimes.com. 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2025-02-12.