[3] Her father, Jimmy Long, was a docker in Salford Quays and a trade union representative at Shell, Barton Docks,[4] and her mother Una was a shop worker.

[7] Long-Bailey studied Politics and Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University, and then completed "various part-time law conversion and solicitors' courses".

A spokesperson reported that she was moved to attend a Labour Party meeting after seeing "dramatic plans to dismantle" the NHS in her work as a solicitor.

[16] She was also appointed to Labour's National Executive Committee by Corbyn as one of three representatives of the front bench, replacing Hilary Benn.

[22][23] Her flatmate Angela Rayner ran for deputy leader, with the pair having made an agreement to run on an unofficial joint ticket.

[25] She received 33 nominations from Labour MPs and MEPs, comprising 15% of members of the two groups, which is above the 10% needed to pass the first stage of the process.

[35][36] During the leadership election it emerged that despite stating that she was against "rip-off" private finance contracts in the NHS,[37] Long-Bailey had previously worked on many of these during her time as a corporate lawyer with the law firm Hill Dickinson.

[46] In early June, the government accepted the concerns of the teachers' unions and abandoned its plan for all students in England to return to school before the summer break.

"[48][53] Long-Bailey was one of six Labour rebels to vote against the successful renewal of the Coronavirus Act 2020, which continued granting the government emergency powers to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

She argued the government act denied parliamentary scrutiny and allowed "clumsy and asymmetric authoritarianism", in reference to police powers to detain potentially infectious people.

[60][61][62] Long-Bailey said that she was unhappy with Labour's response to allegations of antisemitism within the party during Corbyn's leadership, commenting that "I don’t think we were dealing with complaints quickly enough".

She said that if she was Labour leader then she would follow the recommendations of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

[63][64][65] Long-Bailey has spoken in favour of a Green New Deal, pledging in a speech to "fight for investment in the low-carbon industries of today and tomorrow to secure a liveable planet for future generations".

[66] On constitutional reform, Long-Bailey supports abolishing the House of Lords, believing that checks and balances are necessary but should not be done by "a set of completely unelected people".

She suggested that it should be replaced by a senate elected by proportional representation, which would analyse legislation with respect to "our wealth, our wellbeing, and our environmental sustainability".

[64][65][66] Long-Bailey has said that she would be "prepared to use" the UK's nuclear deterrent as Prime Minister, adding that "any leader needs to ensure that they assess the situation" and "address the consequences of their actions".

[72] Long-Bailey was opposed to the planned extradition of Julian Assange to the United States (which ultimately did not occur) and was one of six sponsors of an Early Day Motion against it in July 2020.