45 Facts About Liz Kendall

Elizabeth Louise Kendall was born on 11 June 1971 and is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions since July 2024.

Liz Kendall stood in the Labour Party leadership election in September 2015 following the resignation of Ed Miliband, finishing in last place.

Elizabeth Kendall was born on 11 June 1971 in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire.

Liz Kendall's mother was a school governor and Kendall's first political campaign was for a local zebra crossing.

Liz Kendall joined the Labour Party in 1992 and, after graduating from Cambridge, worked at the Institute for Public Policy Research in the area of child development and early years learning.

In 1998, when Harman was sacked from the government, Liz Kendall resigned and was awarded a fellowship by the King's Fund, a health charity.

Liz Kendall wrote a series of research papers for the IPPR and was appointed as the Director of the Maternity Alliance, a charity for pregnant women.

Liz Kendall was unsuccessful in an attempt to be selected as Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Chesterfield at the 2001 general election, following the retirement of Tony Benn.

Liz Kendall made her maiden speech in a debate on tackling poverty in the UK on 10 June 2010.

Liz Kendall was briefly a member of the Education Select Committee between July 2010 and October 2010.

Liz Kendall supported David Miliband for the leadership of the Labour Party in 2010.

On 10 May 2015, Liz Kendall announced that she was standing as a successor to Ed Miliband for the Labour Party leadership following their defeat in the 2015 general election.

Liz Kendall was regarded by many in the media as the Blairite candidate, though Liz Kendall stated she would like to be known as the "modernising candidate".

Liz Kendall had the support of the Blue Labour Group within the Labour Party including figures such as Maurice Glasman and Rowenna Davis.

Commentators from across the political spectrum said that Liz Kendall was the leadership candidate the Conservatives would "fear the most".

Liz Kendall resigned from the Shadow Cabinet following the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in September 2015.

Liz Kendall supported Owen Smith in the failed attempt to replace Jeremy Corbyn in the 2016 Labour leadership election.

Since her appointment as Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall has initiated a series of reforms aimed at reshaping the UK's welfare system.

Liz Kendall noted the importance of early career engagement, saying that unemployment during youth can have long-term detrimental effects on job prospects and earning potential.

Liz Kendall acknowledges the concerns raised by disability advocates and noted the importance of reinvesting savings into employment programs to support those on health-related benefits, aiming to create a more equitable system.

Liz Kendall said she would end the exploitation of care workers by preventing firms from docking the cost of uniform and travel time from their wages.

Liz Kendall has come out in support of worker representation on company boards as part of her plans for economic reform.

Liz Kendall is a pro-European and has spoken in favour of reforming the European Union.

Liz Kendall is in favour of renewing Britain's Trident nuclear submarines.

Liz Kendall has been a member of Labour Friends of Israel since 2016.

Liz Kendall has spoken about education as a way of tackling inequality.

Liz Kendall has spoken in support of expanding the academies programme and keeping the free schools initiative saying that focus should be on the quality of education rather than structures and that investment in the early years should be a priority over cutting university tuition fees.

Liz Kendall said that more effort was needed in the education system to raise aspiration for the 'white working class young'.

Liz Kendall has said that as Prime Minister, she would order a review of National Lottery Funding to free up funds for early years services.

Liz Kendall has advocated increased patient choice in the NHS, arguing "there will remain a role for the private and voluntary sectors where they can add extra capacity to the NHS or challenges to the system" and with healthcare providers "what matters is what works".

Liz Kendall said she backs the principle of the two child benefit cap.

In 2024 as Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall suggested that job coaches could visit inpatients on mental health wards.

In February 2025 in Liz Kendall's capacity as Work and Pensions Secretary expressed that she felt some people on benefits were "taking the Mickey", and that this is a justification for a push to get those on benefits due to less severe illnesses back into work.

Liz Kendall gave some support to David Cameron's proposal that the right of EU migrants to claim tax credits and benefits should be withdrawn, or delayed for a number of years.

Liz Kendall has supported "radical devolution" to England to deal with the West Lothian Question and appointed Tristram Hunt to look at what powers ought to be devolved to England.

In July 2015, Liz Kendall came out in favour of English Votes for English Laws.

Liz Kendall has said that Labour must oppose the 'tyranny of the bureaucratic state' but must share power at every level so that powers are devolved to communities and individuals too.

Liz Kendall has supported Labour's links with the trade union movement but has said that both the trade unions and the Labour Party have to change.

Liz Kendall said that if she became Prime Minister, she would reverse any changes to trade union and employment rights made by the previous Conservative government.

Liz Kendall criticised Len McCluskey for threatening to withdraw funding from the Labour Party were his choice of candidate not to be elected.

Liz Kendall said under her leadership the Labour Party would have worked with other centre-left parties to end the criminalisation of homosexuality across the world and spoke in favour of Michael Cashman becoming the UK's special envoy on LGBTI issues.

Liz Kendall announced she was in favour of legislation on assisted dying in November 2024.

Liz Kendall was previously in a relationship with the actor and comedian Greg Davies.

In November 2021, Liz Kendall announced she would take maternity leave in 2022 as she would be having a baby through surrogacy.

Liz Kendall was sworn of the Privy Council on 6 July 2024, entitling her to be styled "The Right Honourable".