Luke Akehurst
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Luke Akehurst (born 2 March 1972) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Durham since
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
. He is also a Labour Party official, and a former councillor. Since 2020, Akehurst has been a member of the
National Executive Committee of the Labour Party The National Executive Committee (NEC) is the governing body of the UK Labour Party, setting the overall strategic direction of the party and policy development. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affil ...
(NEC), having previously been on the NEC from 2010 until 2012.


Education and early career

Akehurst was privately educated at Kent College, Canterbury. He received a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
in Politics from the
University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a public university, public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Br ...
in 1993. Akehurst worked in the BBC Political Research Unit from 1996 to 2000, and at the communications firm
Weber Shandwick Weber Shandwick is a marketing communications firm formed in 2001 by merging the Weber Group, Shandwick International and BSMG. The company is part of global agency network Interpublic Group The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (IPG) is a ...
from 2000 to 2011.


Political career


Early activity (1993–2005)

Akehurst joined the Labour Party at 16 years old. He contested Cabot ward at the 1993 Avon County Council election, in which he came second to the
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...
candidate. He also unsuccessfully contested the 1995 Bristol City Council election in
Stoke Bishop Stoke Bishop is a suburb in the north-west of Bristol, England. Bordered by The Downs and the River Trym, it is located between Westbury-on-Trym, Sneyd Park and Sea Mills. Although relatively low, Stoke Bishop's population has significantly i ...
ward. Akehurst was National Secretary of
Labour Students Labour Students is a student organisation within the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party of the United Kingdom. It is a network of affiliated college and university clubs, known as Labour Clubs, who campaign in their campuses and communities for L ...
from 1995 to 1996. Between 1996 and 1998, he was an officer for
Anita Pollack Anita J. Pollack (born 3 June 1946) was a Labour MEP for London South West from 1989 to 1999. Born in Australia, Pollack came to live in London in November 1969 and became a naturalised British citizen in 2005. She was educated at the City ...
, then a
Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...
, and a Labour organiser in
Holborn and St Pancras Holborn and St Pancras () is a parliamentary constituency in Greater London that was created in 1983. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2015 by Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister sinc ...
. Akehurst was a political assistant to the Labour Group on
Hackney London Borough Council Hackney London Borough Council, also known as Hackney Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Hackney, in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority c ...
from 1998 to 2000. At the 2001 general election, Akehurst ran as the Labour candidate in
Aldershot Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...
, coming third place behind incumbent
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
MP
Gerald Howarth Sir James Gerald Douglas Howarth (born 12 September 1947) is a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Aldershot (UK Parliament constituency), ...
and the
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...
Adrian Collett, in what has traditionally been a
safe seat A safe seat is an electoral district which is regarded as fully secure, for either a certain political party, or the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both. With such seats, there is very little chance of a seat changing h ...
for the Conservatives. In the 2002 Hackney borough council election, Akehurst was successfully elected to the council, representing Chatham ward. He was reelected to the council in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
and again in
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, before standing down at the 2014 Hackney Council election. At the 2005 general election, he ran in
Castle Point Castle Point is a local government district with borough status in south Essex, England, lying around east of London. The borough comprises the towns of South Benfleet, Hadleigh and Thundersley (where the council is based) on the mainland, a ...
. In the run up to the election, Akehurst criticised an anti-immigration advert that sitting Tory MP
Bob Spink Robert Michael Spink (born 1 August 1948) is a British former politician who was a member of parliament (MP) for Castle Point in Essex (1992 to 1997, and 2001 to 2010). Spink was elected as the Conservative Party MP for Castle Point in 1992 ...
had published as "appalling comments that whip up racial tension" and "reminiscent of the worse utterances of
Enoch Powell John Enoch Powell (16 June 19128 February 1998) was a British politician, scholar and writer. He served as Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Wolverhampton South West for the Conservative Party (UK), Conserv ...
." Akehurst came second to Spink.


