Gen Kitchen
{{Short description|British Labour politician (born 1995)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Officeholder infobox
| name = Gen Kitchen
| honorific_suffix = MP
| image = Official portrait of Gen Kitchen MP 2024 crop 2 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2024
| office = Assistant Government Whip
| primeminister = Keir Starmer
| predecessor =
| successor =
| term_start = 10 July 2024
| term_end =
| office1 = Member of Parliament
for Wellingborough and Rushden
{{nobold|Wellingborough (2024)}}
| predecessor1 = Peter William Bone
| term_start1 = 15 February 2024
| term_end1 =
| majority1 = 5,456 (12.5%)
| office2 = Member of Newham London Borough Council for Boleyn
| term_start2 = 3 May 2018
| term_end2 = 5 May 2022
| birth_name = Genevieve Victoria Kitchen
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|5|5|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| party = Labour
| alma_mater = Queen Mary University of London (BA)
| website =
}}
Genevieve Victoria Kitchen{{cite web |title=Election results for Boleyn, 3 May 2018 |url=https://mgov.newham.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=30&RPID=29910584 |website=Newham Council |access-date=16 February 2024 |language=en-GB |date=3 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216135346/https://mgov.newham.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=30&RPID=29910584 |archive-date=16 February 2024}} (born 5 May 1995){{Cite news |last=Carter |first=William |date=15 December 2024 |title=Woman who'll fight Wellingborough constituency for Labour outlines pledges – as she's backed by former Conservative council leader |url=https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/woman-wholl-fight-wellingborough-constituency-for-labour-outlines-pledges-as-shes-backed-by-former-conservative-council-leader-4447588 |work=Northamptonshire Telegraph|access-date=16 February 2024|quote=Gen's interest in politics began during the 2005 election ... which coincidentally fell on her birthday of May 5.}}{{Cite web |title=Who are Damien Egan and Gen Kitchen? Labour's new MPs after by-election victories |url=https://www.politics.co.uk/news/2024/02/16/who-are-damien-egan-and-gen-kitchen-labours-new-mps-after-by-election-victories/ |website=Politics.co.uk |language=en-US |date=16 February 2024 |access-date=16 February 2024}} is a British politician who has served as Assistant Government Whip since 2024. She is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wellingborough and Rushden (formerly named Wellingborough) since the 2024 Wellingborough by-election. A member of the Labour Party,{{Cite news |last1=Taggart |first1=Emma |last2=Scott |first2=Geraldine |date=14 February 2024 |title=Meet Labour's Wellingborough candidate scenting victory against Tories |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/gen-kitchen-wellingborough-by-election-labour-tory-peter-bone-wr2v6nzng |work=The Times |language=en-GB |access-date=14 February 2024}} she was a member of Newham London Borough Council in Greater London from 2018 to 2022.
Early life and education
Genevieve Kitchen was born on 5 May 1995, the daughter of two Royal Navy veterans.{{Cite news |last=Murray |first=Jessica |date=20 December 2023 |title=Peter Bone saga shows Tories are weak, Labour tells Wellingborough voters |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/dec/20/peter-bone-saga-shows-tories-are-weak-labour-tells-wellingborough-voters |access-date=14 February 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB }} She grew up in Northamptonshire, and attended Caroline Chisholm School in Northampton,{{Cite web |last=Cronin |first=Kate |date=11 November 2023 |title=Wellingborough Labour members select Genevieve Kitchen as their candidate to fight Peter Bone's seat at a potential by-election as she immediately calls on him to resign |url=https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/wellingborough-labour-members-select-genevieve-kitchen-as-their-candidate-to-fight-peter-bones-seat-at-a-potential-by-election-as-she-immediately-calls-on-him-to-resign-4406296 |website=Northamptonshire Telegraph}} John Hellins Primary School in Towcester, and Kingsbrook Secondary School (now Elizabeth Woodville School) in Deanshanger.{{Cite news |last1=Coffey |first1=Laura |last2=Cooper |first2=Pete |date=22 December 2023 |title=The candidates set for Wellingborough by-election |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-67763457 |access-date=16 February 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} She studied history and politics at Queen Mary University of London,{{Cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Archie |date=16 February 2024 |title=Who is Gen Kitchen? Labour's new MP for Wellingborough - The Northamptonshire constituency was the second most marginal seat for Labour in Sir Tony Blair's 1997 landslide, with Paul Stinchcombe winning by just 187 votes |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/gen-kitchen-wellingborough-byelection-labour-b2496218.html |website=The Independent |access-date=16 February 2024}} and graduated in 2016.{{Cite web |editor-last=Hancock |editor-first=Sam |date=16 February 2024 |title=Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections: Tories suffer two defeats with big swings to Labour |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-68277176 |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=BBC News |language=en-gb}}
