Quick Facts
Scorpio
Biography
Michael "Mick" Whitley (born 17 November 1951) is a British Labour Party politician. He has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Birkenhead since 2019. Whitley is seen as on the left-wing of the party.
Early life and career
Whitley was born in St Catherine's Hospital, Birkenhead and grew up in Woodchurch. His father and some of his brothers were in the ship building industry. After time in the Merchant Navy, Whitley worked for Vauxhall Motors becoming a trade union organiser and later regional secretary for Unite.
Parliamentary career
Whitley was elected as the Labour MP for Birkenhead in the 2019 general election, defeating Frank Field, a former Labour politician who had served as the MP for 40 years, running as an independent under the banner of the Birkenhead Social Justice Party. He won the seat with a vote share of 59%, down 17.8% on the result that Field achieved in 2017. His candidacy was endorsed by Momentum and several trade unions.
