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Vicky Foxcroft
Vicky Foxcroft
from Wikipedia

Victoria Jane Foxcroft (born 9 March 1977) is a British Labour politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewisham North, previously Lewisham Deptford, since 2015. She is a former trade union official and was a Member of Lewisham Council from 2010 to 2014.

Key Information

Early life and career

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Victoria Foxcroft was born on 9 March 1977 in Chorley.[1][2][3] She experienced abuse during her childhood.[4] She studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama and Business Studies at De Montfort University between 1996 and 2000.[3][5]

Foxcroft has been a Labour member since 1997,[5] and has sat on the Party's National Policy Forum.[5] From 2010 until May 2014 she was a local councillor for the Brockley ward on Lewisham Council.[6][7]

In 2002, Foxcroft became an officer at the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU), continuing through the merger of the AEEU into Amicus in 2001, and the merger of Amicus into Unite the Union in 2007. She was a research officer from 2002 to 2005; a political officer from 2005 to 2009, and a finance sector officer from 2009 until 2015.[5]

Parliamentary career

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At the 2015 general election, Foxcroft was elected to Parliament as MP for Lewisham Deptford with 60.2% of the vote and a majority of 21,516.[8][9][10] Foxcroft made her maiden speech in a debate on the Scotland Bill on 8 June 2015, in which she quoted lyrics from The Red Flag.[11]

After the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in September 2015, Foxcroft was appointed as a whip.[12]

She supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour Party (UK) leadership election.[13]

In 2016, Foxcroft established the cross-party Youth Violence Commission, which she continues to chair.[14]

At the snap 2017 general election, Foxcroft was re-elected as MP for Lewisham Deptford with an increased vote share of 77% and an increased majority of 34,899.[15][16]

In June 2019 Foxcroft was promoted to become Shadow Minister for Civil Society.[17]

At the 2019 general election, Foxcroft was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 70.8% and a decreased majority of 32,913.[18]

Foxcroft endorsed Lisa Nandy in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election.[19]

Foxcroft supports lowering the voting age to 16, co-chairing the APPG for Votes at 16.[20][non-primary source needed]

Foxcroft asked in April 2021 what is thought to be the first ever question at Prime Minister's Questions in British Sign Language, bringing attention to the absence of a sign language interpreter at Boris Johnson's press briefings.[21] While press briefings are broadcast with an on-screen interpreter, Foxcroft expressed concern about the lack of an on-platform interpreter. There have been several legal challenges to this end claiming the government is violating human rights law.[22]

Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Foxcroft's constituency of Lewisham Deptford was abolished, and replaced with Lewisham North. At the 2024 general election, Foxcroft was elected to Parliament as MP for Lewisham North with 57.7% of the vote and a majority of 15,782.[23]

Foxcroft served as Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in the Starmer ministry from 2024 until her resignation in June 2025, citing opposition to the government's planned cuts to disability benefits.[24]

References

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from Grokipedia
Vicky Foxcroft is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the (MP) for North since 2015. She previously represented the constituency of Lewisham Deptford until boundary changes in 2024. Foxcroft held shadow ministerial roles, including Shadow Minister for Disabled People from 2020 to 2024, and briefly served as a Government Whip from July 2024 until her in June 2025 in opposition to proposed cuts to . Before entering , she worked for 13 years in the movement, campaigning against low pay, exploitation of agency workers, and zero-hour contracts, and served as a local in from 2010 to 2014. In , she has focused on social issues, notably securing a on youth violence and establishing and chairing the cross-party Youth Violence Commission in 2016 to address rising incidents of knife crime and involvement among young people.

Personal background

Early life and family

Victoria Jane Foxcroft was born on 9 March 1977 in , , . Foxcroft grew up in a family environment marked by domestic abuse, which she has described as extending to experienced by herself and her sister during their childhood. These experiences contributed to early hardships that influenced her later on related social issues.

Education and formative experiences

Foxcroft left without obtaining grades A to C, a setback she attributed to challenges as a working-class teenager. She subsequently attended college, where she resat her English to achieve the required grade C for eligibility and completed a BTEC in , crediting the vocational program with re-engaging her in . These steps followed the of her daughter shortly after an unplanned pregnancy at age 16, an experience she described as prompting her use of college as an "escape" and motivator for academic persistence. From 1996 to 2000, she earned a in at , a post-1992 institution, marking her as the first in her family to attend university. Her progression via resits, vocational training, and a non-Oxbridge university reflects a pragmatic, self-directed path amid initial barriers, contrasting with the or routes common among many politicians.

