Kim Leadbeater: ‘Proud Yorkshire woman’ determined to make a difference

Kim Leadbeater describes herself arsenic a “proud Yorkshire woman” and idiosyncratic who has ever been “very driven and determined”.

She is the sister of Jo Cox, who was Batley and Spen’s MP until she was murdered successful the constituency successful 2016.

Ms Leadbeater, the Labour MP for Spen Valley since 2021, said her sister’s decease turned her beingness upside down.

She ne'er planned to beryllium an MP but it was her determination to marque a quality that prompted her to tally for predetermination herself.

Reflecting connected the pridefulness she takes successful her roots, Ms Leadbeater writes connected her website: “I americium a arrogant Yorkshire pistillate and person lived and worked successful the Spen Valley each my life.”

Born astatine Dewsbury Hospital, she said she has lived successful astir each portion of the constituency – Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton, Gomersal, Liversedge, and Littletown.

She attended Royds Infants School, Cawley Lane Junior, and Heckmondwike Grammar School wherever she studied A-levels successful English literature, history, instrumentality and wide studies.

As a teen she had part-time jobs successful a java store and successful pizza takeaways earlier opening 1 of her archetypal due full-time jobs astatine the section carpet yarn manufacturing concern successful Mirfield.

She began studying a grade successful doctrine and authorities astatine Leeds University, but missed the satellite of enactment and started temping astatine Jay-Be Beds successful Dewsbury and Gomersal earlier going connected to go nationalist relationship manager astatine Slumberland Beds.

The satellite of wellness and fittingness beckoned and Ms Leadbeater went connected to bash PGCE teacher grooming qualifications earlier lecturing successful higher acquisition astatine Kirklees College successful Dewsbury and Bradford College.

She past acceptable up her ain concern arsenic a idiosyncratic trainer, wellbeing manager and radical workout instructor.

Many radical were determined that immoderate bully should travel retired of Jo’s horrific decease and, portion I kept my concern going, I threw overmuch of my vigor into The Jo Cox Foundation and the section ‘More In Common’ unpaid group

Kim Leadbeater

Writing astir her sister’s decease connected her website, Ms Leadbeater said: “The execution of my sister Jo successful 2016, portion she was moving arsenic MP for Batley and Spen, was utterly devastating and turned my beingness upside down, conscionable arsenic it did for my parents, Gordon and Jean and our full family.

“Jo’s execution shook the world. And immoderate you thought of her authorities you could not conscionable a nicer person.

“Many radical were determined that immoderate bully should travel retired of Jo’s horrific decease and, portion I kept my concern going, I threw overmuch of my vigor into The Jo Cox Foundation and the section ‘More In Common’ unpaid group.”

In the 2021 New Year Honours database Ms Leadbeater received an MBE for services to societal cohesion and combating loneliness during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reflecting connected her determination to tally for nationalist office, she said: “I person ever been a precise driven and determined idiosyncratic and it was my determination to marque a quality that prompted maine – aft overmuch soul-searching – to enactment myself guardant for predetermination arsenic our section MP successful the 2021 by-election.”

Ms Leadbeater said she volition bash everything she tin to marque the radical of her constituency arrogant and to “make a quality to the assemblage and state I love”.

The MP formally introduced her Bill to springiness prime astatine the extremity of beingness for the terminally sick successful October.

In an interrogation with the PA quality bureau earlier this month, Ms Leadbeater said she has “consulted widely” connected the Bill, speaking with aesculapian and ineligible experts, those successful the palliative attraction and hospice sectors, disablement rights activists, religion leaders and “many, galore radical with their ain idiosyncratic acquisition of wherefore the existent instrumentality is not acceptable for purpose”.

She said she had a work to enactment earlier MPs “the champion imaginable authorities and I judge I person done that”.