Chris Webb (politician)

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Chris Webb
MP
Member of Parliament
for Blackpool South
Assumed office
2 May 2024
Preceded byScott Benton
Majority7,607 (41.4%)
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire
In office
December 2018 – May 2021
CommissionerClive Grunshaw
Preceded byIbrahim Master
Succeeded byAndy Pratt
Member of Manchester City Council
for Northenden
In office
7 May 2015 – 3 May 2018
Preceded byRichard Cowell
Personal details
Born
Christopher Paul Webb

(1986-04-26) 26 April 1986 (age 38)
Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Portia Webb
​
(m. 2019)​
Children1
Alma materUniversity of Hull

Christopher Paul Webb[1] (born 26 April 1986) is a British Labour Party politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackpool South since the 2024 Blackpool South by-election.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Christopher Webb was born on 26 April[3] 1986 in Blackpool Victoria Hospital, and attended St Mary's High School.[4] He is the son of a local postman and a teaching assistant.[5]

He studied British Politics and Legislative Studies at the University of Hull, and while at university was the president of the rugby league club and a member of the students' union council.[6]

Career[edit]

Webb served as a Councillor on Manchester City Council from 2015 to 2018.[7] During his time on the council, he was stranded in Belgium following the 2016 Brussels bombings, whilst on a delegation to the European Parliament.[8]

Webb was appointed Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire in 2018, and at that time was office manager for MEP Wajid Khan.[9][10] He was also an assistant to Gordon Marsden, the Labour MP for Blackpool South from 1997 to 2019,[11] and worked for Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd.[12] Webb is a volunteer at Blackpool Food Bank,[13] chair of the trustees of a local mental health charity, Counselling in the Community,[14][15] and a trustee of the Communication Workers Union charity Humanitarian Aid.[16][17][18] He was awarded a Local Hero Award in 2021 for his charity work during the pandemic.[19]

At the snap 2017 general election, Webb stood as the Labour candidate in Blackpool North and Cleveleys, coming second with 44.5 per cent of the vote behind the incumbent Conservative MP Paul Maynard.[20] Webb again stood in Blackpool North and Cleveleys at the 2019 general election, again coming second with 35.5 per cent of the vote behind Maynard.[21]

Parliamentary career[edit]

In August 2023, Webb was selected as Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Blackpool South at the next United Kingdom general election.[12][22] Following the resignation of the incumbent Conservative MP Scott Benton, Webb became the Labour candidate in the 2024 Blackpool South by-election.[11] At the election on 2 May, the same day as local elections across England,[23] he was elected with 58.9 per cent of the vote and a majority of 7,607.[24] Webb was the first Blackpool South MP to have been born in the constituency for 60 years.[25]

Personal life[edit]

Webb's wife, Portia Webb, was elected as a Labour councillor for the ward of Tyldesley at the 2023 Blackpool Council election.[12][26] They married in 2019 and have a son, born in 2024.[4]

Webb was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 18, while at university.[12]

Webb ran the 2022 London Marathon in a time of 5 hours 38 minutes 57 seconds, raising £1,000 for the Royal British Legion.[4][27]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Christopher Webb: A strong local voice" (PDF). Christopher Webb. Retrieved 3 May 2024. Document published in or before 2015
  2. ^ Mitchell, Archie (3 May 2024). "Labour wins Blackpool South by-election as Tories hold off Nigel Farage's Reform UK". The Independent. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. ^ @ChrisWebbMP (April 26, 2024). "Thank you to the team for the lovely birthday surprise today..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ a b c "Chris Webb MP - My son is the 3rd generation Webb to be born at Victoria Hospital, following me in 1986, and my Dad in 1961. This is my story👇#BlackpoolBornAndBred". Facebook. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  5. ^ Belger, Katie Neame, Tom (2024-05-03). "Blackpool South by-election results: Watch new MP Chris Webb's speech after 3rd biggest swing since WW2". LabourList. Retrieved 2024-05-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Chris Webb MP". LinkedIn. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Chris Webb: Meet the new 'local hero' Blackpool South Labour MP". Sky News. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  8. ^ Greaney, Johnny (22 March 2016). "Councillor slams Ryanair after group are stranded in Brussels following terror attacks". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Lancashire's Deputy Police Commissioner revealed". Lancashire Post. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  10. ^ Herbert, Lucinda (16 January 2023). "Politics: New prospective Blackpool South Labour candidate plans to 'put locals first' and oppose Scott Benton in campaign to become MP backed by Gordon Marsden". Blackpool Gazette.
  11. ^ a b Belger, Tom (25 March 2024). "Blackpool South by-election confirmed: Meet Labour candidate Chris Webb". LabourList. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d Parkinson, Shelagh (16 August 2023). "Local candidate Chris is bidding to seize Blackpool South from Tories at next election". Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  13. ^ Webb, Chris (12 March 2024). "Blackpool by-election petition: 'Here's what Labour can do for towns like mine'". LabourList. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  14. ^ Ashton, Persis (13 April 2024). "Keir Starmer meets Counselling in the Community". Counselling in the Community. Retrieved 3 May 2024. Our Chair of Trustees, Chris Webb
  15. ^ "Trustees: Counselling in the Community - Charity 1195816". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Charity Commission. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Meet the Team". Communication Workers Union Humanitarian Aid. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Trustees: Communication Workers Union Humanitarian Aid - Charity 1078312". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Charity Commission. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Chris Webb declares his bid to become Labour's Parliamentary Candidate in Blackpool South [Press release]". The BPL Bible. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Chris Webb: Meet the new 'local hero' Blackpool South Labour MP". Sky News. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
  20. ^ "General Election Candidates Announced". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Blackpool North & Cleveleys Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  22. ^ Aziz, Fatima (19 March 2023). "Labour chooses Blackpool South MP candidate to take on Scott Benton". Lancs Live. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Labour's Chris Webb tells Sunak 'admit you've failed' after huge Blackpool win – video". the Guardian. 2024-05-03. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
  24. ^ Mathers, Matt; Zakir-Hussain, Maryam (3 May 2024). "Local elections results 2024 - live: Labour take Blackpool South with huge swing as Tories edge Reform UK". The Independent. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  25. ^ Barlow, Eleanor (11 April 2024). "Sir Keir Starmer promises to match 'pride and ambition' of Blackpool residents". Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Councillor Portia Webb". Blackpool Council. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  27. ^ "TCS London Marathon 2022: Chris Webb". Mika timing. TCS London Marathon. Retrieved 3 May 2024.

External links[edit]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Blackpool South
2024–present 		Incumbent
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