Matt Bishop (politician)

Matthew "Matt" Bishop^[1] is a British Labour Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament for the Forest of Dean since July 2024.^[2]

Bishop was born in Newport, South Wales and raised by his grandparents. He attended Lliswerry High School. Prior to entering Parliament, he worked in policing, children’s social care, housing enforcement, and as an education welfare officer. He also served as a local councillor and committee chair on the Forest of Dean District Council.^[3] His parliamentary work includes membership of select committees and legislative committees, and his policy priorities focus on education, law & order, the NHS, and local infrastructure and schools.^[4]

He defeated the incumbent Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, who had held the Forest of Dean seat for the Conservative Party since 2005.^[5]

Bishop stood as a candidate in the 2021 Gloucestershire County Council elections, contesting the Coleford division where he came second to the incumbent Conservative candidate.

In the 2023 Forest of Dean District Council elections Bishop was elected as one of two councillors for the Cinderford East ward, winning 55.6% of the vote. At the same time, he also won a seat on Cinderford Town Council.

During his first year on the District Council, Bishop served as Chair of the Audit Committee, and in his second year he was appointed Chair of the Scrutiny Committee in his second year. Following his election to Parliament in 2024, he announced his intention to resign from both councils, timing his resignation to coincide with the 2025 Gloucestershire County Council elections. [1] He stated that while the work of local government was “vital and deserving of full focus”, his parliamentary responsibilities required his full attention. He added that he believed additional roles should only be undertaken in exceptional circumstances, such as those involving critical public services like the NHS. Since his election as an MP, Bishop did not claim any councillor allowances.

Before his election to Parliament, Bishop also served as whip for the Labour group and later as its Group Leader on the District Council.

At the 2024 General Election, Bishop was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Forest of Dean, gaining the Gloucestershire seat with a majority of 278 votes and a 34.0% share of the vote.^[6]

In October 2024, he was appointed to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill Committee.^[7] He subsequently served on several other parliamentary committees, including the Finance Committee (until March 2025),^[8] the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Committee (from January 2025),^[9] and the Crime and Policing Bill Committee (from March 2025). In the same month, he was also elected to the Justice Select Committee.^[10]

On 20th June 2025, Bishop voted for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill which sought to allow terminally ill, mentally competent adults the right to request medical assistance to end their lives under strict safeguards. He stated that his decision was guided by compassion and respect for personal choice, while emphasising the importance of robust protections to prevent abuse of the law. The Bill was backed by 314 votes to 291, a majority of 23.

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou