Simon Lightwood

Simon Robert Lightwood (born 15 December 1980) is a British Labour and Co-operative Party politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Wakefield and Rothwell since 2024. From a 2022 by-election until 2024, he represented Wakefield. He has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport since July 2024, having previously been Shadow Minister for Local Transport from 2022 until 2024.

Early life and education Lightwood was born in 1980 and grew up in South Shields. Lightwood has a degree in theatre acting from Bretton Hall College and bought his first house in Wakefield.

Early career Lightwood was a case worker for the former Wakefield MP Mary Creagh, between 2005 and 2009. He later worked for the National Health Service, and has served on the Labour Party's National Policy Forum as a Yorkshire representative. At the time of running for parliament, he was Head of Communications for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

At the 2022 Labour Party Conference, Lightwood was appointed Shadow Minister for Local Transport.

In the 2024 general election, Lightwood was re-elected as the MP for the new parliamentary constituency of Wakefield and Rothwell with a majority of 9,346.

Following the Labour Party victory in the 2024 general election, he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Local Transport Minister).

Personal life Lightwood is openly gay. Lightwood lives in Ossett, with his husband and two children, having pledged to move from his previous home in Calderdale to the Wakefield district following his election.