Pre-parliamentary career

Local activism and council service

Vicky Foxcroft was elected as a Labour Party councillor for the ward on Borough Council in the May 2010 local elections, securing one of three seats in the ward alongside two Conservative colleagues. She served in this role until May 2014, during which time she was appointed chair of the Labour group, the largest opposition party after Conservatives formed a minority administration with Liberal Democrat support. In this capacity, Foxcroft focused on scrutinizing the ruling coalition's response to measures, including holding the administration accountable on service provision and budget decisions affecting residents. As opposition leader, Foxcroft opposed the Conservative-led proposals in 2011 to close five libraries amid £30 million in planned cuts, aligning with community protests that highlighted the impact on deprived areas; the council ultimately deferred full closures and offered leases on affected buildings for alternative community uses. She also advocated for maintaining as a employer, a policy the council had implemented in January 2010 prior to her election, ensuring direct employees and contractors received at least the rate of £8.30 per hour at the time despite fiscal pressures. Foxcroft contributed to local housing policy debates, crediting Labour opposition efforts with pressuring the council to resume building council homes for the first time in over 20 years; by , the borough had completed initial units and planned sales of 20% of new social housing stock to fund further development, yielding a small number of affordable family homes amid a national halt in . Her ward work included early advocacy for extending the Bakerloo Underground line to , initiating constituent campaigns from 2010 onward to improve transport connectivity in southeast . In practical governance terms, Foxcroft engaged constituents through ward-level casework on issues like community services and opposed service reductions, exemplified by her leadership in the Save University Hospital campaign starting in 2013, which mobilized residents against planned A&E and maternity unit downgrades and secured a victory in 2014 via , preserving full emergency capabilities for over 300,000 local residents. These efforts demonstrated a focus on defending frontline services against budget constraints rather than executive policy-making, given Labour's opposition status.

Professional roles and community involvement

Foxcroft began her professional career in the sector, joining the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 2002, which merged to form in 2007. She held roles as a research officer from 2002 to 2005 and political officer from 2005 to 2009, focusing on worker representation and policy advocacy. In these positions, she led campaigns targeting low pay, the exploitation of agency workers, and the proliferation of zero-hour s, drawing on direct engagement with affected employees in sectors including . These efforts involved negotiation with employers and policymakers to secure better terms for low-paid workers, though specific quantifiable outcomes such as contract changes or increases from her campaigns prior to 2010 are not publicly documented in detail. Her union experience honed skills in , campaign organization, and administrative coordination, which facilitated her subsequent involvement in local Labour politics and council service starting in 2010. No distinct non-union roles in before 2010 are recorded in available sources.

Parliamentary career

2015 election and early tenure

Vicky Foxcroft stood as the Labour Party candidate for the Lewisham Deptford constituency in the held on 7 May 2015, succeeding Joan Ruddock who had retired after holding the safe Labour seat since 1987. Foxcroft won with 28,572 votes, representing 60.3% of the valid vote share, securing a majority of 21,516 votes (45.4% of the total valid votes) over the Conservative candidate in second place. The turnout in the constituency was 64.6%, with 47,426 valid votes cast from an electorate of 73,428. Following her election, Foxcroft was sworn in as for and delivered her in the on 8 June during the second reading debate on the Bill. In the speech, she expressed honour in addressing the House, referenced her time campaigning in during the , and pledged to use a forthcoming to advocate for lowering the to 16, arguing it would engage young people in . She concluded by quoting lyrics from the socialist anthem , emphasizing her commitment to equality and Labour values. As a new backbench MP without early assignment to select committees, Foxcroft prioritized constituency casework in her initial term, addressing local challenges such as youth and supported housing provision. In July 2015, she tabled a parliamentary question to the Department for Communities and Local Government inquiring about measures to improve supported accommodation for homeless young people specifically in Lewisham , highlighting concerns over adequacy and access in the area. This reflected her focus on practical interventions for vulnerable residents amid broader pressures on housing in the constituency.

