About Michael

Michael Dugher was elected to serve as the Member of Parliament for the Barnsley East constituency at the 2010 General Election.

Michael has been Vice-Chair of the Labour Party since his appointment in November 2012. And since October 2011, he has also attended Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office).

Michael was previously Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband (May-October 2011) and Shadow Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (October 2010-September 2011).  

Born in Doncaster in 1975, Michael was brought up in Edlington, then a pit village in South Yorkshire.  He was educated at St Mary's RC primary school, Edlington, at the McAuley RC School, Doncaster, and at the University of Nottingham, where he read Politics. 

Before being elected as MP for Barnsley East, Michael worked at 10 Downing Street as Chief Political Spokesman for the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown.  He previously worked as a Special Adviser in a variety of government roles, including: Transport, Local Government and the Regions; Defence; for the Leader of the House of Commons; and for the Government Chief Whip. 

Michael has also worked in industry as UK Director of Government Relations for EDS, then a large global technology services business (now Hewlett Packard). Prior to working in government, he was Head of Policy for the AEEU Engineering Union (now Unite the Union). Michael is a member of both Unite the Union and Unison.

Since being elected, Michael has joined several All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs). He is currently: Vice-Chair of the APPG on Heart Disease (working closely with the British Heart Foundation); Vice-Chair of the APPG for Brass Bands; Vice-Chair of Labour Friends of Israel; a member of the Executive Committee of the British-American Parliamentary Group; and a national champion for the Save the Children charity.

Locally, Michael is patron of the Wombwell Operatic Society and the Barnsley Independent Alzheimer's and Dementia Support (BIADS) group.  He is also a member of the Barnsley Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and a proud member of the Royal British Legion (Hoyland and District Branch).

Michael frequently writes for the Yorkshire Post and the Barnsley Chronicle, as well as for a variety of Labour journals and blogs, including: Tribune; Labour Uncut; Labour List; Fabian Review; and Progress. He has also written for the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, the Huffington Post, PoliticsHome and Total Politics magazine.

His interests include history, music, films and sport.  He is married to Joanna and they have two young daughters and a son.  When not in Westminster to sit in the House of Commons, Michael and his family live in Birdwell in Barnsley.