Kim Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Liverpool Riverside | |
| Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Louise Ellman |
| Majority | 14,793 (45.7%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kim Marie Johnson 25 August 1966 |
| Political party | Labour |
| Other political affiliations | Socialist Campaign Group (2019–present) |
Kim Marie Johnson [1] (born 25 August 1966) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool Riverside since 2019. [2] [3] [4]
Kim Johnson was born in Liverpool on the 25 August 1966, [5] the daughter of Joseph Johnson and Kathleen Johnson. She has a Diploma in Youth and Community Work,a BA in Social Studies,and a Postgraduate Certificate. [6]
Since 2015,Johnson has been the Chairperson of Squash Liverpool,a community interest company. In 2020,she became a patron of Mandela8. [6]
Prior to becoming an MP,Johnson was a Unison shop steward. She held a role of creative diversity manager in the Capital of Culture bid team,representing the longest established black community in the country. [7]
On 4 November 2019,Johnson was selected as the Labour candidate for Liverpool Riverside by a panel made up of national,regional and local party representatives. [8] At the 2019 general election,Johnson was elected to Parliament with 78.0% of the vote and a majority of 37,043. [9] [10]
Johnson sits on the Women and Equalities Committee,Education Committee and the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art. [11]
On 15 October 2020,Johnson resigned as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Angela Rayner to vote against the proposed Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill,disagreeing with the Labour whip to abstain. [12]
On 10 May 2021,Johnson publicly described the shadow cabinet reshuffle,and specifically leader Keir Starmer's treatment of Rayner,as a "despicable act of cowardice". [13] She again criticised the leadership after Starmer wrote an article for The Sun ,a newspaper many in her Liverpool constituency had been boycotting after its coverage of the Hillsborough disaster. [14]
In February 2022,Johnson was re-selected as the Labour candidate for Liverpool Riverside at the 2024 general election. [15]
In June 2022,Johnson accused Merseyside Police of being "institutionally racist" after officers carried out an armed stop and search of two black men in Liverpool. [16]
In February 2023,while asking a question at Prime Minister's Questions,Johnson described the Israeli government as "fascist". A spokesperson for the Labour Party described Johnson's comments as "completely unacceptable". Later the same day,Johnson raised a point of order in the House of Commons and apologised "unreservedly" for her language. [17]
At the 2024 general election,Johnson was re-elected as MP for Liverpool Riverside with a decreased vote share of 61.9% and a decreased majority of 14,793. [18]
Johnson has a son and daughter. [6] Her Nan,Mary Higgins was born in Dublin. Johnson is 'very proud of her Irish heritage'. [19]
Kim Johnson last year became Liverpool's first Black lawmaker.
I am immensely proud to have been elected as the first black MP for Liverpool.
