Stephanie Peacock

Stephanie Louise Peacock (born 1986) is a British Labour politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Barnsley South since 2024, and for Barnsley East from 2017 until then. She has served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport since July 2024.

Early life and education
Stephanie Peacock was born in 1986 in Birmingham. She obtained a degree in history from Queen Mary University of London, and a master's degree from the Institute of Education, University College London.

Early career
After graduating Peacock worked as a teacher, before going on to work on adult education in Yorkshire for the shop workers' union USDAW.

Between 2007 and 2011, she served as the Youth Representative on the Labour Party National Executive Committee. In 2007 she introduced Gordon Brown at the launch of his unopposed campaign to become Labour Leader.

Between 2013 and 2017, she worked as a Political Officer for the GMB trade union.

Parliamentary career
At the 2015 general election, Peacock stood as the Labour Party candidate in Halesowen and Rowley Regis, coming second with 36.2% of the vote behind the incumbent Conservative MP James Morris.

Peacock was elected to Parliament as MP for Barnsley East at the snap 2017 general election with 59.5% of the vote and a majority of 13,283.

Her maiden speech occurred during a Grenfell Tower debate during which she mentioned the local issue of Orgreave.

From January 2018 until March 2019 she served as an Opposition Whip. She resigned on 14 March 2019 after defying the whip to vote against an amendment calling for a second Brexit referendum.

At the 2019 general election, Peacock was re-elected as MP for Barnsley East with a decreased vote share of 37.6% and a decreased majority of 3,217.

In January 2020 Peacock joined Labour's Shadow Cabinet Office team as the Shadow Minister responsible for the Veterans' Office and Procurement. Following the election of Keir Starmer as the Leader of the Labour Party (UK), she was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Fisheries, Water and Flooding as part of Labour's Shadow Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs team.

Peacock endorsed Lisa Nandy in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election.

In February 2020, Peacock campaigned to change the maximum sentences for death by dangerous driving from fourteen years to life, as well as reforming the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme to get more money for retired miners.

On 14 May 2021, Peacock was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Veterans following a reshuffle.

Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Peacock's constituency of Barnsley East was abolished, and replaced with Barnsley South. In June 2024, Peacock was selected as the Labour candidate for Barnsley South at the 2024 general election.

Personal life
In 2013 it was reported that Peacock was in a relationship with Tom Watson, then Deputy Chair of the National Executive Committee.

In November 2018, Peacock, alongside fellow Women's Parliamentary Football teammates, Alison McGovern, Tracey Crouch, Louise Haigh and Hannah Bardell, was rebuked by the then Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, for having a kickabout in the House of Commons after Parliamentary business. Bercow said that the "historic chamber should not be used for this type of activity". The team had been due to play their first match, but the game was cancelled because they had to be in parliament for a vote.