Steve Witherden

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Official portrait of Steve Witherden MP crop 2.jpg

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Steve Witherden

| honorific-suffix = MP

| office = Member of Parliament
for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr

| parliament = United Kingdom

| majority = 3,815 (8.8%)

| term_start = 4 July 2024

| term_end =

| predecessor = Craig Williams

| successor =

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Wrexham, Denbighshire, Wales

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse =

| party = Labour

| website =

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

| occupation = {{hlist|Politician|teacher|trade unionist}}

| alma_mater = University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Aberystwyth (PGCE)

}}

Steve Witherden is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr since the 2024. Ideologically on the left, he is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group.

Early life and career

Witherden was born in Wrexham, Wales.{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Owen |last2=Mosalski |first2=Ruth |date=2024-07-05 |title=The full list of all eight MPs in North Wales and who they are |url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/full-list-eight-mps-north-29480587 |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=North Wales Live |language=en}} He earned a degree in English Literature from the University of Wales, Lampeter, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.{{Cite web |title=Steve Witherden - Welsh Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr General Election 2024 |url=https://www.wrexham.com/steve-witherden-welsh-labour-montgomeryshire-and-glyndwr-general-election-2024 |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=Wrexham.com |language=en}}

Witherden worked as a teacher in his constituency for 18 years. He also served as a trade union representative from 2009 and as a county officer from 2015.{{Cite web |title=Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr - Steve Witherden |url=https://action.labour.org.uk/page/144790/action/1?locale=en-GB |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=Welsh Labour |language=en}}

Witherden is dyslexic and dyscalculic, and was illiterate until the age of 11. These experiences led him to become a teacher.{{Cite web |title=Steve Witherden Maiden Speech |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2024-07-24/debates/6313FBF9-78FD-46A8-99C4-3E7CE4E0508F/EducationAndOpportunity#contribution-0B8B584A-4F1C-4059-9E10-33439013A467 |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=parliament.uk |language=en}}

Political career

Witherden won the Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr seat with a majority of 3,815 votes. The former Montgomeryshire MP, Craig Williams, finished third. In his victory speech, Witherden stated that "Montgomeryshire is the only seat in Wales that had never had a Labour MP so history has been made here tonight".{{Cite news |date=2024-07-05 |title=General Election 2024: Labour win Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr seat |url=https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/24432452.election-craig-williams-loses-labour-montgomeryshire/ |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=The Leader |language=en}}

In his maiden speech, Witherden cited the creation of Great British Energy and the elimination of zero-hour contracts as his priorities.

He sits on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee in Parliament.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-18 |title=Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr MP Steve Witherden elected to committee |url=https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/24658943.steve-witherden-elected-welsh-affairs-select-committee/ |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=County Times |language=en}}

In November 2024, Witherden voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, a proposal to legalise assisted suicide.{{Cite web |title=Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr MP details his vote in favour of assisted dying bill |url=https://wrexham.com/news/montgomeryshire-and-glyndwr-details-his-vote-in-favour-of-assisted-dying-bill-261335.html |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Wrexham.com |language=en}}