Activism and opposition to the left (2006–2020)

In 2006, Akehurst became Secretary of
Labour First Labour First is a British political organisation associated with the Labour Party. It was originally founded in 1980 but refounded in 1988. Born out of the political right wing of the Labour Party's struggles with its left wing, it sees itself as ...
, which represents
moderates Moderate is an ideological category which entails Centrism, centrist views on a liberal-conservative spectrum. It may also designate a rejection of radical politics, radical or extremism, extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religi ...
and "the old Labour Right". Under his leadership, the organisation has been committed to "Clause One socialism" of prioritising getting Labour candidates elected to
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
above policy, as well as advocating for a party "safe from the organised hard left". In 2010, Akehurst was elected to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party. He was not re-elected in 2012. From 2011 to 2024, Akehurst was employed as director of the pro-Israel group We Believe in Israel. Akehurst has spoken positively of
Zionism Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...
, describing it in 2023 as "a beautiful ideology of anti-racism". Following his selection as Labour's parliamentary candidate for North Durham in 2024, he said he was "handing in his notice" and would no longer be a member of the group. He has described Israel's actions in the 2023–2024 Gaza war as proportionate.
Momentum In Newtonian mechanics, momentum (: momenta or momentums; more specifically linear momentum or translational momentum) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. ...
said Akehurst's views on Israel's actions were "a slap in the face to voters across the country already outraged by Labour's failings on Gaza". During the 2015 Labour leadership election, Labour First urged
Progress Progress is movement towards a perceived refined, improved, or otherwise desired state. It is central to the philosophy of progressivism, which interprets progress as the set of advancements in technology, science, and social organization effic ...
to join in supporting "ABC" (Anyone But
Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North since 1983. Now an independent, Corbyn had been a member of the Labour Party from 1965 until his expulsion in 202 ...
). Akehurst supported
Yvette Cooper Yvette Cooper (born 20 March 1969) is a British politician who has served as Home Secretary since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, Cooper has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), member of parliament (MP) for Po ...
's campaign. In 2016, Akehurst attempted to run for a position on the NEC within the
Constituency Labour Party A constituency Labour Party (CLP) is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular parliamentary constituency. In England and Wales, CLP boundaries coincide with those for UK parliamentary constituencies. In Sc ...
(CLP) section, under the Corbyn-sceptic joint slate of candidates between Labour First and Progress, but the slate failed to achieve any candidates, all being beaten by the Momentum backed CLPD slate. Akehurst spoke out against Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the party numerous times. In a 2019 speech at a
Jewish Labour Movement The Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), known as Poale Zion (Great Britain) from 1903 to 2004, is one of the oldest socialist societies affiliated to the UK Labour Party. It is a member of the progressive coalition of Avodah/ Meretz/ Arzenu/ Amein ...
rally, Akehurst said he had nearly left the party over anti-Semitism, and hoped that Corbyn could be removed as leader. On social media, he described the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
as antisemitic and said that Jews were " politically black". He has been criticised for what ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' described as "his efforts to wrest control of Labour's national executive committee, conference agenda and constituency Labour parties from the Corbynite left". Akehurst has been referred to as subsequent Labour leader
Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He previously ...
's "leading cheerleader on the NEC" by Ronan Burtenshaw, editor of ''
Tribune Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the Tribune of the Plebs, tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs ac ...
''. Akehurst said of Starmer's attitude: "Voters like it when Labour leaders put the hard left back in their box". In 2018, Akehurst attempted to run for a position the NEC within the CLP section, again under the Labour First–Progress slate. Akehurst achieved 49 CLP nominations, but the slate failed to achieve any candidates, beaten by the pro-Corbyn joint Momentum– CLPD
CLGA The ArQuives: Canada's LGBTQ2+ Archives, formerly known as the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, is a Canadian non-profit organization, founded in 1973 as the Canadian Gay Liberation Movement Archives. The ArQuives acquires, preserves, and pro ...
slate.


