[5] In the 2024 general election she lost the seat to the Labour party candidate, Samantha Niblett, on a swing of over 22% [6] Wheeler was born in Norwich, Norfolk on 14 May 1959.

She was re-elected in 2015 and 2017, with the former defying polling that suggested her seat would be vulnerable following the Conservative Government's failure to award a major contract to local train manufacturer Bombardier.

[20] In March 2018, following her promotion to a Government position with responsibility for homelessness, Wheeler told The Guardian newspaper that she did not know why the number of rough sleepers had increased in recent years.

[26] In August 2016, following the 2016 Rio Olympics, the European Union social media account shared a modified medals table showing its combined member states in first place.

[30] In June 2019, it was revealed that in October 2017, three months before she became minister, and whilst she was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Homelessness, Wheeler described rough sleepers in her constituency as "the traditional type, old tinkers, knife-cutters wandering through".

In response, Wheeler faced calls to resign from Stephen Robertson, the chief executive of the Big Issue Foundation and a representative from a leading national charity which works on behalf of Gypsies, Travellers and Roma described the language as "disgraceful".

Wheeler issued an apology for her "inappropriate language", and said it "is not at all representative of the great cultural contribution and rich heritage that the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities make to this country".

[32][33][34][35] Wheeler's late husband Bob was a Conservative councillor who was made leader of South Derbyshire District Council in 2010, after his wife stepped down from the role on becoming an MP.