Bambos Charalambous

Charalambos "Bambos" Charalambous (born 2 December 1967) is a British politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Enfield Southgate since 2017.

Previously a member of the Labour Party, he served as Shadow Minister for the Middle East and North Africa from 2021 to 2023.

In June 2023, Charalambours was suspended as a Labour Party MP after a complaint about his conduct.

Charalambous was raised in Bowes Park in north London.

His parents come from Kalo Chorio and Fasoulla, both near Limassol, in Cyprus.

He was educated at Chace Boys' Comprehensive School, followed by Tottenham College and then Liverpool Polytechnic (now Liverpool John Moores University).

Charalambous read law and was elected as vice president of the Students' Union in 1990.

Charalambous is a solicitor.

Before and until his election as MP, he worked for Hackney Council in their housing litigation team.

Charalambous served as a member of Enfield Council for the Palmers Green ward for 24 years.

Whilst a councillor, he also served as an Associate Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture, Localism and Young People.

Charalambous was the Labour candidate for Epping Forest in 2005, losing to the Conservative incumbent Eleanor Laing, who increased her majority from 8,426 to 14,358.

He later contended Enfield Southgate in the 2010 and 2015 general elections, before being elected in the 2017 general election, unseating David Burrowes who had served as the MP for that constituency since 2005.

Charalambous served on the Justice Select Committee.

He also served as a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on London, Cyprus, Crossrail Two, Autism, Sex Equality, Music, Global Education For All and London's Planning and Built Environment.

In January 2018, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Rebecca Long-Bailey, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

In December 2018, he was appointed as an Opposition (Labour) Whip.

Charalambous was appointed as a Shadow Minister for Justice in January 2020.

Following Keir Starmer's election as Labour leader in April 2020, he joined the shadow Home Office team as the Shadow Minister for Crime Reduction and Courts.

Charalambous swapped roles with Holly Lynch in a minor reshuffle in May 2021, becoming the Shadow Minister for Immigration.

In June 2023, he was suspended as a Labour MP following an allegation "that requires investigation by the Labour Party."