Photo Credit: NK-Photography, 2017

Sharon Hodgson MP - Washington and Gateshead South

I'm proud to represent Washington and Gateshead South as its Labour Member of Parliament.

The Constituency includes: Sunderland north Castle and Redhill wards; Washington's Central, East, North, South and West wards; and the Birtley and Lamesley wards of Gateshead south.

I was born and bred in the North East, so I know that local people need a hard-working and authentic voice in Parliament, and I'm determined to carry on being that voice.

My number-one priority is to champion the constituency in Parliament and across the wider North East.

My role as your MP means that I spend half the week down in London, and half in the constituency.

I’m proud of my achievements in Parliament, which have included: serving as a Whip in Government; serving on Labour's Shadow Ministerial Team; as PPS to Sir Keir Starmer MP, Leader of The Opposition; and more recently as the Chair of the Commons Finance Committee and member of the The Speaker's Commission - but when I come home, I’m even more proud of our constituency.

A vital part of my role is to stay in touch with constituents' opinions, views and priorities.

Whether it's safer streets, better transport, creating jobs, affordable housing or climate change, I need to know!

Please get in touch with me in writing, by emailing: [email protected]

I Look forward to hearing from you,

Sharon

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Sharon Hodgson - MP for Washington and Gateshead South.

Sharon was born in 1966 and has lived in Tyne and Wear virtually all of her life; she continues to live there with her husband, Alan, with whom she has two grown-up and married children. 

Sharon became interested in politics growing up during the 1980s, when the Conservative Government led by Margaret Thatcher did so much damage to the region.  Sharon was convinced that there was a better and fairer way to run the country; one that would not decimate the North East's economy and ruin so many lives.  She firmly believed that unemployment was not a price worth paying for profits for those at the top of society and will fight tirelessly to tackle the injustice faced by ordinary people. 

Growing up in Gateshead, Sharon was taught in several local schools, including Whitehall Road, Greenwell and Heathfield, followed by Newcastle College.  Before becoming involved in frontline politics, she was an administrator and book-keeper for a number of local companies including Tyneside Safety Glass, and Northern Rock before she took the role of Charity Administrator for the “Total Learning Challenge”, a North East charity providing early intervention using Drama Therapy for children at risk of dropping out of education. 

As a Governor of her children's school in Dunston, treasurer of a Gateshead playgroup, and Women's Officer for Tyne Bridge Labour party, Sharon was an active Party member and campaigner for many years. 

Following a career break to care for her children, Sharon became one of the first-ever Labour Party trainee organisers in 1999 and went on to work full time for the Labour Party as a successful Organiser; first for Labour North, and later in the Mitcham and Morden constituency in London, where she helped Siobhain McDonagh MP increase her majority, in 2001. 

She then became the UNISON Labour Link Co-ordinator, a key national role responsible for managing the relationship between the Labour Party and the Trade Union UNISON. 

Sharon was first elected as the MP for Gateshead East and Washington West in 2005, and then (following boundary changes) for the new constituency of Washington and Sunderland West in 2010. Sharon was consecutively re-elected as the MP for Washington and Sunderland West at all three General Elections since 2010, and most recently in 2024 for the new constituency (following more boundary changes) of Washington and Gateshead South. 

The constituency includes all of the Washington areas as well as the Birtley and Lamesley wards of Gateshead, as well as the Castle and Redhill wards of Sunderland. 

As well as being culturally significant as home to Bowes Railway, Washington Old Hall, Hylton Castle and the Angel of the North, the constituency includes multiple major manufacturers, including one of Europe's most productive car plants, Nissan (NM UK LTD), which is leading the way in electric vehicle production in the UK. 

Since her election in 2005, Sharon has taken on many roles in Parliament, serving under all Party leaders in this time. This includes positions on key parliamentary committees (such as the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee), Parliamentary Private Secretary to three different government Ministers, Government Whip, Opposition Whip, and Shadow Ministerial roles (Children and Families 2010-2013; Women and Equalities 2013-2015; Children 2015-2016; Public Health 2016-2020; Veterans 2020-2021). 

In April 2021, Sharon was appointed to be Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Leader of the Labour Party and then Leader of HM Opposition, Sir Kier Starmer MP. 

Sharon was nominated in March 2023 by Sir Kier Starmer to the influential position as Chair of the House of Commons Finance Committee, which she held from March 2023 until May 2024.  In this role Sharon oversaw the expenditure on services for the House of Commons and held responsibility for the scrutiny of the House of Commons budgets. 

