Mike Tapp
British politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Adrian Tapp[2] (born 11[3] February 1985)[4] is a British Labour Party politician and former soldier who has been the Member of Parliament for Dover and Deal since 2024.[5] He has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Migration and Citizenship since 2025.[6]
Michael Tapp [1] | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Migration and Citizenship | |
| Assumed office 6 September 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Seema Malhotra |
| Member of Parliament for Dover and Deal | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Natalie Elphicke |
| Majority | 7,559 (15.8%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Adrian Tapp February 1985 (age 41) |
| Party | Labour |
Early life
Tapp is the son of a policeman.[7]
Tapp served in the Intelligence Corps[8] and had three tours (Iraq and Afghanistan) before joining the National Crime Agency and then the Ministry of Defence.[5]
He left to pursue a career in politics in 2020 and was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Dover and Deal in 2022.[7]
Parliamentary career
Prior to the 2024 general election, the seat had been held for the Conservatives by Natalie Elphicke, however she defected to Labour shortly before the election was called. She announced that she would be standing down.
Tapp received 18,940 votes, which gave him a majority of 7,585 votes.[9] Howard Cox of Reform UK received 11,355 votes and Stephen James of the Conservatives gained 10,370.[10]
On 7 July 2024, The Guardian named him as one of "five fresh Labour MPs to watch",[11] noting that "Tapp’s military background and work with the National Crime Agency also make him a compelling figure".
Tapp backed the decision to scrap Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners who did not receive pension credit[12] or other means-tested benefits and urged "all that are on the eligibility line to reach out to [their] local MP" for support.[13]
In November 2024, Tapp, in addition to Damien Egan and Jo White, was appointed honorary vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel.[14]
In August 2025, Tapp criticised Keir Starmer's move to recognise Palestinian statehood while Hamas continues to hold hostages and engage in armed operations. Responding to Hamas's praise of a possible UK recognition as "one of the fruits of October 7", Tapp said the statement "demonstrates why there is such fear in the Jewish community". He urged the government to make clear that recognition must be conditional on Hamas releasing the Israeli hostages and laying down its arms, describing the group as "genocidal terrorists".[15]
Honours and decorations
Tapp was awarded the Iraq Medal and the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan for his service in the Intelligence Corps, where he served in Iraq and Afghanistan.[16]
Undress ribbons worn by Tapp:
| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| Iraq Medal |
|
| Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan |
|
