Margaret Greenwood


Margaret Greenwood is a British Labour Party politician. She was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Wirral West in May 2015 and retained her seat in the 2017 general election, increasing her majority.

Biography

A former teacher and community activist, Greenwood later worked as a web consultant. She is a founder member of Defend our NHS.
In 2013, she was selected to contest the constituency of Wirral West in the 2015 general election. In a high-profile campaign, Greenwood narrowly unseated the controversial Conservative cabinet minister Esther McVey.
In March 2018, Greenwood began acting as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions after Debbie Abrahams temporarily stepped aside. She was appointed as a permanent replacement for the Shadow DWP Secretary in May 2018. Until November 2018, Greenwood was shadowing Esther McVey, who had returned to Parliament at the 2017 general election.
On 6 April 2020, upon the election of Keir Starmer as Leader of the Labour Party, Greenwood was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by Jonathan Reynolds.

Views

Margaret Greenwood has expressed concern over the effects of poverty and austerity, saying, "The government should listen to the people being pushed into poverty by its policies. Universal credit is failing miserably, leaving families in debt, rent arrears and at risk of becoming homeless. Three million children are growing up in poverty despite living in a working household. Labour will stop the roll-out of universal credit, end the benefit freeze and transform the social security system so that it supports people instead of punishing them." Noting that employment at poverty wages is rising, Greenwood said, "There is something seriously wrong when the number of people in work in poverty is increasing faster than employment."