Key roles and contributions

Vicky Foxcroft was first elected as the Labour for , in the 2015 , securing a of 14,422, and was re-elected in the constituencies of , in 2017 and 2019 before boundary changes. Following the 2024 , she retained her seat in the newly configured Lewisham North constituency with 25,467 votes, achieving a of 15,782 over the candidate. In her parliamentary tenure, Foxcroft has served on select committees, including the where she contributed to inquiries on school exclusions and , highlighting links between exclusions and involvement in or incarceration. Post-2024 election, Foxcroft was appointed as a Whip and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury on 10 July 2024, a role involving coordination of party support for government legislation until her resignation in June 2025. Concurrently, she was appointed to the Committee of Selection on 30 July 2024, responsible for nominating members to other parliamentary committees, serving until 24 June 2025. In this capacity, her work supported the procedural allocation of MPs to scrutiny bodies, facilitating legislative oversight across areas. Foxcroft has participated in bill committees, including the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill Committee from 15 January to 11 February 2025, and the Football Governance Bill Committee from 14 May 2025, contributing to detailed examination of and governance reforms. Her spoken contributions in debates have focused on and issues, such as advocating in the Spring Budget debate for investments in youth services, employment programs, and to drive . In October 2025, she was elected to the , Media and Select , building on prior scrutiny efforts in related domains.

Voting record and legislative stances

Foxcroft has maintained a high degree of alignment with Labour Party positions throughout her parliamentary tenure, voting with the party in 98.4% of divisions since July 2024 and achieving similarly strong adherence rates historically, with attendance in 92.2% of divisions in the same period. Her overall rebellion rate against the party whip remains low, totaling 5 instances from 2015 to 2024 (0.3-1.1% of votes) and 3 rebellions out of 190 divisions since 2024 (1.6%), reflecting disciplined adherence to collective decisions. In policy areas such as welfare and , Foxcroft has voted consistently with Labour majorities, supporting measures to protect benefits and promote , including opposition to reductions in welfare spending in earlier sessions. On the Universal Credit and Bill, she voted in favor at third reading on July 9, 2025, following government concessions on proposed cuts to components. Her record indicates endorsement of policies aimed at increasing public spending on social security, with no recorded rebellions in core votes. Regarding and defence, Foxcroft has shown no significant deviations, aligning with party lines on issues such as and international interventions, including consistent support in divisions up to May 2025. Notable rebellions include her vote against the party on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on May 16, 2025, and an earlier instance on the (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill in 2017, both outside her primary policy foci. These isolated instances contrast with her broader pattern of reliability on fiscal and social legislation.

Political positions

Economic and welfare policies

Foxcroft has advocated for robust welfare measures to combat , emphasizing protection of benefits as essential for . Between 2015 and 2022, she voted against reductions in welfare benefits spending in 11 instances, with 4 absences, reflecting a consistent opposition to fiscal tightening in this area. In a 2022 policy response, she argued that undermines national prosperity by wasting potential and harming children both presently and in the future, calling for targeted interventions like expanded access to free school meals. On public spending priorities, Foxcroft supported the Warm Homes Plan in 2023, which proposed insulating 19 million homes over a decade to cut energy demand and alleviate fuel poverty, framing such investments as necessary to reduce long-term costs and improve living standards without direct reference to offsetting fiscal mechanisms. She has highlighted past Labour government successes, such as halving pensioner poverty and lifting one million out of it through sustained benefit enhancements, as evidence for the efficacy of expansive welfare approaches. Her stance crystallized in June 2025 when, as a government whip, she resigned over proposed welfare reforms including £5 billion in cuts to disability benefits like (PIP) and adjustments. In her letter to Starmer, Foxcroft acknowledged the "ever-increasing welfare bill in these difficult economic times" but rejected cuts to disabled individuals' finances as incompatible with her principles, insisting that benefit reductions should not form part of the solution despite budget pressures. This position aligns with critiques from within Labour's left wing but contrasts with fiscal analyses highlighting how unchecked benefit growth—driven by rising disability claims—exacerbates deficits, with the welfare budget projected to consume over 4% of public spending without reforms addressing work incentives or eligibility criteria. Right-leaning commentators have argued that such resistance to constraint perpetuates dependency traps by diminishing marginal returns on employment, as generous benefits can reduce labor participation rates, though Foxcroft has not publicly engaged these incentive-based objections.

