Kevin Bonavia
Kevin Bonavia | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Stevenage | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen McPartland |
| Majority | 6,618 (15.5%) |
| Member of Lewisham London Borough Council for Blackheath | |
| In office 6 May 2010 – 5 May 2022 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rabat, Malta |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | University of Birmingham |
| Website | www |
Kevin Bonavia (born 1977/1978) is a British Labour Party politician serving as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Stevenage since 2024.[1]
Early life
[edit]Bonavia was born to a Maltese father and a Scottish mother.[2] He spent his early childhood in Rabat, Malta before moving to England at age eight.[3] He attended the private Eltham College on a bursary. He graduated from the University of Birmingham with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History and completed a postgraduate diploma at the University of Law.[4] Before entering politics, he worked as a litigator[5] and at Steel & Shamash, where he acted for the Labour Party, MPs and councillors on a range of matters, including advising candidates on electoral law issues during the 2005 General Election campaign.
He was youth officer in Birmingham Edgbaston, Greenwich & Woolwich and Lewisham East Constituency Labour Parties.[6]
In 2004-5, Bonavia was Chair of the Young Fabians, a socialist society that is affiliated with the Labour Party (UK).[7]
Political career
[edit]Bonavia became a councillor for the Blackheath ward in Lewisham London Borough Council in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2018, stepping down in 2022.[8] In 2014, he became Cabinet Member for Resources in the council. From 2018 to 2022, he held the position of Cabinet Member for Democracy, Refugees and Accountability.
On 30 June 2016, Bonavia was one of 600 Labour councillors who signed a public statement calling on Jeremy Corbyn to resign as leader and “make way for the new leadership”.[9] On 19 August 2016, Bonavia was one of 1,000 Labour councillors who signed a letter announcing and explaining why they were backing Owen Smith over Jeremy Corbyn in the 2016 Labour leadership election.[10]
In 2010, Bonavia ran as the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for the Rochford & Southend East constituency, in Essex, where he came in second place with 20.3% of the vote, a drop of 11.3%.[11] In 2019, Bonavia ran as the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for the Clacton constituency in Essex, winning 15.5% of the vote, a drop of 9.9%.[12] In 2024, he ran successfully in the Stevenage constituency in Hertfordshire, winning 41.4% of the vote, an increase of 6.2%. [13]
In November 2024, Bonavia voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted suicide.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Stevenage - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ ""The greatest honour of my life" – Kevin Bonavia, of Maltese descent, elected to the House of Commons". TVM News. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Xuereb, Mario (5 July 2024). "'It hasn't sunk in': Malta-born Kevin Bonavia elected to the House of Commons". Times of Malta. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "PPC Profile: Kevin Bonavia". LabourList. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Day, Christopher. "Meet Kevin Bonavia - Stevenage's Labour candidate vying for your vote". The Comet. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ ""Kevin Bonavia on Linkedin"". 6 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ ""Kevin Bonavia on Linkedin"". 25 August 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "Meet Kevin Bonavia - Stevenage's Labour candidate vying for your vote". The Comet. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ ""Over 600 councillors tell Corbyn: time to step down"". Labour List. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ ""1,000 Labour councillors: Why we are backing Owen Smith to continue the fight against austerity"". Labour List. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ ""BBC News| Election 2010| Constituency| Rochford & Southend East"". BBC News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ ""Clacton parliamentary constituency - election 2019"". BBC News. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ ""Stevenage - General Election results"". BBC News. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading". Votes in Parliament. 29 November 2024.
External links
[edit]
- Living people
- 1970s births
- Alumni of the University of Birmingham
- Alumni of the University of Law
- Councillors in the London Borough of Lewisham
- Labour Party (UK) councillors
- Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
- Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
- Maltese emigrants to the United Kingdom
- Maltese people of British descent
- Members of the Fabian Society
- People educated at Eltham College
- People from Rabat, Malta
- UK MPs 2024–present