Lewis Atkinson

Lewis Malcolm Atkinson is a British Labour Party politician and NHS manager who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunderland Central since 2024.

Early life and education
Lewis Malcolm Atkinson was born in South Shields and was brought up in South Tyneside. He studied at the University of Birmingham, where he earned a master's degree in healthcare leadership and management.

NHS
Atkinson entered the National Health Service (NHS) through the Graduate Management Training scheme.

Atkinson has worked in the North East NHS since 2005, having previously worked in the health team of the Treasury.

Atkinson holds the NHS Leadership Academy's Nye Bevan in Executive Healthcare Leadership.

Political
In January 2012, Atkinson announced that he would run to be on the Labour Party National Executive Committee. In 2013, he was shortlisted to stand in South Shields, but was not ultimately selected.

In May 2024, Atkinson was selected as the Labour Party candidate to become the Member of Parliament for Sunderland Central. He was elected in the 2024 general election, succeeding Julie Elliott who did not seek reelection. He won the seat with 16,852 votes, earning 42.18% of the vote with a majority of 15.2%.