Could change of Prime Minister lead to a belated birthday gift for Grimsby and Cleethorpes MP?

                                             

What might be? Does Government post beckon for local MP

IF the pundits  are correct and Andy Burnham takes over as Prime Minister, could promotion from the Common's Back Benches be on  the cards for Grimsby & Cleethorpes's Labour MP, Melanie Onn?

If she is offered and accepts a post in the Government, it will be a late birthday present for Melanie Onn who was 47 last Friday.

Although she has never served in Government, Ms Onn has Front Bench experience. 

When Jeremy Corbyn was Labour's leader, she served first as shadow deputy leader of the Commons, then as shadow minister for housing.

In those roles, she got to know Sir Keir Starmer who went on to become Prime Minister after the General Election in July two years ago.

He was an admirer, and it was a surprise to some when he appeared to overlook her for his governmental team.

Ms Onn is a very capable political operator - personable, flexible of thought and comfortable in the company of people from all walks of life and with the media, both traditional mainstream and social.

She is a superb communicator and has an engaging sense of humour even if  its sometimes requires a degree of self-deprecation. 

And she has one other priceless political gift - when people turn nasty (as not infrequently happens online), she knows how to ride the punches. 

When the MP, lost her seat to Conservative opponent Lia Nici in the 2019 General Election, she soon landed a new job as deputy chief executive of  windfarm lobby group Renewable UK for whom she worked before stepping down in 2023 to rejoin the political fray.

This experience could stand her in good stead, especially if Mr Burnham chooses to transfer  Ed Miliband to a different Cabinet position from his present role as Environment Secretary.

Failing that, housing is known to be an interest of Ms Onn - not least because, as a teenager, she was a beneficiary of support from the charity, Doorstep, which helps young people who become homeless.

However, Ms Onn may choose to recluse herself from crunch discussions about Britain's future relationship with Europe.

Her heavy defeat in the 2019 General Election is largely attributed for her having been a Remainer when most of her constituents were in favour of leaving the European Union.