Louise Haigh: From Shadow Transport Secretary to Brief Cabinet Role – A Political Journey

A Rising Political Force

Louise Haigh served as Secretary of State for Transport from July to November 2024 and has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Heeley since 2015. Born in Sheffield and privately educated at Sheffield High School, she studied at the University of Nottingham before working as a public policy manager at Aviva.

Political Career and Achievements

Haigh’s early political career saw her appointed as Shadow Minister for Civil Service and Digital Reform in September 2015, where she oversaw the Government’s digital strategy, the Freedom of Information Act, data security and privacy. Notably, she was declared the “most hard-working” new MP in February 2016 after a comprehensive study of MPs elected in 2015.

After Keir Starmer became Leader of the Opposition in 2020, Haigh joined the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. In November 2021, she transitioned to Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. Following Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, she was appointed to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Transport in the Starmer ministry.

Transport Policy and Vision

At the Labour Party Conference in September 2022, Haigh unveiled Labour’s plans to renationalise the country’s railways, stating that Labour would “put the public back in control of the essential public transport they depend upon.” She pledged to “end the failed experiments,” improve services, lower fares, and bring railways back into public ownership.

Recent Developments

However, her tenure as Transport Secretary was brief, as she resigned in November 2024 following revelations about a past incident involving fraud by false representation from 2014. As of August 2025, it has been reported that Haigh is in a relationship with former SDLP leader and Member of Parliament for Foyle, Colum Eastwood.

Before her resignation, Haigh had expressed ambitious plans, stating: “We will deliver the biggest overhaul of public transport in a generation, putting passengers first, and transport infrastructure fit for modern Britain.”