19 Facts About Alison McGovern

Alison McGovern has served as Minister of State for Employment since July 2024.

Alison McGovern was born on 30 December 1980 in Clatterbridge.

Alison McGovern is the granddaughter of songwriter and activist Peter McGovern, and is the daughter of a British Railways telecoms engineer father and a mother who was a nurse.

Alison McGovern was educated at Brookhurst Primary School, and then Wirral Grammar School for Girls, where she was the Head Girl from 1998 to 1999.

Alison McGovern received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from University College London.

Alison McGovern made her maiden speech in the House of Commons on 3 June 2010 in a debate on European Affairs.

Alison McGovern became former Prime Minister Gordon Brown's parliamentary private secretary in July 2010.

Alison McGovern was selected by the PLP to become a member of the International Development Select Committee.

In May 2015, Alison McGovern was appointed Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury in Labour's Treasury team.

Alison McGovern departed the opposition front bench after Jeremy Corbyn was elected Labour leader in September 2015.

In October 2015, Alison McGovern was appointed as Chair of Progress, a political organisation associated with the development of New Labour.

In January 2016, Alison McGovern resigned from Labour's policy review on child poverty and combating inequality, as a protest against Progress being described by shadow Chancellor John McDonnell as having "a hard right agenda".

Alison McGovern commented that she had been "backed into a corner".

Alison McGovern supported Owen Smith in the unsuccessful attempt to replace Jeremy Corbyn in the 2016 Labour Party leadership election.

Alison McGovern served as chair of the Advisory Committee on Works of Art from July 2016 until April 2020, when she rejoined the opposition front bench.

Alison McGovern challenged Mick Whitley in Birkenhead for the Labour selection and was successful on 16 June 2023.

Alison McGovern was appointed a Minister of State in the new Labour Government.

Alison McGovern is seen to be within the political right of the Labour Party and chairs Progressive Britain, a group founded to support Tony Blair.

In 2008 Alison McGovern married economist Ashwin Kumar, formerly a senior civil servant in the Department for Work and Pensions and Passenger Director at Passenger Focus.