Sharon Hodgson is the Labour Member of Parliament for Washington and Sunderland West, and a Shadow Education Minister, with responsibility for Children and Families.

Sharon was elected to Parliament for the Gateshead East and Washington West constituency in 2005. In her first term she served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Home Office, Defence and Health Ministers, as well as sitting on the Children, Schools and Families; Regulatory Reform and the North East Regional Select Committees. In 2009, Sharon was appointed a Government Whip.

Following boundary changes, Sharon was elected for the new seat of Washington and Sunderland West in 2010, initially reprising her role as an Opposition Whip, before being appointed Shadow Minister for Children and Families in Ed Miliband’s first reshuffle later that year, taking on responsibility for scrutinising government policy on early years education, special educational needs and family policy.

Up until her election in 2005, Sharon worked for the UNISON trade union as Labour Link co-ordinator. Previously she worked as a Labour Party organiser, a charity administrator and as a book-keeper for Northern Rock.