Alexander Robert Ballinger[1] is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Halesowen since 2024.

[2] Ballinger served as a Royal Marine officer from 2005 to 2013, retiring with the rank of Captain,[3][4][5] and previously worked in the Middle East for the Department for International Development as an aid worker.

[7][8] Most recently, Ballinger was the CEO of a mental health charity[9] based in Birmingham and the Black Country, leaving the role in 2024.

[6] Ballinger voted against an amendment to the King's Speech that would have removed the former Conservative Government's policy of a two-child benefit cap.

[10] It was widely reported that Labour MPs who did not vote with the government would have the whip removed and be forced to sit as independents.