Olivia Bailey
Olivia Bailey | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Reading West and Mid Berkshire | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Alok Sharma (Reading West[a]) |
| Majority | 1,361 (3.0%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Olivia Joanna Bailey 1986 (age 38–39) Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Finn McGoldrick |
| Alma mater | St Hilda's College, Oxford (BA) |
Olivia Joanna Bailey (born 17 September 1986)[3] is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Reading West and Mid Berkshire since 2024.[4][5]
Early life and education
Bailey was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1986 to a policeman father and teacher mother.[3] She attended Ranelagh School in Bracknell and experienced homophobic bullying at school.[3]
Bailey studied at St Hilda's College, Oxford, where she was the Junior Common Room President.[6] She graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History and Politics.[7]
She was Women's Officer of the National Union of Students (NUS) from 2009 to 2011,[8] and Chair of Labour Students from 2011 to 2012.[9] As an officer of the NUS, Bailey created the Vote for Students pledge and published the first national study into harassment and abuse suffered by women students.[10]
Political career
Bailey had been Chair of the Labour Women's Network, deputy General Secretary of the Fabian Society, and a senior aide to Keir Starmer, before standing as a parliamentary candidate.[5]
Bailey contested Reading West at the 2017 general election, but was defeated by the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Alok Sharma.[3][11]
At the 2024 general election, Bailey was elected as MP for the new Reading West and Mid Berkshire constituency with 35% of the vote.[12] She was subsequently appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall.[13]
Personal life
Bailey is a lesbian and married to Finn McGoldrick, with whom she has two children.[14][15] McGoldrick is a Member of Reading Council and a special adviser to the Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds.[16][15]
Her father, Roy Bailey, is a Member of Bracknell Forest Council.[17] Her mother has Alzheimer's disease.[3]
Notes
- ^ The Reading West constituency was renamed "Reading West and Mid Berkshire" at the 2024 general election, with major boundary changes[1][2]
References
- ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South East". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "South East: New Constituency Boundaries 2023". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Reading-born Olivia aims for Reading West seat". RDG.Today. 23 Mar 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Meet Olivia Bailey, Labour candidate for Reading West and Mid Berkshire". The Reading Chronicle. 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Olivia Bailey standing as Labour candidate for new MP seat". The Reading Chronicle. 7 Jan 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Lewis Iwu penalised for dirty campaign tactics in OUSU race". Cherwell. 9 November 2007. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ "Olivia Bailey MP". Policy Mogul. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Ferguson, Mark (22 July 2010). "As Young Labour members, we support Oona for mayor". LabourList. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ "History". Labour Students. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ "The former student leaders entering Parliament". Wonkhe. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ "Olivia Bailey – Labour Party". Reading West. 13 Jun 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Reading West & Mid Berkshire | General Election 2024 | Sky News". election.news.sky.com. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ "Full PPS list as seven more MPs made parliamentary private secretaries". LabourList. 21 February 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ Bailey, Olivia (21 March 2019). "Don't worry about "exposing" children to families like mine. Worry about hate". LabourList. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ a b Dickson, Annabelle (14 February 2022). "Britain's political power couples — ranked". Politico Europe. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ Aldridge, James (4 August 2023). "Reading's newest councillor lays out priorities following by-election win". Reading Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ Aldridge, James (14 December 2023). "Labour candidate hoping to be MP for West Reading". Reading Chronicle. Retrieved 6 July 2024.