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Janet Daby

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British Labour politician

Janet DabyMP
Official portrait, 2020
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 July 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byDavid Johnston
Member of Parliament
for Lewisham East
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 June 2018
Preceded byHeidi Alexander
Majority18,073 (44.5%)
Shadow portfolios
2023–2024Youth Justice
2020Women and Equalities
2020Faiths
Member of Lewisham Council
for Whitefoot
In office
6 May 2010 – 21 March 2019
Succeeded byKim Powell
Personal details
BornJanet Jessica Sarju
(1970-12-15) 15 December 1970 (age 54)
Political partyLabour
EducationBrunel University (BSc)
London School of Economics (MSc)
Websitewww.janetdaby.org

Janet Jessica Daby (née Sarju; born 15 December 1970) is a British Labour politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewisham East since 2018. She has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families since July 2024.

Early life and career

Janet Sarju was born on 15 December 1970 to parents who were Windrush migrants from Guyana and Jamaica. She attended Blackheath Bluecoat School in Greenwich. Daby then studied at Brunel University, graduating with a BSc, before graduating with a MSc at London School of Economics.

Daby worked in volunteer management and children's social care, acting as a registered fostering manager. She founded the Whitefoot and Downham Community Food + Project in 2013, for which she became a director.

Political career

Daby was elected as a Lewisham borough councillor at the 2010 local elections, when she gained the Whitefoot ward from the Liberal Democrats and received the most votes of the three elected candidates. She was re-elected in 2014 and 2018, also topping the poll on these occasions. In addition, Daby served as deputy mayor of the London Borough of Lewisham during this period. She resigned from the Council in March 2019.

Parliamentary career

Daby was selected in May 2018 as Labour's candidate in the 2018 Lewisham East by-election, after hustings with an all-women shortlist. At the election, Daby was elected to Parliament as MP for Lewisham East with 50.2% of the vote and a majority of 5,629. In response to ongoing uncertainty over Brexit, Daby pledged to fight for the UK to remain in the European Union Customs Union and the European single market.

Daby announced her resignation as a Lewisham councillor on 20 March 2019, to concentrate on her role as an MP, noting that she would continue to represent Whitefoot residents in the Houses of Parliament.

Daby speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, 7 February 2024

At the 2019 general election, Daby was re-elected as MP for Lewisham East with an increased vote share of 59.5% and an increased majority of 17,008.

On 9 April 2020, Daby was given her first shadow ministerial post by Labour Party leader Keir Starmer as Shadow Minister for Faiths. She also became a Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities in July 2020.

She resigned from the frontbench on 7 December 2020, after she suggested that registrars who have a religious objection to same-sex marriage should be protected from losing their jobs if they refuse to certify the partnership, an action which would be viewed as unlawful discrimination. She later apologised for her remarks.

Daby is a member of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East.

At the 2024 general election, Daby was re-elected to Parliament as MP for Lewisham East, with a decreased vote share of 58.2% and an increased majority of 18,073.

In November 2024, Daby voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted suicide.

Personal life

Daby married Donald Daby in 2003; the couple have a son and a daughter.

References

  1. ^ "Daby, Janet Jessica, (born 15 Dec. 1970), MP (Lab) Lewisham East, since June 2018". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2018. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U291315. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
  2. "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  3. ^ Simpson, Fiona (15 June 2018). "Lewisham East by-election result: Who is Labour's Janet Daby?". London Evening Standard.
  4. "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Janet Daby: our candidate for Lewisham East". Labour in London. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  6. "Lewisham Councillors Janet Daby and Alex Feis-Bryce stand down". Lewisham Labour Party. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  7. "Councillor Janet Daby". Lewisham Council. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  8. Casalicchio, Emilio (19 May 2018). "Blow for Jeremy Corbyn as Janet Daby named Labour candidate for Lewisham East by-election". PoliticsHome. Dods Parliamentary Communications. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. "Councillor details – Councillor Janet Daby". councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  10. "Lewisham East by-election: Janet Daby chosen to stand for Labour". BBC News. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  11. "Labour's Janet Daby wins Lewisham East in by-election". BBC News. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  12. "Lewisham East constituency by-election on 14 June 2018". Lewisham London Borough Council. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  13. Cowburn, Ashley (18 May 2018). "Lewisham East by-election: Brexit becomes key dividing line in contest to replace Heidi Alexander as Labour candidate". The Independent. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  14. "Lewisham Councillors Janet Daby and Alex Feis-Bryce stand down". Lewisham Labour. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  15. Somerville, Ewan (13 December 2019). "Lewisham East constituency results 2019: Labour's Janet Daby wins". London Evening Standard. ESI Media. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  16. "Lewisham East parliamentary constituency – Election 2019 – BBC News".
  17. Rodgers, Sienna (10 July 2020). "Janet Daby will be joining the women and equalities team as Shadow Minister for Faiths, Women and Equalities". Twitter.
  18. Sleigh, Sophia (7 December 2020). "Labour shadow minister Janet Daby resigns after saying registrars have right to object to gay marriage". Evening Standard. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  19. Bychawski, Adam (1 July 2022). "20 MPs took staff from anti-abortion group seeking to replicate US backlash". openDemocracy. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  20. "Parliamentary Supporters". LFPME. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  21. "Lewisham East – General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  22. "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading". Votes in Parliament. 29 November 2024.

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Preceded byHeidi Alexander Member of Parliament
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