Rachel Hopkins is the Labour MP for Luton South, having first been elected to Parliament in 2019 with a majority of 8,756 over the Conservative Party.
She serves as Shadow Minister for Veterans, having been appointed to the role in Keir Starmer’s September 2023 reshuffle.
Luton South is an ethnically diverse constituency, which includes the University of Bedfordshire. It contains the centre of Luton itself, including Luton airport which has grown considerably in recent decades. It also includes the villages of East Hyde, Slip End, and Caddington just outside of the town itself. The Vauxhall car plant in Luton was once a big employer in this area. Once a marginal seat, that used to change with the government of the day between 1951 and 2010, in recent years, Luton South has become far safer Labour territory.
Hopkins previously served on the Shadow front bench team on the Cabinet Office.
Born in 1972 in Luton, Rachel Hopkins was educated at the University of Leicester and at the University of Bedfordshire, where she obtained a Master’s degree. She was first elected to Luton Borough Council in 2011, and serves as Vice President of the Local Government Association.
Before being elected to Parliament, Rachel Hopkins worked in Human Resources at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. She also worked for the Electoral Commission.
Rachel Hopkins’ father, Kelvin Hopkins, was formerly the MP for the neighbouring seat of Luton North between 1997 and 2019.
Rachel is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs and sits firmly on the left of the Labour Party. She is also one of the few Labour MPs who said she voted for Brexit in 2016.
She is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Council Housing, Cricket, Darts, Football, Football Supporters, Foster Care Work, Local Government, Period Equality, Pubs, Sixth Form Education, and Youth Affairs.
Email – rachel.hopkins.mp@parliament.uk
Website – www.rachelhopkins.org
Twitter – @rach_hopkins
