Stephen Morgan was the first ever Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Portsmouth South, a seat he took with a 21.5% swing – one of the largest in the country – in the 2017 General Election. Stephen was re-elected to Parliament in the 2019 General election with the biggest increase in majority out of any Labour MP in the country.

Stephen, who was born and bred in the city he served, studied at local schools and was the first in his family to go to university, graduating from the University of Bristol with an BSc (Hons) in 2002 and a postgraduate Masters of the Arts (MA) from London in 2003.

He started his working life in local government working across the Chief Executive’s Office, strategy, democratic, and community involvement sections at Portsmouth City Council and from 2008-2015 was Head of Community Engagement at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea where he oversaw a £3m investment programme in communities.

He has been Chief Executive of a medium-sized charity delivering infrastructure and volunteering support for the not-for-profit sector and delivering services including a centre for rough sleepers and targeted support for carers and young people.

In civic life he has been the chair of governors at Arundel Court Junior School, a trustee of Age UK Portsmouth and vice-chair of governors at Priory School. He is a longstanding community activist with a wide range of knowledge and understanding of local issues and needs. His interest in culture and regeneration led him to be the chair of the Portsmouth Cultural Consortium for many years.

In May 2016 he was elected onto Portsmouth City Council representing Charles Dickens ward and within five months elected the Labour Group Leader.

He was promoted to Shadow Minister for Local Government (Communities) in July 2019, with a policy brief to speak at the Despatch Box on services from adult social care, children’s services, faith and community cohesion, welfare reform and debt services to community pubs.

He held the position of Private Parliamentary Secretary for the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government from July 2017-September 2019, and sat on the Public Accounts Committee, the oldest select committee in Parliament, focusing on defence, between November 2017 and July 2019.

Stephen subsequently served as Shadow Armed Forces Minister (April 2020-December 2021), standing up for Armed Forces Communities across the country, including those in the heart and home of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth, followed by his most recent role as Shadow Minister for Schools (September 2021-September 2023), working to ensure children are given the equal opportunity to thrive.

Stephen is now out and about across the country making the case for a rail system that is fit for purpose, greener, faster, cheaper and reliable for those who use them. He was appointed Shadow Minister of State for Rail as part of Keir Starmer’s top team in the most recent Shadow Front Bench Reshuffle in September 2023.

He continues to take a range of actions locally to support his priorities to care for our local NHS, protect our precious environment, make our city’s streets safe again, get Portsmouth the investment it deserves, and ensure every child in Portsmouth has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.