Kitchen has been a fundraiser in the charity sector,{{Cite web |last=Lepper |first=Joe |date=21 December 2023 |title=Senior charity fundraiser to fight in next by-election for Labour |url=https://www.charitytimes.com/ct/Senior-charity-fundraiser-to-fight-in-next-by-election-for-Labour.php |access-date=14 February 2024 |website=Charity Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Bagley |first=Alison |date=30 November 2023 |title=Labour parliamentary candidate Gen Kitchen gets crafty at Wellingborough community centre |url=https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/labour-parliamentary-candidate-gen-kitchen-gets-crafty-at-wellingborough-community-centre-4429521 |access-date=16 February 2024 |website=Northamptonshire Telegraph}} working with organisations including The Salvation Army, Sarcoma UK, a children's hospice and a children's health charity.{{cite web |title=Genevieve Kitchen |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/genevievekitchen/details/experience/ |access-date=16 February 2024 |website=LinkedIn}} From 2018 to 2022, she was a councillor in the London Borough of Newham{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Peter |date=2024-02-06 |title='We're not complacent': Labour wary of overconfidence in Wellingborough byelection |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/06/were-not-complacent-labour-wary-of-overconfidence-in-wellingborough-byelection |access-date=2024-02-14 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB}} representing the ward of Boleyn and served as Deputy Cabinet Member for Regeneration.{{Cite news |last=Long |first=Rhiannon |date=1 November 2018 |title=Newham heads to the polls for Boleyn by-election |url=https://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/news/local-council/21428677.newham-heads-polls-boleyn-by-election/ |access-date=16 February 2024 |work=Newham Recorder |language=en}}
Parliamentary career
File:Swearing in of new MP for Wellingborough, Gen Kitchen 41522.jpg on 19 February 2024]]
In the 2019 general election, Kitchen stood for Labour in South Northamptonshire,{{Cite web |last=Neame |first=Katie |date=7 February 2024 |title=Wellingborough PPC hopes by-election win would have 'domino effect' in region |url=https://labourlist.org/2024/02/wellingborough-by-election-candidate-gen-kitchen-interview-campaign/ |access-date=16 February 2024 |website=LabourList |language=en-GB}} finishing in second place with 20.9 per cent of the vote behind Andrea Leadsom, the incumbent Conservative MP and business secretary.{{cite news |title=Northamptonshire South Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000942 |access-date=22 November 2019 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}
In November 2023, she was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Wellingborough.{{Cite news |date=13 November 2023 |first=Laura | last=Coffey |work=BBC News |title=Wellingborough: Labour select candidate in Peter Bone's seat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-67407030 |access-date=16 February 2024|language=en-GB}} When the recall petition to remove Peter Bone was successful, she launched her campaign in the 2024 Wellingborough by-election.{{Cite news |last1=Quinn |first1=Ben |last2=Badshah |first2=Nadeem |date=19 December 2023 |title=Voters in Wellingborough trigger byelection after suspension of Peter Bone |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/dec/19/voters-in-wellingborough-trigger-byelection-after-suspension-of-peter-bone |access-date=16 February 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB }} She was endorsed by the former Conservative leader of the local council. Kitchen was elected as MP for Wellingborough, winning with 45.9 per cent of the vote and a majority of 6,436.{{cite web |editor-last=Hancock |editor-first=Sam |date=16 February 2024 |title=Wellingborough Parliamentary by-election |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-68277176 |website=BBC News}}.
She was re-elected in the renamed constituency of Wellingborough and Rushden in the 2024 general election.{{Cite news |title=Wellingborough and Rushden - UK General election 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001571 |access-date=2024-07-19 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
Personal life
Kitchen married her husband Joe in October 2023. She cut short her honeymoon in Suffolk to campaign in the 2024 Wellingborough by-election.{{Cite web |last=Kitchen |first=Genevieve |date=29 November 2023 |title=Wellingborough PPC: 'I cut short my honeymoon to win this by-election' |url=https://labourlist.org/2023/11/wellingborough-rushden-peter-bone-genevieve-kitchen-by-election/ |access-date=16 February 2024|website=LabourList |language=en-GB}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{cite web |title=Gen Kitchen for a Fresh Start [2024 campaign website] |url=https://action.labour.org.uk/page/140168/data/1?locale=en-GB |publisher=Labour Party |access-date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216130544/https://action.labour.org.uk/page/140168/data/1?locale=en-GB |archive-date=16 February 2024}} {{UK MP links
| parliament = 5011
| hansardcurr =5011
| hansard =
| publicwhip =Gen_Kitchen
| theywork = 26288
| record =
| journalisted =
}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Peter Bone}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for Wellingborough|years=2024–2024}}
{{s-non|reason=Constituency abolished}}
|-
{{s-new|constituency}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for Wellingborough and Rushden|years=2024–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{S-end}}
{{Labour Party UK MPs}}{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitchen, Gen}}
Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors
Category:Politicians from Northamptonshire
Category:21st-century British women politicians
Category:Women councillors in England
Category:Councillors in the London Borough of Newham
Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
Category:Alumni of Queen Mary University of London