Another element of Sharon’s work as Chair of the House of Commons Finance Committee was with the House of Commons Commission, a committee responsible for the administration and services of the House of Commons. Additionally, she was a member of the Parliamentary Works Estimates Commission, a cross-party commission overseeing the important organisation of the restoration of the Palace of Westminster to preserve the historic site for the next thousand years of British democracy. 

Following the 4 July 2024 General Election, Sharon was appointed Leader of the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in December 2024.  In this role she works alongside international politicians to help ensure stability, peace and democracy across the continent, and further afield. 

Similarly, Sharon holds roles as Vice-Chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) UK, and on the Executive Committee of the British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which allow her to learn from and strengthen parliaments across the Commonwealth and the wider world to deliver effective representation, scrutiny and oversight. 

In January 2025, Sharon was appointed by the Prime Minister to be the UK Trade Envoy to Japan, a key role in advancing the Labour Government’s growth agenda. Representing a constituency which is home to major Japanese firms like Nissan, AESC, Komatsu, and Faltec, as well as other prominent manufacturers who trade with Japan such as Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems, she is well-placed to strengthen UK-Japan trade ties and boost opportunities for North East and wider British business interests. 

A key area of Sharon’s wider work in Parliament is her involvement in several All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs).  These committees allow Sharon to tailor her campaigning work around a range of topics that she is especially dedicated to. 

Sharon is the Chair of four APPGs: First Do No Harm – Mesh, Primodos, Valproate; Leamside Line; School Food; and Ticket Abuse.  Sharon also holds an Officer role in a further two APPGs: Art, Craft and Design in Education; and Parents.

Sharon Hodgson MP's work within APPGs run even deeper, holding a membership of over 50 groups and a history of an Officer Position on 80 different groups. 

Notably, as part of her constituency’s connection to the automotive sector, Sharon develops her knowledge of and impact on automotive policy through her work with the Motor Group APPG, and the Electric Vehicles APPG. 

A key theme of Sharon’s parliamentary work supports her passion for Early Years Development and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. She has long campaigned on many issues in this area and been a member of many relevant APPGs including Baby Loss, Autism, Conception to Age Two – First 1001 Days, Sure Start, Dyslexia and Other Specific Learning Difficulties and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. 

Furthermore, Sharon’s APPG commitments see her advocate for community issues across the North East formerly Vice-Chairing groups such as Child of the North, Coalfield Communities and ‘Left Behind’ Neighbourhoods. 

Sharon has taken up many campaigns on behalf of constituents and the local community.  One such campaign saw her work alongside local activists and Party members to successfully stop the building of a gasification plant in Hillthorn Park near Sulgrave, which after years of tireless campaigning was eventually halted in 2020.  Similarly, Sharon has campaigned since first being elected to reopen the Leamside Line, and extend the Tyne and Wear Metro to Washington, one of the largest towns in England with no rail links.  Now working alongside a Labour Government and the Labour North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, Sharon’s efforts are starting to see some substantial success with the announcement recently that the Tyne & Wear Metro is now to be extended into Washington in the near future. 

Nationally, Sharon achieved something which very few MPs manage to do: successfully pass a Private Members’ Bill into law. Sharon proposed, tabled and successfully sought ministerial approval for the Special Educational Needs (Information) Act 2008, which aimed to improve services for and the outcomes of children and young people with Special Educational Needs by ensuring that the Government collects and publishes information on their progress annually - more information on the Act can be found here. 

Since setting up the All-Party Parliamentary Group on School Food in 2010, Sharon has continually worked with parliamentarians, teachers, caterers, pupils, local government representatives, unions, and the charity sector to push for better and more accessible school food. 

The APPG was integral to the success of the rollout of the Universal Infant Free School Meal programme – supporting all children from reception to Year 2 with a nutritious lunch – as well as campaigning relentlessly to expand free school meals to all children, so no child goes hungry at lunchtime.  This culminated in 2025 when the Labour Government announced it would expand free school meals to all children from households in receipt of universal credit, supporting 500,000 more children with a hot, healthy meal and lifting at least 100,000 out of poverty. 

Sharon writes regular monthly reports on her Parliamentary activities, columns for local press, as well as contributing to political blogs and pamphlets. 

Across her twenty years as an elected Member of Parliament, Sharon has dedicated her time to best represent her area and constituents, while also championing the advancement of various campaigns and policy areas in Parliament. 

Sharon will continue to contact residents, listen to their concerns, work hard at home and in Parliament, and support this Labour Government’s ambitions for a fairer, greener and more dynamic Britain.

Updated October 2025.

Follow this link to see Sharon Hodgson MP's voting record on TheyWorkForYou.com

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