Gen Kitchen facts for kids

Genevieve Victoria Kitchen (born 1996) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wellingborough in Northamptonshire since she won the 2024 Wellingborough by-election on 15 February 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she was a member of Newham Council in Greater London from 2018 to 2022.

Early life

Kitchen was born in 1996, the daughter of two Royal Navy veterans. She grew up in Northamptonshire, and attended Caroline Chisholm School in Northampton, John Hellins Primary School in Towcester, and Kingsbrook Secondary School (now Elizabeth Woodville School) in Roade. She studied history and politics at Queen Mary University of London, and graduated in 2016.

Career

Kitchen has been a fundraiser in the charity sector, working with organisations including The Salvation Army, Sarcoma UK, a children's hospice and a children's health charity. She is also a former councillor in the London Borough of Newham where she represented the Boleyn ward.

In the 2019 general election, Kitchen stood for Labour in South Northamptonshire, finishing in second place with 20.9% of the vote behind the incumbent Conservative MP and Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom.

In November 2023, she was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Wellingborough. When the recall petition to remove Peter Bone was successful, she launched her campaign in the 2024 Wellingborough by-election. She was endorsed by the former Conservative leader of the local council. Kitchen was elected as MP for Wellingborough, winning with 45.9% of the vote and a majority of 6,436.

Personal life

Kitchen married her husband Joe in October 2023 and later stated that she had cut short her honeymoon in Suffolk to campaign in the 2024 by-election.