Political engagement - new MPs announce wedding plans

Politicians are often accused of being married to their job, but two new Labour MPs have found time to get engaged to each other as well.

Labour's Jeevun Sandher popped the question to Louise Jones at her home on Sunday, nearly two years after meeting on the campaign trail.

The couple's good news was publicly revealed in the Commons by Leader of the House Lucy Powell, leaving "a couple of friends I forgot to tell" to learn about it via a parliamentary debate, Sandher said.

Speaking to the BBC, he said "coming into politics is difficult, but with Louise, things are always incredibly easy".

The couple first met in January 2023, when Jones was running to become a councillor in Loughborough, where Sandher was also campaigning.

Over months, Sandher and Jones shifted from sparring in debates to sharing dates, proving that romance can bloom even amid the grind of political campaigning.

"The more I got to know her, the more there was to love," Sandher told the BBC.

By October 2023, their connection had blossomed into a romance., with Sandher eventually realising "the happiest times in my life were the times I was spending with her on a sofa".

The pair both became MPs for the first time in July. Sandher won Labour the constituency of Loughborough, while Jones claimed North East Derbyshire, over 30 miles (48km) apart.

Sandher does not see the distance being a problem.

"We are in London four days a week and then we have to go back to our constituencies so we have to be a little bit apart," he said.

"But I personally found it okay as there is a lot of stuff to do - this is a hard job."

For both, their shared understanding of the demands of politics has been a cornerstone of their relationship.

"I think we understand each other's lives incredibly well," Sandher said.

"If Louise was to say to me 'oh, look, we have to cut these plans because of this reason,' I would completely understand - and vice versa."

Combining forces has also made the job easier for Sandher.

"Louise is wonderful, so I just think she's better than me in every single way" including on learning the ropes of parliament, he said.

"You're also able to ask things of each other, some of that's the big stuff but some of the really small stuff which is like how do I fill in this admin form," Sandher said.

Sandher and Jones will not be the first married couple in the House of Commons.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper served in Gordon Brown's cabinet alongside her husband Ed Balls, the former education secretary under Gordon Brown.

Ex-health secretary Baroness Virginia Bottomley and her husband Sir Peter Bottomley both served as Conservative MPs.

"We're going to have to ask them how they how they did it and what worked and what did not," Sandher said.

"I'm always happy to take advice, because this is a new job and I'm trying to learn as much as possible.

"So, Ed Balls - give me a call."

The couple had spent the start of the week telling family and friends.

But after the "bonkers" Commons announcement of their engagement, Sandher said colleagues and constituents flooded them with support.

"It's been incredibly heartwarming because you know people are really happy for you," he said.

In a demanding job, focused mostly on serving constituents, the kindness and encouragement have made the experience even more special, he said.

The couple now to balance the demands of parliamentary life with planning their wedding.

"If anyone wants to plan a wedding, please do get in touch," Sandher said.

"There is lots of decisions that have to be made, but we'll make them together and we'll come to the right thing for both of us."