Michael Dugher was elected to serve as the Member of Parliament for Barnsley East at the 2010 General Election.

In October 2011, Michael was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office). Before that, he was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband (May-October 2011), and was Shadow Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (October 2010-September 2011).

Born in Doncaster in 1975, Michael was brought up in Edlington, then a pit village in South Yorkshire. He was educated at St Mary's RC primary school, Edlington, at the McAuley RC School, Doncaster, and at the University of Nottingham, where he read Politics.

Before being elected as MP for Barnsley East, Michael worked at 10 Downing Street as Chief Political Spokesman for the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He previously worked as a Special Adviser in a variety of Government roles, including: Transport, Local Government and the Regions; Defence; for the Leader of the House of Commons; and for the Government Chief Whip.
Michael has also worked in industry as UK Director of Government Relations for EDS, a large global technology services business (now Hewlett Packard). Prior to working in government, he was Head of Policy for the AEEU Engineering Union (now Unite). Michael is currently a member of both Unite and Unison.

Since being elected, Michael has also joined several All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs). He is currently Vice-Chair of the APPG on Heart Disease, working closely with the British Heart Foundation, and he is Chair of the APPG for Brass Bands. Michael is also a Vice-Chair of the Labour Friends of Israel, a Save the Children Champion and is on the Executive of the British-American group.

Locally, Michael is patron of the Wombwell Operatic Society and the Barnsley Independent Alzheimer's and Dementia Support (BIADS) group and a member of the Barnsley Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). He is also a proud member of the Royal British Legion (Hoyland and District branch).

Michael writes for Labour Uncut and has also written for the Daily Telegraph, Yorkshire Post, Tribune, Fabian Review, Total Politics and Progress.
His interests include history, music, films and sport (mainly watching football, cricket and horse-racing).

He is married to Joanna and they have two young daughters. When not in Westminster to sit in the House of Commons, Michael and his family live in Hoyland, Barnsley.

Show full bio

Hide full bio