Trans comedian Eddie Izzard launches campaign to become the Labour MP for Sheffield Central and says she plans to take ‘the fight to the Tories’

• Izzard made announcement after MP Paul Bloomfield said he was stepping down
• If chosen, Izzard would become first openly trans person elected to parliament
• The comedian has a history with the city – studying at the University of Sheffield

The transgender comedian Eddie Izzard has officially launched her campaign to become the Labour MP for Sheffield Central.

The long-time Labour party donor and campaigner announced that she had joined the race for selection after the current MP Paul Bloomfield said he would be standing down. 

If elected, Eddie Izzard would become the first openly trans person elected to parliament.

The transgender comedian Eddie Izzard has officially launched her campaign to become the Labour MP for Sheffield Central

Currently, James Wallis is the only openly trans MP – after he came out in March, just over two years since he was elected for Bridgend in December 2019.

In a statement, Izzard said announced that she decided to join the race and ‘take fight to the Tories’.

She said: ‘Sheffield has a proud history, showing grit and determination in overcoming adversities and it was the wit and generosity of the people of this city that made me feel welcome when I first arrived in 1980 — the year the Leadmill opened.

The long-time Labour party donor and campaigner announced that she had joined the race for selection after the current MP Paul Bloomfield said he would be standing down

‘I’m standing to be the next Labour MP for Sheffield Central to support the city that has supported me. To take the fight to the Tories and get Keir Starmer into Number 10.’

Izzard first shared her hopes of becoming a Labour MP in August when she said she wanted to throw her ‘hat in the ring’ and stand for Sheffield in the next general election. 

‘It’s an amazing seat to be able to stand for, if the people of Sheffield Central wish to have me there I will be there,’ she told BBC Radio Sheffield.

‘I would love to be here as my whole creative career started from here, all the way to Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden and around 45 countries in the world.’

Izzard’s history with the city dates back to when she was a student – she first arrived in Sheffield in the 1980s when she began studying accountancy and financial management with mathematics at the University of Sheffield. 

Although she later quit the course in pursuit of a career in comedy, she was given an honorary doctorate by the university in 2006.

If elected, Eddie Izzard would become the first openly trans person elected to parliament. Pictured: Eddie Izzard  with then Labour candidate Rupa Huq at an election trail in Ealing in 2015

Izzard has no formal experience in Parliament, yet she has previously discussed the idea, saying last year that she believes ‘it is very tricky to be a politician’. 

Speaking on Lorraine, she said: ‘There are people I will not agree with, there are people I will agree with. But there are certain people, whose characters are great, they have strong positive characters.

‘I’m going to go in, I’m going to see what I can do – I don’t know what I can do but I can do more than nothing and I believe in us, I believe in all human beings.’ 

Mr Blomfield, who has represented the seat since 2010, won a 27,000 majority at the last election in 2019 but announced in February he would stand down at the next election.

No selection process has been formally started by Labour to succeed him. 

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