Neil Duncan-Jordan
Neil Duncan-Jordan | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Poole | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Syms |
| Majority | 18 (0.04%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Neil John Duncan-Jordan |
| Party | Labour |
| Alma mater | University of Bournemouth |
| Website | Official website |
Neil John Duncan-Jordan[1] is a British politician and trade unionist, who has been Member of Parliament for Poole since 2024. He is the first Labour politician to be elected in the constituency since its recreation in 1950.
Early career
Duncan-Jordan was born in the late 1960s in Elm Park, East London.[2] His parents were also born in London's East End. His father worked for British Rail and his mother worked part-time in a shop. His mother came from a Jewish immigrant family. As a young father in his late twenties, he studied journalism at the University of Bournemouth. He was the first in his extended family to get a degree.[3]
Duncan-Jordan first worked for the National Pensioners Convention. Prior to his general election win, he was a regional officer for Unison.[3]
Political career
In the 2024 General Election, Duncan-Jordan stood as the Labour Party candidate for the seat of Poole.[4] After multiple recounts, it was confirmed that he had been elected Member of Parliament (MP) with 14,168 votes (31.84%), and a majority of 18 votes. The final result showed a 19% swing to Labour and was the first time the party had won that seat.[5]
In September 2024, he abstained on a vote on the Winter Fuel Payment.[6] He opposes the proposed sale of Poole Civic Centre.[7] He supports the renationalisation of the water industry.[8] In November 2024, Duncan-Jordan voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted dying.[9] In March 2025, he criticised the spring statement.[10] Duncan-Jordan has been a vocal critic of the Government’s proposed cuts to disability benefits.[11]
On 16 July 2025, Duncan-Jordan was suspended from the Labour Party and had the whip withdrawn following persistent breaches of party discipline, including rebelling against proposed welfare cuts and refusing to support the party's revised disability benefits policy.[12][13] In response to his suspension, Duncan-Jordan stated that he "understood this could come at a cost" but felt he "couldn't support making disabled people poorer." He affirmed his long-standing commitment to Labour values, saying he had been part of the Labour and trade union movement for 40 years and remained "as committed as ever." He also reassured constituents that he would continue representing Poole while suspended as a Labour MP.[14] On 7 November 2025, the whip was restored.[15]
Electoral record
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Neil Duncan-Jordan | 14,168 | 31.84 | +11.1 | |
| Conservative | Robert Syms | 14,150 | 31.80 | –27.0 | |
| Reform UK | Andrei Dragotoniu | 7,429 | 16.7 | N/A | |
| Liberal Democrats | Oliver Walters | 5,507 | 12.4 | –2.9 | |
| Green | Sarah Ward | 2,218 | 5.0 | +1.6 | |
| Independent | Joe Cronin | 698 | 1.6 | N/A | |
| UKIP | Leanne Barnes | 325 | 0.7 | N/A | |
| Majority | 18 | 0.04 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 44,495 | 61.4 | −6.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 72,509 | ||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +19.1 | |||
References
- ^ "Members Sworn". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 752. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Neil Duncan-Jordan: 'I'm not interested in fame. I see myself as a shop steward'". Bournemouth Echo. 2025-03-20. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ a b "My Story". Neil Duncan-Jordan A LABOUR MP FOR Poole. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ Simpson, Matt (14 May 2024). "Trade unionist Labour candidate announced for Poole". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ Smith, Alexander (5 July 2024). "Labour make history and gain Poole after multiple recounts". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "'Some weeks are better than others,' says Labour MP after winter fuel vote". Bournemouth Echo. 2024-09-18. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ "Selling Poole civic centre would be 'act of public vandalism'". Bournemouth Echo. 2024-09-28. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
- ^ "Neil Duncan-Jordan: 'We may not agree, but my door is always open'". Bournemouth Echo. 2025-03-24. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading". Votes in Parliament. 29 November 2024.
- ^ "Poole Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan hits out at welfare cuts". BBC News. 2025-03-27. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ Pascoe, Tristan (2025-03-27). "Poole Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan hits out at welfare cuts". BBC. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Three Labour MPs suspended for breaches of party discipline". Sky News. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ "Poole MP Neil Duncan-Jordan seeks to remove disability cuts". MSN News. 9 July 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ Donnelly, Dylan (16 July 2025). "Who are the suspended Labour MPs and why did they lose the whip?". Sky News. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ "Four Labour MPs suspended for rebelling on welfare have the whip restored". STV News. 7 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ "Election result for Poole". Retrieved 18 March 2025.