Josh MacAlister

MacAlister's father worked as a social worker.{{cite news |date=11 September 2013|title=Frontline founder: 'Social work needs life-changing professionals' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/11/josh-macalister-social-work-frontline|first=David|last=Brindle|access-date=29 July 2024|work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}

MacAlister studied for, and received, an MA (Hons) in politics and social policy at the University of Edinburgh. MacAlister served as President of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association.{{cite web |title=The former student leaders entering Parliament |url=https://wonkhe.com/blogs/the-student-leaders-that-could-be-about-to-enter-parliament/ |access-date=16 July 2024|publisher=Wonkhe|first=Jim|last=Dickinson|date=1 July 2024}} In 2008, he unsuccessfully contested the Presidency of the National Union of Students Scotland.

MacAlister also studied for, and received, a masters degree in leadership in education at the University of Manchester.{{cite web |title=Josh MacAlister |url=https://www.ippr.org/profile/josh-macalister |access-date=29 July 2024 |publisher=IPPR }}

MacAlister trained as a teacher through the Teach First Programme and went on to work as a teacher in Oldham.

During his time as a teacher, MacAlister began to engage with young people with experience of the care system. These experiences led MacAlister to establish Frontline, a graduate social worker training programme modeled on Teach First, in 2013. The first cohort began their training the following year.

In 2019, the Department for Education provided Frontline with £45 million in funding.{{cite web |date=22 January 2021|title=A Row Has Broken Out Over The Independence of a Major Review Into Children in Care |url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/independence-of-major-childrens-care-review-in-question-over-the-appointment-of-a-charity-boss-78153 |access-date=29 July 2024 |work=Politics Home|first=Kate|last=Proctor|publisher=Political Holdings}}

In January 2021 MacAlister stepped down from his role at Frontline in order to chair an independent review of children's social care. MacAlister's appointment was criticized by some social work academics who questioned whether he could be impartial given that Frontline had received central government funding.

In June 2021, the review published its interim findings. In October 2021 the review published a second report in response to the feedback received on the interim report. The final report of the review was published in May 2022.{{cite web |date=18 November 2022 |title=The independent review of Children's social care: Debate Pack |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CDP-2022-0211/CDP-2022-0211.pdf |access-date=29 July 2024 |publisher=House of Commons Library|first1=David|last1=Foster|first2=Anastasia|last2=Lewis}}

MacAlister was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the King's 2023 New Year's Honours for services to vulnerable children.{{cite web | url= https://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/24016254.frontline-founder-recognised-kings-new-years-honours-list-2024/ | title= Frontline founder recognised in New Year's Honours List for 2024 | date= 30 December 2023|work=Whitehaven News|first= Bridget|last=Dempsey|accessdate=10 February 2025|publisher=Newsquest Media Group }}

In June 2023, MacAlister was selected as the Labour Party's candidate for the newly created constituency of Whitehaven and Workington.{{cite web |work=Social Work News |url=https://www.mysocialworknews.com/article/josh-macalister-selected-as-labour-parliamentary-candidate |access-date=29 July 2024 |title=Josh MacAlister selected as Labour parliamentary candidate|date=29 June 2023}}

At the 2024 general election, MacAlister was elected as the Member of Parliament for Whitehaven and Workington. MacAlister was elected with 53% of the vote and a majority of over 13,000 votes.{{cite news |date=5 July 2024 |title=Labour seizes Cumbria winning five of six seats |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2503lqp84go |access-date=29 July 2024 |publisher=BBC News}}

In 2023 MacAlister joined his local mountain rescue team.{{cite news |last=Edwards |first=Lucy |title=Cumbrian man behind £200 million plan to fix children's social care |url=https://cumbriacrack.com/2023/02/02/cumbrian-man-behind-200-million-plan-to-fix-childrens-social-care/ |access-date=29 July 2024 |work=Cumbria Crack|date=2 February 2023|publisher=Barrnon Media}} In July 2024, shortly after being elected as an MP, MacAlister was called out to a mountain rescue.{{cite news |date=11 July 2024 |title=MP Josh MacAlister called to Cumbria mountain rescue after election win |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cljy3ylz3j9o |access-date=29 July 2024|publisher=BBC News|first=Federica|last=Bedendo }}

In 2024, PinkNews listed him as an out LGBTQ+ parliamentarian.{{cite web | url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/07/05/lgbtq-mps-general-election/#page/6 | title=Number of out LGBTQ+ MPS falls following election|first=Andrew|last=Reynolds|date=5 July 2024|work=Pink News|accessdate=10 February 2025}} He is married to educationalist Matthew Hood.{{cite web|url=https://schoolsweek.co.uk/matt-hood-to-leave-ambition-institute-role/|title=Matt Hood to leave Ambition Institute role|first=John|last=Dickens|work=Schools Week|date=2 October 2019|publisher=Education Scape|accessdate=10 February 2025}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:UK MPs 2024–present

Category:LGBTQ members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

Category:English LGBTQ politicians

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)