Conor McGinn

Conor McGinn is a very active Labour MP, currently chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group on coalfield communities and serving on several committees including foreign affairs, regulatory reform, consolidation bills and Northern Ireland affairs. Before joining parliament, McGinn served as chair and executive of the Young Fabians and Fabian Society, vice-chair of Young Labour and chair of the Labour party Irish society. Growing up in the village of Bessbrook, Northern Ireland and spending time in South Africa on a fellowship, McGinn has drawn parallels between The Troubles and the divided communities of South Africa. Despite being an MP for an English constituency – St Helens North since 2015 – McGinn is still heavily involved in Northern Ireland’s politics. In response to the backstop arrangement, McGinn accused Jeremy Corbyn of jeopardising his party’s reputation as protectors of the Good Friday Agreement. In 2018, McGinn introduced a private members bill to legislate for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. He previously sat on the defence committee and served as an opposition whip between September 2015 and October 2016. McGinn has moved away from communism in his youth to sit ideologically at the centre-right of the party.