Hardy was selected as the Labour Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle after the then-MP, Alan Johnson, announced his retirement just weeks before the general election in 2017. She was one of 256 women candidates put forward by the Labour Party at that selection, and was elected on 9 June 2017, with a majority of 8,025. Unsuccessful candidates at that election included The Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry, who stood as an independent. Since her election, Hardy has sat on the House of Commons Education Select Committee. There, she has challenged the Government to ban informal exclusions, voiced support for the teaching of oracy, and promoted the benefits of a broad curriculum which includes the arts, music and sports. In September 2018, Hardy began to work closely with the women's health charity Endometriosis UK to push for "menstrual wellbeing" to be included as part of the sex and relationship education in schools. On 25 February 2019, the UK government announced that menstrual wellbeing would be included in the curriculum going forward. Hardy is also the Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Mesh, and has fought a successful campaign to get the Government to back down on the routine use of vaginal surgical mesh in the NHS. In October 2018, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence declared that vaginal mesh surgery should only be used as a "last resort" to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. This will spare 1000s of women from the horrific side effects of vaginal mesh surgery that women have endured since 2003. Since 2017, Hardy has also worked as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Keir Starmer MP, Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Hardy has campaigned locally in her constituency to secure the funding for the A63 Castle Street development, prevent any further delays and ensure a bridge was built as soon as possible. Following delays to the project, building for the bridge started in October 2018, and the A63 road development is on course to start in March 2020. Hardy has also lobbied successfully to bring money to Hull for a new Children and Adolescent Mental Health Unit. The money was agreed by the Government in July 2018 and the project was finally completed in January 2020. Amongst her other campaigns, of paramount importance to Hardy is the wellbeing and betterment for children, she is continually fighting to ensure children and young adults receive the support and services they need to fulfil their potential. Hardy is also a patron for which strives to improve lives by inspiring all people regardless of age or abilities to become confident and articulate individuals. In January 2020, Hardy was appointed to Labour's frontbench as a Shadow Education Minister, succeeding Gordon Marsden, who lost his seat in the 2019 general election. Hardy nominated Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election and Angela Rayner in the deputy leadership election.
Personal life
Hardy lives in Hessle with her partner James, her two daughters Olivia and Isabelle and cats Thomas and Serena.
