Barry Gardiner has been a Labour MP since 1997, elected first to represent Brent North (1997 - 2024), then Brent West (2024). In that time he has held many ministerial and shadow posts, as well as sitting on numerous committees.  Many of these roles have been related to the environment, including Environment, Food and Rural Affairs shadow brief and committee, the Energy and Climate Change Committee, Special Envoy for Forestry and the Environmental Audit Committee, on which he currently serves.