Sarah Owen

Sarah Owen has been Labour MP for Luton North since 2019 and is the first female MP of Chinese descent in the House of Commons. Born in Hastings in January 1983 and educated at the University of Sussex, she contested her hometown of Hastings and Rye against Amber Rudd in 2015 before Luton North.

Her route to the seat is part of the story. She worked as an NHS care worker, in emergency planning at the London Fire Brigade, as a GMB political officer and as a political adviser, genuine public service credentials. She was selected for Luton North by a panel drawn from Labour's National Executive Committee rather than by local members, a process that drew protests from members who felt the GMB had imposed the candidate, and she succeeded Kelvin Hopkins, who had been suspended over sexual harassment allegations. She was elected in 2019 with a majority of 9,247 and reelected in 2024 with 14,677 votes (37.9 per cent) and a reduced majority of 7,510 (19.4 per cent).

She has twice resigned on principle. As PPS to Lisa Nandy she quit in October 2020 to vote against the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill, and after serving as Shadow Minister for Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Faith and then for Local Government and Faith, she resigned from the frontbench in November 2023 to vote for an SNP amendment calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

She was elected Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee on 11 September 2024 and sits on the Liaison Committee. She is joint chair of the APPG for British Muslims, chairs the APPG on Hate Crime, and is Vice Chair of the HOPE not Hate Parliamentary Group. She has voted in 355 divisions with zero rebellions in this Parliament, despite her frontbench resignations in the last.