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Damien Egan

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Damien Egan
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament
for Bristol North East
Kingswood (2024)
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 February 2024
Preceded byChris Skidmore
Majority11,167 (26.6%)
Mayor of Lewisham
In office
7 May 2018 – 9 January 2024
Preceded bySteve Bullock
Succeeded byBrenda Dacres
Member of Lewisham London Borough Council for Lewisham Central
In office
6 May 2010 – 3 May 2018
Personal details
Born
Damien James Egan

(1983-07-08) 8 July 1983 (age 41)
Cork, Ireland
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour
SpouseYossi Felberbaum
Alma materSt Mary's University College, Twickenham

Damien James Egan (born 8 July 1983) is a British Labour politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bristol North East, previously Kingswood, since 2024. He was previously the Mayor of Lewisham in Greater London from 2018 to 2024.

Early life and education

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Damien James Egan[1] was born on 8 July 1983[2][3] in Cork, Ireland, and grew up in northeast Bristol, England.[4] During his childhood, his family became homeless and lived in temporary accommodation.[5]

Egan attended Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School and Hanham High School. He studied at St Mary's University College in Twickenham[5] before moving to Lewisham after graduating.[4]

Political career before Parliament

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From 2003 to 2007, Egan was a parish councillor on Downend and Bromley Heath Parish Council in Bristol before he moved to London.[3][6]

Elected as a councillor for Lewisham Central in 2010, Egan was appointed Lewisham London Borough Council's cabinet member for housing in 2014.[7]

In 2017, Egan was selected as the Labour Party's candidate for the directly elected mayoral elections in Lewisham in May 2018.[8] He was elected Mayor of Lewisham with 54 per cent of the vote. In the 2022 mayoral elections, Egan was re-elected with an increased majority and 58 per cent of the vote.[9]

Egan is a trustee of the Jewish Museum London.[10]

Mayor of Lewisham

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Egan was Mayor of Lewisham from 7 May 2018 to 9 January 2024.[11] His priorities included schools, council homes, parks, climate action and making Lewisham the first Borough of Sanctuary in May 2021.[12]

As mayor, Egan worked with the London Community Land Trust[13] and Citizens UK to develop a community land trust providing affordable homes for Lewisham residents.[14] Egan also supported other community land trust projects across Lewisham including London's largest self-build affordable housing project.[15]

Egan faced accusations of forcing out Lewisham Council CEO Ian Thomas (then the only black chief executive of a local council) in November 2018, who had only been in post for seven months.[16] Protests about his departure led to police being called to a council meeting.[17]

Parliamentary career

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At the 2005 general election, Egan stood as the Labour candidate for Weston-super-Mare, finishing third with 18.7 per cent of the vote behind the Conservative candidate John Penrose and the Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Cotter.[18]

At the 2010 general election, Egan stood as the Labour candidate for Beckenham, where he finished third with 14.5 per cent of the vote behind the Conservatives' Bob Stewart and the Liberal Democrats.[19]

Egan being sworn in to the House of Commons on 19 February 2024

In July 2023, Egan was selected as Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Bristol North East.[20] He defeated Bristol mayor Marvin Rees to win the candidacy for the new seat, which was established due to boundary changes at the 2024 general election.

On 15 February 2024, he became MP for Kingswood in South Gloucestershire at the Kingswood by-election, following the resignation of the Conservative MP Chris Skidmore.[21] Egan was elected with 44.9% of the vote and a majority of 2,501.[22][23]

Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Egan's constituency of Kingswood was abolished, and replaced with Bristol North East. At the 2024 general election, Egan was elected to Parliament as MP for Bristol North East with a vote share of 45.3% and a majority of 11,167.[24]

Personal life

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Egan is married to Israeli-born Yossi Felberbaum.[25][26] Though raised a Catholic, Egan converted to Judaism, his husband's faith, at Bromley Reform Synagogue in 2018, two years after meeting Felberbaum.[27][28]

References

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  1. ^ "No. 64324". The London Gazette. 22 February 2024. p. 3538.
  2. ^ "Freshers' week". POLITICO. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024. Happy Birthday to: ... Bristol North East MP Damien Egan
  3. ^ a b Cork, Tristan (16 June 2023). "Elected mayor coming home with hopes of being Bristol's next MP". Bristol Live. Retrieved 15 January 2024. The 40-year-old
  4. ^ a b "Mayor's biography". Lewisham Council. Archived from the original on 20 June 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  5. ^ a b Jess McCabe (26 September 2018). "Experiences of homelessness: an interview with Lewisham Mayor Damien Egan". Inside Housing. Ocean Media Group. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Two mayors want to be MP". Downend Voice. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Mayor's biography". Lewisham Council. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Labour selects its candidate for Lewisham mayoral election". News Shopper. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Mayor of Lewisham announces new Cabinet team following elections". News Shopper. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Register of Members' Interests - Damien Egan". parliament.uk.
  11. ^ "London Mayoral Elections 2018 - Labour holds firm". East London Lines. 5 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Lewisham first council in UK to be recognised as 'sanctuary' for refugees". News Shopper. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  13. ^ www.londonclt.org
  14. ^ Lee, Claudia (29 March 2023). "'The power of communities': Affordable homes designed by residents open in Lewisham". South London News. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Mayor Damien Egan signs lease on site for Londons largest, self-build, affordable housing project". Lewisham Council. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Ian Thomas- Only Black Council CEO in UK -Stands Down After 7 Months". Operation Black Vote. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  17. ^ Witton, Bridie (29 November 2018). "Police called as Lewisham Council meeting descends into chaos". The Greenwich Wire. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  18. ^ "2005 General Election - Weston-super-Mare". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  19. ^ "2010 General Election - Beckenham". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  20. ^ "London candidate beats Bristol mayor for MP seat". BBC News. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  21. ^ Ross, Alex (16 February 2024). "Who is Damien Egan? Labour's new MP for Kingswood". The Independent. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). South Gloucestershire Council. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  23. ^ "Labour overturns Tory majority to win key by-election seat in Kingswood". BBC News. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  24. ^ "Bristol North East - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  25. ^ Neame, Katie; Belger, Tom (16 February 2024). "Kingswood by-election results: Meet new Labour MP Damien Egan". LabourList. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  26. ^ Harpin, Lee. "Labour's Jewish by-election candidate celebrates victory with Israeli-born husband". Jewish News. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Winner of by-election in UK's Kingswood a Jew by choice, married to Israeli". The Times of Israel. 17 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  28. ^ Philpot, Robert (2 June 2019). "'Sometimes you feel like you're hiding something,' says Labour mayor of converting to Judaism". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Damien Egan.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Kingswood
2024–2024 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Bristol North East
2024–present 		Incumbent
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