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Paula Barker (born 9 May 1972) is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool Wavertree since 2019. She served as the Shadow Minister for Devolution and the English Regions from September 2023 to November 2023.
Before her election, Barker worked as a local government officer in the North West. She was also the Unison North West Regional Convenor, as well as the leader of her local government branch in Halton, Cheshire.
As an opposition MP, Barker called upon the Conservative Government to enact meaningful reform of the social care market. She also sponsored the Private Members Bill put forward by Mike Amesbury, Labour MP for Weaver Vale, on proposed changes to the law regarding school uniforms.
Barker served as a member of the Justice Select Committee between May 2020 and July 2021 and is currently a Member of Home Affairs Select Committee. She became PPS to Shadow Defence Minister John Healey in March 2022.
In February 2022, Barker was re-selected as the Labour candidate for the new Liverpool Wavertree constituency to stand at the 2024 general election.
She was appointed Shadow Minister for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping on 28 October 2022. In the 2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle, she was appointed Shadow Minister for Devolution and the English Regions.
She is a member of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East. On 15 November 2023, she resigned from the frontbench to vote for a SNP motion demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
In May 2024, PoliticsHome reported that Barker had left the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs.
In October 2024 she was appointed to the Parliamentary Committee on Standards as well as the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges and serves as Vice Chair of both. She also remains Co-Chair of the all-party parliamentary group for ending homelessness and rough sleeping.
Barker was a co-sponsor of Kim Leadbeater's 2024 Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Barker was a candidate for the 2025 Labour Party deputy leadership election, but pulled out after not achieving the required backing of 80 MPs.
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