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Marsha de Cordova is a Labour MP representing Battersea, Balham and Wandsworth. She has been an MP continuously since being elected on June 8, 2017. She is a prominent black member of parliament and is registered disabled, which means she is a key voice in advocating for people with disabilities, people with sight loss, diversity, racism and equality for all. She is also a Trade Unionist. She is a Christian and her other parliamentary roles include being a member of the Ecclesiastical Committee since November 5, 2024 and she has been the Second Church Estates Commissioner since October 7, 2024.
Marsha de Cordova’s story
Marsha Chantal de Cordova was born in Bristol on January 23, 1976, and grew up with five siblings. Her grandparents were from St. Catharines, Spanish Town, and Clarendon, Jamaica and came to the UK as part of the Windrush generation. Marsha’s brother is Bobby Decordova‑Reid, who is now a professional footballer for Leicester City. Marsha is registered blind after being born with a condition called Nystagmus, which involves having involuntary eye movements. According to Marsha’s website, she has “dedicated much of her life to campaigning for disability rights and is passionate about equality for all.”
Marsha went to Hanham High School, which is now called Hanham Wood Academy. She studied Law and European Policy Studies at London South Bank University.
After university, Marsha de Cordova worked in the voluntary and charitable sector, particularly advocating for disability rights and people with sight loss. Her roles included working at Action For Blind People, which was a national sight loss charity in the UK. In 2017 the charity merged with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). Marsha also worked as a Welfare Benefit Specialist at the charity Turn2us. Other roles include Chief Executive of South East London Vision, a charity she founded, plus Development Manager and Engagement & Advocacy Director at Thomas Pocklington Trust, a national charity supporting blind and partially sighted people with a focus on Education, Employment and Engagement.
Marsha’s website states she has “a proud history of working in the voluntary sector for over 10 years before becoming an MP.”
Marsha de Cordova’s Political Career
Marsha de Cordova’s political career started in local government. In May 2014, she was elected as a councillor for the Larkhall ward of Lambeth London Borough Council. She served on that council for four years. In the 2017 snap general election, Marsha contested and succeeded the Conservative MP Jane Ellison. Marsha received 25,292 votes (45.9%), while Jane got 22,876 votes (41.5%). Jane Ellison had been the MP for Battersea since May 6, 2010. The constituency of Battersea covers not only Battersea but also parts of Balham and Wandsworth in south London. The Battersea constituency has high levels of Remain voters and is a diverse area.
In the 2019 election, Marsha De Cordova received 27,290 votes (45.5%) with Conservative Kim Caddy getting 36.1% of the votes and Lib Dem Mark Gitsham getting 15.3%. Marsha was the Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities from 2020 to 2021 and the Shadow Minister for Disabled People between 2017 and 2020. She also served on the Work and Pensions Select Committee and the Petitions Committee.
In 2021, she stepped down from the front bench to focus more on her constituency. She tweeted it had been an “immense privilege” to serve in the role. She added: “Having only been elected in 2017 for the historically marginal constituency of Battersea, I would like to focus more of my time and efforts on the people of Battersea.
“I will continue to support Keir Starmer from the backbenches.”
Keir Starmer thanks Marsha “for her service and in particular her work highlighting the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on black, Asian, minority ethnic and disabled people. Marsha has also laid the foundations for a new race equality act that Labour would introduce to tackle the structural inequalities which have existed in our society for too long.”
Labour in government
In 2024, when Keir Starmer won the general election, Marsha received 22,983 votes (48.8%) and Conservative Tom Pridham received 10,944 votes (23.2%).
According to her website, during her time in parliament, Marsha De Cordova has “been advocating for her constituents and businesses in Battersea on a range of issues including on the economy, the repercussions of Brexit, on housing, promoting a greener future, and opportunities for young people.”
Marsha is in a number of APPGs (All-Party Parliamentary Groups). These include: Adult Social Care, Afrikan Reparations (Vice Chair), Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (Vice Chair), Black Maternal Health (Vice Chair), Christians in Parliament (Vice Chair), Council Housing, Creative Diversity, Disability (Vice Chair), Eye Health and Visual Impairment (Chair), Food and Drink Supply Chain (Vice Chair), Football (Vice Chair), Football Supporters (Vice Chair), Human Rights (Vice Chair), Palestine (Vice Chair), Race Equality in Education, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Tennis (Vice Chair), Women in Transport and Women’s Football (Vice Chair).
Marsha de Cordova’s news
Recently Marsha warmly welcomed the “historic appointment” of Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury – the first women the hold the role. She is a vocal supporter of Palestine and also welcomed the government recognising the state of Palestine. She recognises what is happening in Palestine as genocide. She has also been vocal on the Assisted Dying Bill, which she voted against, calling for better palliative care or social support options for the most vulnerable.
She has also recently been in the news supporting Tennis Black List, a global celebration of black and mixed black excellence across the game. In May 2025, she wrote for Politics.co.uk that the UK-EU summit could “be a turning point for young people’s opportunities” (https://www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2025/05/19/marsha-de-cordova-eu-uk-summit-turning-youth-mobility-scheme/). She consistently shares her experience as a disabled MP in parliament and in 2024, wrotes from Politics.co.uk “The government is creating a hostile environment for disabled people”. https://www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2024/04/30/marsha-de-cordova-the-government-is-creating-a-hostile-environment-for-disabled-people/. In 2025, she shared her experiences with a modernisation committee and how difficult it is to get around parliament given poor lighting, the use of glass doors and a lack of clear marking on most steps. Earlier in 2025, she put forward a law that would see drivers fined for parking on the pavement.
