Welsh Labour MP is ‘least well-known’ member of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet

A Welsh Labour MP is the least well-known member of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet, a survey has suggested.

According to a YouGov poll which rated the performance of Labour’s shadow minister’s, 86% of the British public have not heard of Nick Thomas-Symonds.

The poll suggested 8% did not know if they had heard of him or not, while 6% had heard of the 41-year-old Labour MP for Torfaen, who was promoted to Shadow Home Secretary in 2020.

Thomas-Symonds, who became the MP for Torfaen in 2015, was born in Panteg Hospital, Griffithstown, Torfaen, and was brought up in Blaenavon. His father was a steelworker and industrial chemist, and his mother was a secretary.

He attended St Felix R.C. Primary School, in Blaenavon, then St Alban’s R.C. High School, in Pontypool, before going on to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, between 1998 and 2001, where he gained a first.

After that be went on to be called to the bar by Lincoln’s Inn in October 2004, and he developed a practice specialising in chancery and commercial law.

‘Failing to land blows’ 

He has recently been accused of failing to land blows against the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, over the Channel crossings and security.

One MP told The Times: “Nick is a lovely guy but I don’t think he’s making very much weather with major failings by the Home Office.

According to the YouGov poll, the name of Labour leader Keir Starmer is recognised by the vast majority of people in Britain, with 91% of the public saying they’ve heard of him.

But only two other members of his top team have been heard of by a majority of the public. They are Ed Miliband (92%) who led the party between 2010 and 2015, and deputy leader Angela Rayner (59%).

He has authored two political biographies, which are ‘Nye: The Political Life of Aneurin Bevan’ and ‘Attlee: A Life in Politics’.

Around half of Britons have heard of David Lammy (49%), and Emily Thornberry (48%). They are both long serving MPs, both of whom have held positions in former Labour shadow cabinets.