Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West, has been an MP since 2005 and is the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Keir Starmer MP. Previously, Sharon has served as Shadow Children's Minister, Shadow Public Health Minister, Shadow Veterans' Minister and was a Government Whip under Gordon Brown. Prior to becoming an MP, Sharon worked as a book-keeper, a Labour Party organiser and a Political Officer for UNISON.