Early life and education
Midgley grew up in Stockbridge Village [1] ,formerly known as Cantril Farm,a large post-war housing estate in Knowsley built to rehouse families from Liverpool’s inner-city slum clearances.
Midgley’s parents had been moved there from Everton and Liverpool. Her father worked at the nearby Ford Halewood car plant,now Jaguar Land Rover Halewood. She credits her father's secure,unionised job as what provided the family with stability and enabled them to eventually purchase their own home. He died three years before Midgley’s election to Parliament. [2]
Midgley's mother worked a variety of jobs before retraining as a social worker in her 40s,an example Midgley cites as inspiring her belief that “you can do anything at any time in your life.” [3]
Midgley has spoken about the hardships and solidarity of life on Cantril Farm. She recalls mobile vans delivering meat,fish,and sweets to the estate,and extended family gatherings in her grandmother’s flat. She describes the community as politically conscious,shaped by strikes,union activism,and opposition to Margaret Thatcher’s policies during the 1980s. [4]
As a teenager,Midgley developed a fascination with 20th-century art and literature after visiting Tate Liverpool shortly after its opening. An exhibition on interwar European art sparked her interest in Surrealism,Dada,and the avant-garde. [5]
At the age of 17,Midgley ran away to Paris,drawn by the lives of artists and writers such as AndréBreton and Tristan Tzara. While there,she immersed herself in the city’s bohemian culture and briefly worked at the famous Shakespeare and Company [6] bookshop on the Left Bank,a hub for writers and intellectuals. She has described this period as formative,exposing her to radical ideas and giving her a sense of independence and possibility. [7]
Music and cultural work
On returning to Liverpool,Midgley became active in the city’s independent music and nightlife scene as a DJ. In the 1990s she co-founded the long-running Liquidation club night with Daniel Hunt (later of Ladytron). [8]
Held at venues such as Kirklands and Le Bateau,it became one of the defining club nights of Liverpool’s alternative culture,attracting a generation of young people as well as visiting musicians,including members of Oasis.
Her connections to music deepened when she married Bob Stanley of the band Saint Etienne. [9] The two later divorced but remain close friends;Stanley supported her election campaign by allowing her to use the band’s track Only Love Can Break Your Heart in a campaign video. [10]
Political career
Midgley rose to senior positions in the trade union movement,working as Political Director of Unite the Union and later as the Political Adviser to the General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC),Paul Novak.
She has described the union movement as her “second family,” [11] crediting it with shaping her political outlook and providing a pathway from her council estate upbringing to national politics.
She also worked for Ken Livingstone at City Hall during his time as Mayor of London,played a leading role in Jeremy Corbyn’s 2015 leadership campaign (becoming his Deputy Chief of Staff) [12] ,and later joined Keir Starmer’s team as a senior adviser in opposition. [13]
Midgley was at one stage considered a potential candidate for the role of Labour Party General Secretary [14] ,though she did not stand for the position.
Her union background informed her role as an adviser on employment rights,including work on Labour’s Employment Rights Bill during Starmer’s time as Leader of the Opposition.
Parliamentary career
In February 2024,she was selected to succeed long-serving MP George Howarth in the 2024 United Kingdom general election. [15] . She has described representing her home constituency as the only parliamentary role she would ever have pursued. [16]
Campaigning and constituency work
Since her election,Midgley has been active in community-focused campaigns,often highlighting her own background to inspire young people.
She has worked closely with Cheryl Korbel,mother of murder victim Olivia Pratt-Korbel,in support of a proposed law requiring offenders to face victims’families in court [17] . She read Korbel’s victim impact statement aloud in the House of Commons to press the issue. [18]
She has also campaigned on behalf of creatives and musicians,focusing on the impact of generative artificial intelligence on copyright,performers’rights and livelihoods. She has pressed ministers for stronger intellectual property protections,effective consent and transparency mechanisms,and fair remuneration in the digital economy. [19]
Midgley has been a consistent supporter of introducing the Hillsborough Law,calling for a statutory “duty of candour”on public authorities to ensure transparency and justice for victims’families. [20]
Welfare reform and Labour backbench rebellion
In 2025,Midgley became a central figure in a backbench revolt over Labour government plans to cut disability benefits under the guise of welfare reform. She co-sponsored a reasoned amendment signed by more than 120 Labour MPs,which forced the government into a major climbdown. [21]
She also campaigned to increase uptake of pension credit among older constituents following cuts to winter fuel payments,organising sign-up drives in Knowsley.
Political positions
Midgley is often described as pragmatic rather than ideological. She worked under both Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer while in opposition,but insists her politics are rooted in the experiences of ordinary people rather than internal party factions.
She has highlighted her role in developing Labour’s Employment Rights Bill while advising Starmer in opposition,but has also criticised aspects of Labour’s welfare policy when they disproportionately affected disadvantaged areas like Knowsley. [22]
She has expressed support for measures to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG),aligning with Labour’s manifesto commitment to halve incidents within a decade. [23]
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