Michael Richard Payne is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Gedling since 2024. He has been a Nottinghamshire County councillor and deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council, serving in both roles for thirteen years.
He was also chair of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service between 2019 and 2024 and served on the fire authority from 2013 to 2024.
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Biography
He studied at Lancaster University, where he became President of the Students' Union in 2008.
Payne unsuccessfully contested the seat of Newark at the 2014 Newark by-election and the 2015 General Election.
Payne served as the deputy leader of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Labour Group and deputy chair of the LGA for seven years before stepping down to concentrate on running to be the MP for Gedling.
He also served as chair of the Local Government Information Unit from 2014 to 2024.
Payne is openly gay and is married to a fellow councillor. In January 2024, Pink News reported that a Conservative council candidate had been suspended after using a homophobic slur directed at Payne in a social media discussion.
On 11 May 2026, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Home Office.