Kevin McKenna (politician)
Kevin McKenna | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Sittingbourne and Sheppey | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Gordon Henderson |
| Majority | 355 (0.9%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1974 Erith |
| Political party | Labour |
| Education | University of Warwick King's College London |
| Website | kevinmckenna |
Kevin McKenna is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sittingbourne and Sheppey since 2024. He gained the seat from the Conservative Party.[1]
Early life and career
[edit]McKenna was born in Erith and grew up in Welling, in the London Borough of Bexley. He was educated at St Stephen's Catholic Primary School in Welling and Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School.
McKenna studied microbiology at the University of Warwick and later qualified as a registered nurse in the 1990s at the Nightingale Institute at King's College London, a career change he made after exposure to the work of nurses caring for his friends impacted by the AIDS epidemic.[2] He worked in the NHS as a frontline nurse in critical care in a number of London hospitals including University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and later in strategy on nationwide NHS programmes at NHS England.[2] In 2015, McKenna was a Darzi Fellow in clinical leadership.[3]
During the Covid-19 pandemic, McKenna worked as a matron at NHS Nightingale Hospital London.[4]
McKenna decided to go into politics as a result of his post at NHS England, which he said made him want to create policy rather than administer it, and because of a lack of representation for nurses in Westminster.[5] He was unsuccessful as the Labour candidate for the Bexley and Bromley at the 2024 London Assembly election.[6] He was selected as the Labour candidate for Sittingbourne and Sheppey on 23 May 2024.[7]
McKenna was one of seven MPs from a healthcare background to sign a letter calling on Parliament to back assisted dying legislation, saying it would benefit patients.[8]
Personal life
[edit]McKenna lives in Sittingbourne with his husband.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Sittingbourne & Sheppey | General Election 2024". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ a b Church, Edd (31 July 2024). "Nursing MPs: Kevin McKenna says nurses have been 'pushed so far'". Nursing Times. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ "Sir David Amess Adjournment Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 12 September 2024. col. 1063–1067.
- ^ "Who are Kent's 12 new MPs?". Kent Online. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ Church, Edd (31 July 2024). "Nursing MPs: Kevin McKenna says nurses have been 'pushed so far'".
- ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll" (PDF). London Elects. 2 May 2024.
- ^ "SITTINGBOURNE & SHEPPEY (Lab target 329): Kevin McKenna picked as Labour candidate". Tomorrow’s MPs. 23 May 2024.
- ^ "Medic MPs urge support for assisted dying bill". BBC News. 1 November 2024.
- ^ Kevin McKenna MP [@KMcKLabour] (7 July 2024). "Yesterday I went to Westminster for the first time, to start setting up as your MP" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 July 2024 – via Twitter.
External links
[edit]
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
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