Judith Cummins

Judith Cummins is a politician deeply immersed in the politics of Yorkshire. She attended the University of Leeds as a mature student on a trade union scholarship. She then became councillor on Bradford City Council and subsequently Leeds City Council. Shortly after her arrival in parliament, having defeated Conservative candidate Tanya Graham by 6,450 votes, Cummins was appointed as an opposition whip. She was promoted in 2018 to shadow international trade minister, shadowing the department set up by Theresa May to push for new trade opportunities in the wake of Brexit. Cummins was sceptical about holding a second referendum, arguing that such a move could exacerbate Britain’s social disunity, failing to solve the deadlock issue of parliamentary arithmetic. Cummins has also lobbied for greater government support for the carers of those with dementia and has also campaigned for tougher laws surrounding drunk driving in the UK, such as life sentences for killer drivers. She chairs the Rugby League Football APPG. Since 2020, she has been a member of the Panel of Chairs and the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee.