Janet Daby
Honorific suffixMP
OfficeParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families
Term start9 July 2024
Term end7 September 2025
Prime ministerKeir Starmer
PredecessorDavid Johnston
SuccessorJosh MacAlister
Office 1Member of Parliament
for Lewisham East
Term start 114 June 2018
Predecessor 1Heidi Alexander
Majority 1

18,073 (44.5%)

Janet Daby
Subterm2023–2024
SubofficeYouth Justice
Subterm 12020
Suboffice 1Women and Equalities
Subterm 22020
Suboffice 2Faiths
Office 2Member of Lewisham Council
for Whitefoot
Term start 26 May 2010
Term end 221 March 2019
Successor 2Kim Powell
Birth nameJanet Jessica Sarju
Birth date15 December 1970 (age 55)
Birth placeGreenwich, London, England
SpouseDonald Daby (m. 2003)
PartyLabour
EducationBlackheath Bluecoat School
Alma materBrunel University (BSc)
London School of Economics (MSc)
Websitewww.janetdaby.org

Janet Jessica Daby (née Sarju; born 15 December 1970)[1] is a British Labour politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewisham East since 2018. She served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families from July 2024 until September 2025.[2]

Early life and career

Janet Sarju was born on 15 December 1970 to parents who were Windrush migrants from Guyana and Jamaica.[3][1][4] She attended Blackheath Bluecoat School in Greenwich.[3] Daby then studied at Brunel University, graduating with a BSc, before graduating with a MSc at London School of Economics.

Daby worked in volunteer management and children's social care, acting as a registered fostering manager.[5] She founded the Whitefoot and Downham Community Food + Project in 2013, for which she became a director.[1]

Political career

Daby was elected as a Lewisham borough councillor at the 2010 local elections, when she gained the Whitefoot ward from the Liberal Democrats and received the most votes of the three elected candidates.[6][7] She was re-elected in 2014 and 2018, also topping the poll on these occasions. In addition, Daby served as deputy mayor of the London Borough of Lewisham during this period.[5][8] She resigned from the Council in March 2019.[9]

Parliamentary career

Daby was selected in May 2018 as Labour's candidate in the 2018 Lewisham East by-election, after hustings with an all-women shortlist.[10] At the election, Daby was elected to Parliament as MP for Lewisham East with 50.2% of the vote and a majority of 5,629.[11][12] In response to ongoing uncertainty over Brexit, Daby pledged to fight for the UK to remain in the European Union Customs Union and the European single market.[13]

Daby announced her resignation as a Lewisham councillor on 20 March 2019, to concentrate on her role as an MP, noting that she would continue to represent Whitefoot residents in the Houses of Parliament.[14]

At the 2019 general election, Daby was re-elected as MP for Lewisham East with an increased vote share of 59.5% and an increased majority of 17,008.[15][16]

On 9 April 2020, Daby was given her first shadow ministerial post by Labour Party leader Keir Starmer as Shadow Minister for Faiths. She also became a Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities in July 2020.[17]

She resigned from the frontbench on 7 December 2020, after she suggested that registrars who have a religious objection to same-sex marriage should be protected from losing their jobs if they refuse to certify the partnership, an action which would be viewed as unlawful discrimination. She later apologised for her remarks.[18][19]

Daby is a member of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East.[20]

At the 2024 general election, Daby was re-elected to Parliament as MP for Lewisham East, with a decreased vote share of 58.2% and an increased majority of 18,073.[21]

In November 2024, Daby voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted suicide.[22]

In the September 2025 British cabinet reshuffle, Daby left the frontbench.[23]

Personal life

Daby married Donald Daby in 2003; the couple have a son and a daughter.[1]

References

  1. ^ "Daby, Janet Jessica, (born 15 Dec. 1970), MP (Lab) Lewisham East, since June 2018". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2018. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U291315. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
  2. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  3. ^ Simpson, Fiona (15 June 2018). "Lewisham East by-election result: Who is Labour's Janet Daby?". London Evening Standard
  4. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Janet Daby: our candidate for Lewisham East". Labour in London. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Lewisham Councillors Janet Daby and Alex Feis-Bryce stand down". Lewisham Labour Party. 20 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Councillor Janet Daby". Lewisham Council. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  8. ^ Casalicchio, Emilio (19 May 2018). "Blow for Jeremy Corbyn as Janet Daby named Labour candidate for Lewisham East by-election". PoliticsHome. Dods Parliamentary Communications. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Councillor details – Councillor Janet Daby". councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk. 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  10. ^ "Lewisham East by-election: Janet Daby chosen to stand for Labour". BBC News. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Labour's Janet Daby wins Lewisham East in by-election". BBC News. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Lewisham East constituency by-election on 14 June 2018". Lewisham London Borough Council. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  13. ^ Cowburn, Ashley (18 May 2018). "Lewisham East by-election: Brexit becomes key dividing line in contest to replace Heidi Alexander as Labour candidate". The Independent. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  14. ^ "Lewisham Councillors Janet Daby and Alex Feis-Bryce stand down". Lewisham Labour. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  15. ^ Somerville, Ewan (13 December 2019). "Lewisham East constituency results 2019: Labour's Janet Daby wins". London Evening Standard. ESI Media. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  16. ^ "Lewisham East parliamentary constituency – Election 2019 – BBC News"
  17. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (July 10, 2020). "Janet Daby will be joining the women and equalities team as Shadow Minister for Faiths, Women and Equalities.". Twitter
  18. ^ Sleigh, Sophia (7 December 2020). "Labour shadow minister Janet Daby resigns after saying registrars have right to object to gay marriage". Evening Standard. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  19. ^ Bychawski, Adam (1 July 2022). "20 MPs took staff from anti-abortion group seeking to replicate US backlash". openDemocracy. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  20. ^ "Parliamentary Supporters". LFPME. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  21. ^ "Lewisham East – General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  22. ^ "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading". Votes in Parliament. 29 November 2024.
  23. ^ Samuel, Mithran (2025-09-07). "Former social worker Janet Daby replaced by ex-Frontline chief Josh MacAlister as children's minister". Community Care. Retrieved 2025-11-01.