Return to National Executive Committee (2020–present)

As secretary of Labour First, he was involved in 2020 talks with Progress, which established the pro-Starmer umbrella group
Labour to Win Progressive Britain, formerly known as Progress, is a political organisation associated with the British Labour Party, founded in 1996 to support the New Labour leadership of Tony Blair. It is seen as being on the right of the party. Progress ...
. In 2020, Akehurst was reelected in the first round to the Labour Party's NEC under the Labour to Win slate of nominees. His own
Oxford East Oxford East is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Anneliese Dodds of the Labour Party. Created in 1983, the constituency covers the eastern and southern parts of Oxford in Oxfordshire. It bor ...
CLP did not nominate him, but he received more votes than any other candidate. In 2022, he was reelected again and once more topped the polls. In the 2021 Oxford City Council elections, Akehurst ran for the St. Mary's ward, and came in third place. In May 2024, it was announced that Akehurst was to stand in the
2024 general election This is a list of elections that were held in 2024. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2024 United Nations Security Council election * 2024 national electoral calendar * 2024 local electo ...
as the Labour Party candidate for North Durham. The nomination was criticised by left-wingers and pro-Palestine activists due to Akehurst's previous accusations against Palestinian civilians in the Israel-Hamas war of being paid
crisis actor A crisis actor (aka actor-patient or actor victim) is a trained actor, role player, volunteer, or other person engaged to portray a disaster victim during emergency drills to train first responders such as police, firefighters or EMS personne ...
s, and of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
of being antisemitic. This led to a
crowdfunding Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and Alternative Finance, alternative finance, to fund projects "withou ...
campaign opposing his nomination. ''
Byline Times ''Byline Times'' is a British newspaper and website founded in March 2019 by Peter Jukes and Stephen Colegrave, who are also its executive editors. It is a development of Byline, a crowdfunding and media outlet platform founded in April 2015 b ...
'' editor Adam Bienkov noted that Akehurst had recently deleted hundreds of tweets around the time his nomination was announced. In June 2024, Labour councillor and Momentum activist Martin Abrams, who is Jewish, submitted a complaint of antisemitism against Akehurst to the party. In a speech in 2020, Akehurst had said that Marxist Jews "have abandoned very much of their Jewish identity, they don't go to shul ynagogueat all. You know, it's become a purely cultural thing around the occasional bowl of chicken soup or whatever." Abrams said "I believe Luke Akehurst's comments are deeply antisemitic by trying to define anti-Zionist Jews out of Judaism. The Good Jew, Bad Jew trope."


Parliamentary career

Akehurst was elected as the Member of Parliament for North Durham in July 2024, holding the seat for Labour. In November 2024, Akehurst voted in favour of the
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is a private members' bill (PMB) which proposes to legalise assisted suicide for terminally ill adults in England and Wales. The bill was introduced by Labour backbench MP Kim Leadbeater in October 20 ...
, which proposes to legalise
assisted suicide Assisted suicide, sometimes restricted to the context of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is the process by which a person, with the help of others, takes actions to end their life. Once it is determined that the person's situation qualifie ...
.


Personal life

Akehurst is married to
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
councillor Linda Smith. He has two children. In 2009 he developed
POEMS syndrome POEMS syndrome (also termed osteosclerotic myeloma, Crow–Fukase syndrome, Takatsuki disease, or PEP syndrome) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome caused by a clone of aberrant plasma cells. The name POEMS is an acronym for some of the disease' ...
, which left him hospitalised for five months and using a wheelchair for nine months afterwards. He now uses
orthotics Orthotics () is a medical specialty that focuses on the design and application of orthoses, sometimes known as braces, calipers, or splints. An is "an externally applied device used to influence the structural and functional characteristics of ...
and a walking stick.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akehurst, Luke 1972 births Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Alumni of the University of Bristol British Zionists Councillors in the London Borough of Hackney Labour Party (UK) councillors Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Labour Party (UK) officials People educated at Kent College UK councillors 2002–2006 UK councillors 2006–2010 UK councillors 2010–2014 UK MPs 2024–present