Alex Ballinger

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Wikipedia

Alex Ballinger
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament
for Halesowen
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byConstituency established
Majority4,364 (11.3%)
Personal details
PartyLabour
Military service
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch/service Royal Marines
Years of service2005 – 2013
RankCaptain
UnitRoyal Marines

Alexander Robert Ballinger[1] is a British Labour Party and former Royal Marine who has been the Member of Parliament for Halesowen since 2024. He gained the seat from James Morris, a Conservative.[2]

Career

Ballinger studied Aerospace Engineering at the University of Manchester before joining the Royal Marines in 2005, later reaching the rank of Captain.[2][3] He served on operations in Afghanistan, including deployments in 2006 and 2009, and has referred to a family tradition of military service and his deployment alongside his brother.[4]

After leaving the armed forces, Ballinger joined the Department for International Development (DFID) and led humanitarian and refugee operations during the Syrian civil war,[5][6][7] before moving to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), working on Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas and later heading the UK’s mission in Lahore.[8][9][10] During the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation, he led a team assisting evacuations across the border into Pakistan.[11]

From 2023 to 2024, Ballinger ran a small mental health charity based in Birmingham and the Black Country.[6]

Parliamentary career

Ballinger was elected on 4 July 2024 with 38.9% of the vote.[12]

He was subsequently appointed a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee[13]  and has used both committee and chamber proceedings to press ministers on Gaza and humanitarian access.[14][15]   

In September 2025, it was reported that Ballinger told a Labour conference fringe meeting he believed Israel’s actions in Gaza “meet the conditions” for genocide.[16]

Ballinger has been active on defence and service life issues.[17]  He serves as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces  and was appointed to the Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill.[18]

Ballinger is Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform[19], and was a leading voice calling for increasing taxation on online gambling companies, in order to fund the lifting of the Two Child Benefit Cap.[20]

Local Campaigning

Ballinger has raised constituency-linked issues in Parliament, including leading a Commons debate on knife crime in the West Midlands . He has also campaigned for greater road safety in his constituency.[21][22][23]   

In January 2026, he secured a Westminster Hall debate on the UK Town of Culture initiative; with multiple MPs referencing his “passionate pitch” for his area.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Former Royal Marine standing to become Halesowen MP". Halesowen News. 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  2. 1 2 MP, Alex Ballinger. "Alex Ballinger MP". Alex Ballinger MP. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  3. ↑ Smith, Adam (2024-02-13). "Labour picks former Royal Marine to fight General Election in Halesowen". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  4. ↑ "Building Safety and Resilience - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. 2026-02-22. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  5. ↑ MP, Alex Ballinger. "Alex Ballinger MP". Alex Ballinger MP. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  6. 1 2 "I'm a former marine-turned-Labour MP – Rachel Reeves is missing the point on defence". The Independent. 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  7. ↑ "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. 2026-02-22. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  8. ↑ "FCDO and ICIMOD collaborate with the Pakistan Ministry of Climate Change to generate data on brick industry emissions - ICIMOD". ICIMOD - International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. 2022-03-10. Archived from the original on 2026-02-09. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  9. ↑ "The UK announces 75 scholarships for Pakistan". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  10. ↑ "FCDO Team Visits LUMS | Welcome to LUMS". lums.edu.pk. 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  11. ↑ MP, Alex Ballinger. "Alex Ballinger MP". Alex Ballinger MP. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  12. ↑ "UK Parliament - Election Results". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  13. ↑ "Foreign Affairs Committee - Membership - Committees - UK Parliament". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  14. ↑ "British MPs challenge 'outrageous' claims as legal adviser defends Israel and rejects Palestinian statehood". Middle East Monitor. 2025-04-25. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  15. ↑ "They Work for You - House of Commons Debate - Ref - HC Deb, 21 July 2025, c604". 21 July 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ↑ Harpin, Lee. "Labour MP accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza at foreign policy conference event". Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  17. ↑ "Armed Forces Commissioner Bill - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. 2026-02-22. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  18. ↑ "House of Commons - Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups as at 1 December 2025: Armed Forces". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  19. ↑ "Members". Gambling Reform APPG. 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  20. ↑ Hills, Joel (25 September 2025). "ITV News - More than 100 Labour MPs urge Chancellor to hike gambling taxes and scrap two child benefit limit".
  21. ↑ "Campaign for more safety measures on killer road after death of beloved mum". Halesowen News. 2025-10-08. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  22. ↑ Lawrie, Imogen (2026-01-12). "Political opinion: Alex Ballinger MP welcomes first Road Safety Strategy in over a decade". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  23. ↑ "MPs back calls for safety measures on death crash road". Stourbridge News. 2024-12-20. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  24. ↑ "UK Town of Culture - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. 2026-02-22. Retrieved 2026-02-22.