Matthew Pennycook was first elected as the Labour MP for Greenwich & Woolwich in 2015, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 18,464.
The constituency of Greenwich and Woolwich is found on the southern banks of the Thames in south East London. This is an economically mixed area which contains some affluent housing near Greenwich Park, popular with London commuters including those travelling to the nearby Canary Wharf. There are then some industrial areas, alongside far greater areas of deprivation in Woolwich and Charlton to the east. This is a very safe Labour seat which has been held by the part ever since the Second World War. The Millennium Dome (now known as the O2 arena), the Greenwich observatory, and the start of the annual London marathon are all found within this seat.
Since 2021, Pennycook has served as a shadow spokesperson in the Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government team. He was previously the Shadow Minister for Climate Change.
Previously he served under Keir Starmer as a Shadow Minister for Exiting the European Union. He resigned to campaign for a second EU referendum in 2019.
Pennycook was born in 1983. He grew up in South London, and attended the London School of Economics, and Oxford University.
Prior to entering Parliament he worked for a number of think tanks and pressure groups including the Fair Pay Network; the Child Poverty Action Group; and the Resolution Foundation. He has worked in and around politics all his life.
Pennycook served on the local Greenwich Borough Council between 2010 and 2015.
Pennycook supported Owen Smith in his 2016 challenge to Jeremy Corbyn. He backed Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour leadership election.
He is married with two children.
Email: matthew.pennycook.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.matthewpennycook.com/
Twitter: @mtpennycook
