Daniel Zeichner was born on 9 November 1956 in Beckenham. His father was an Austrian political refugee whose family fled Vienna in 1938,and his mother was the descendant of agricultural workers from Cambridgeshire.[5] As a teenager,Zeichner was a middle-distance runner.[6]
In 1992 Zeichner was hired by Norwich South MP John Garrett,working as press officer and parliamentary assistant for Garrett between 1992 and 1997.[7][8] He subsequently worked for Garrett's successor,Charles Clarke,until 1999.[6] In 2002 Zeichner began working for the public sector trade union UNISON as a political officer,a post he held until he was elected to Parliament.
Political career
Zeichner has served several terms on Labour's National Policy Forum,the Labour Party's top policy-making body. He was first elected to represent the East of England on the body shortly after it was first established by Tony Blair as part of the "Partnership in Power" process.[6]
He was elected as a councillor in Burston,Norfolk,in 1995,a position in which he served until 2003.[9] During this time Zeichner became leader of the Labour group on South Norfolk District Council.
Zeichner was elected to Parliament as MP for Cambridge at the 2015 general election,with 36% of the vote and a majority of 599.[15][16] He was appointed as a Shadow Minister for Transport in September 2015,responsible for buses,bikes and walking.[17]
In July 2016 Zeichner stated his opposition to the renewal of Trident.[18]
At the snap 2017 general election,Zeichner was re-elected as MP for Cambridge with an increased vote share of 51.9% and an increased majority of 12,661.[19][20]
In June 2017 Zeichner resigned as a Shadow Transport Minister in order to vote in favour of an amendment to the government's 2017 Queen's Speech supporting the UK's membership of the single market,in defiance of the party whip. The amendment,which was defeated by 322 votes to 101,was tabled by former Shadow Cabinet Minister Chuka Umunna. Zeichner described himself as a "passionate pro-European".[21]
Zeichner was again re-elected at the 2019 general election,with a decreased vote share of 48% and a decreased majority of 9,639.[22][23]
At the 2024 general election,Zeichner was again re-elected,with a decreased vote share of 46.6% and an increased majority of 11,078.[30]
Following the General Election and Labour forming the Government,Zeichner's was appointed as Farming Minister.[31]
In September 2025,Zeichner was relieved of his post as Farming Minister and paid tribute to all those working in the food supply chain in the UK.[32]
Personal life
Zeichner met Barbara "Budge" Ziolkowska,his partner,when he was a student at King's College,Cambridge,in 1976. They live in Comberton,a village five miles (eight kilometres) west of the city of Cambridge.[6]
123456Johnson, Richard; Walsh, Ashley (2012). Camaraderie: One hundred years of the Cambridge Labour Party, 1912–2012. Cambridge: Cambridge Labour Party. pp.240–3. ISBN978-0-86117-498-0.
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