Social and foreign policy views

Foxcroft has campaigned for tighter controls on activities linked to in vulnerable communities, including support for reducing the number of Terminals (FOBTs), which she highlighted in response to 2016 constituent petitions organized by , noting their concentration in deprived areas. She endorsed the Gambling Commission's 2021 suspension of Football Index's operating license after the platform's collapse left users with significant losses, arguing for stronger regulatory enforcement to protect consumers from unregulated betting models. These positions reflect her emphasis on curbing 's social harms, evidenced by local authority limitations in regulating premises proliferation, as raised in parliamentary motions. In addressing violence and , Foxcroft advocates expanded services as a causal intervention, attributing rises in offending to austerity-era cuts that hollowed out provision since the . During a July 2019 debate, she stressed their role in fostering positive outcomes for at-risk , countering punitive approaches with evidence from reports linking school exclusions to elevated risks of later or incarceration—for instance, excluded pupils facing odds up to 10 times higher for involvement per commission findings. She critiqued 2017 media portrayals of knife crime for exacerbating alienation by stereotyping as inherent threats, urging coverage that avoids stigmatization while acknowledging empirical data on localized spikes in like . On , Foxcroft prioritizes humanitarian access in conflict zones, particularly the Israel-Gaza war. In an October 2024 statement, she demanded an immediate , unimpeded flows into Gaza, and Hamas's release of hostages held since October 2023, framing these as prerequisites for amid over 40,000 reported Palestinian deaths by mid-2024. By May 2025, she reiterated Israel's legal duty under to facilitate , endorsing a UN-backed distribution plan stalled by border restrictions, while noting over 1.9 million Gazans facing acute food insecurity per UN assessments. Earlier, in November 2023, she pressed for increased without endorsing an immediate , aligning with government positions at the time despite internal Labour divisions where 56 MPs rebelled on an SNP amendment. She has engaged on broader and African issues, co-signing a 2022-2023 parliamentary letter with over 100 MPs demanding Egypt's release of British-Egyptian activist amid concerns over prolonged , and interrogating ministers on responses to crises in , , and , including blockages and displacement affecting millions since 2023 escalations. Foxcroft's voting record shows consistent adherence to the Labour whip on foreign affairs, with 97% alignment in recent sessions, including no recorded rebellions on support or EU-related post-Brexit measures like rejoining in 2024. This contrasts with conservative critiques emphasizing national sovereignty and deterrence over multilateral humanitarian advocacy, though her stances prioritize delivery outcomes verifiable via UN and NGO reports on conflict-induced famines and displacements.

Controversies and criticisms

Resignation as government whip in 2025

Vicky Foxcroft resigned as a Labour government whip on June 19, 2025, in opposition to proposed cuts to disability benefits in the government's welfare reform bill, which sought to tighten eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the health element of Universal Credit. In her letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Foxcroft stated that she could not in good conscience support or enforce party discipline on reforms that would reduce financial support for disabled people, drawing on her prior role as Shadow Minister for Disabled People and personal family experiences with disability. She affirmed her continued backing for the government's broader agenda of economic change but positioned her exit as a matter of principle against measures she viewed as harmful to vulnerable constituents. The welfare bill addressed a surging caseload—reaching a record 3.7 million PIP claimants—projected to consume £100 billion annually by 2030, equivalent to one in every four pounds of revenue, prompting arguments for fiscal sustainability through targeted savings of £5 billion per year, including £1.7 billion from disqualifying around 370,000 future claimants by 2029/30. Foxcroft's stance reflected an ideological commitment to preserving benefit levels amid these pressures, which the framed as essential reforms to a "broken" encouraging dependency rather than work, with added supports like expanded Access to Work programs. Work and Pensions Secretary maintained that the changes protected the most vulnerable while opening dialogue with dissenters, underscoring a tension between immediate ideological protections and longer-term causal fiscal realism in curbing unchecked welfare expansion. The resignation elicited concerns among over 100 Labour MPs but did not precipitate a major rebellion, as Culture Secretary noted Foxcroft was the only known to have contemplated quitting, expressing in the party's ability to address details without fracturing unity. The government ultimately secured passage of a revised bill on July 1, 2025, after concessions such as exemptions for current recipients and inflation-linked adjustments, highlighting internal party strains over fiscal discipline but affirming Labour's capacity to enforce core economic priorities despite left-wing resistance.

Other public disputes and evaluations

In January 2019, Foxcroft distanced herself from a motion passed by the , which accused of resourcing international campaigns to "stifle legitimate criticism" of its policies in Gaza and the . She described the resolution as "unhelpful" and stated it did not represent her views or those of most constituents, amid broader Labour Party tensions over antisemitism allegations and Israel-related rhetoric. Foxcroft has advocated for linking school exclusions to youth violence prevention, citing a 2019 commission report that found excluded pupils were disproportionately likely to enter the system or perpetrate . While this positioned her as effective in highlighting causal pathways in her constituency's high-knife-crime area, broader evaluations question the long-term efficacy of such non-punitive approaches, given persistent youth violence statistics in despite advocacy efforts. Constituent feedback, as reflected in her 2024 election of 15,782 votes (35.7% of the valid vote), indicates strong local support for her representation on issues like and casework. However, parliamentary records show alignments with Labour policies critiqued for fiscal unsustainability, such as expansive welfare expansions without corresponding revenue measures, potentially straining public finances amid rising national debt.

References

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