Catherine West

Catherine West
MP
Official portrait of Catherine West
Official portrait, 2017
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 July 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byAnne-Marie Trevelyan
Member of Parliament
for Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Hornsey and Wood Green (2015–2024)
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byLynne Featherstone
Majority21,475 (44.2%)
Leader of Islington London Borough Council
In office
6 May 2010 – 10 October 2013
Preceded byTerry Stacy
Succeeded byRichard Watts
Member of Islington London Borough Council
for Tollington
In office
2 May 2002 – 22 May 2014
Personal details
Born
Catherine Elizabeth West

(1966-09-14) 14 September 1966 (age 58)
Mansfield, Victoria, Australia
Citizenship
  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
Political partyLabour
SpouseColin Sutherland
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Sydney (BA, BSW)
SOAS, University of London (MA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Catherine Elizabeth West (born 14 September 1966) is an Australian-born British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Hornsey and Friern Barnet, previously Hornsey and Wood Green, since 2015. A member of the Labour Party, she has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific since 2024.

Early life and career

Catherine West was born on 14 September 1966 in Mansfield, Australia.[1] She was one of four children to Janet (née Conti) and Roderick West.[2] Her parents were both teachers, and her father was Headmaster of Trinity Grammar School in Sydney for 21 years. She is the great-great-niece of actress Italia Conti.

She grew up in Sydney and was privately educated at Meriden School and Ravenswood School for Girls.[3] West studied modern languages and social work at the University of Sydney, where she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Social Work degree.[4][5] While studying there, she met her future husband Colin Sutherland. They lived together in Darwin, Northern Territory, where she worked as a social worker in a refuge for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

She moved to the United Kingdom in 1998 when her husband gained a job at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.[4] She then earnt a master's degree in Chinese Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.[6]

West joined the Labour Party in 1998 and became a caseworker for Tottenham MP David Lammy two years later.[4]

From 2 May 2002 to 22 May 2014, West was a member of the Islington London Borough Council representing the Tollington Ward. She was the leader of the council's Labour Party group from 2004 to 10 October 2013 and Council Leader from 6 May 2010 to 10 October 2013. She resigned as councillor to contest the 2015 general election.

Parliamentary career

West was elected to Parliament as MP for Hornsey and Wood Green at the 2015 general election with 50.9% of the vote and a majority of 11,058.[7][8][9]

Following the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Labour Party, whose campaign she supported, West was promoted to the Official Opposition frontbench as a Shadow Foreign Office Minister.[10]

During the 2016 Brexit referendum, West was involved with Britain Stronger in Europe, campaigning for the UK to remain within the European Union, arguing that "Britain would be stronger, more prosperous, more secure and more peaceful" if they were to remain within the EU. West's constituency of Hornsey and Wood Green secured the highest remain vote of any constituency, with 81.5% voting to remain.[11] Following the EU referendum, West confirmed she would vote against invoking Article 50 should a vote come before parliament.[12]

In January 2017, West voted against triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the process to withdraw from the European Union, along with 46 other Labour Party MPs.[13]

At the snap 2017 general election, West was re-elected as MP for Hornsey and Wood Green with an increased vote share of 65.4% and an increased majority of 30,738.[14][15][16]

West was sacked from the Labour frontbench in June 2017 after she voted in favour of an amendment to the Queen's Speech which called on the UK to remain in the European Single Market, in defiance of the Labour whip.[17]

At the 2019 general election, West was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 57.5% and a decreased majority of 19,242.[18][19][20]

West returned to the Labour frontbench in 2020 as shadow Sport minister,[21] prior to her promotion to the shadow Foreign Office team under new Labour Leader Sir Keir Stamer.[22] Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, West's constituency of Hornsey and Wood Green was abolished, and replaced with Hornsey and Friern Barnet. At the 2024 general election, West was elected to Parliament as MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet with 58.7% of the vote and a majority of 21,475.[23]

On 11 July 2024, she was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.[24][25] Executive Councillor of Hong Kong Ronny Tong criticised her for having a clear political stance, suggesting it would be better for her to resign from her position at Hong Kong Watch. Both Beijing and the Hong Kong government have repeatedly described Hong Kong Watch as an anti-China organisation.[26] The organisation claims to have received a letter from the National Security Department of HongKong Police Force indicating it was suspected of violating the 2020 Hong Kong national security law.[27]

Personal life

West is a Quaker.[28] She is married to Colin Sutherland, co-director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's Malaria Centre.[4][29] They met while studying at the University of Sydney. They have a daughter and a son.[30]

She is a dual British and Australian national.[31]

References

  1. ^ "Election results". camdennewjournal.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Obituary: Headmaster who inspired thousands of pupils and teachers". February 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  3. ^ "How an Australian expat may help topple a British Prime Minister". 24 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Lamden, Tim (13 March 2015). "Labour's Catherine West: 'I know how to beat Liberal Democrats'". Ham & High.
  5. ^ "Catherine West MP". LSTM. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  6. ^ 19 May 2017 (19 May 2017). "Can you guess which single party four SOAS grads are representing in the election?". SOAS. Retrieved 30 October 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Hornsey & Wood Green Parliamentary constituency". BBC. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Haringey votes – Haringey Elections website". voting.haringey.gov.uk.
  10. ^ "Catherine West MP". parliament.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  11. ^ Hanretty, Chris (29 June 2016). "The EU referendum: how did Westminster constituencies vote?". Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  12. ^ West, Catherine (27 June 2016). "75% of my constituents voted to remain in the EU. I stand w/ them on this issue & I will vote against Brexit #EUrefpic.twitter.com/TX0lUC5Csb". Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  13. ^ Sparrow, Andrew (1 February 2017). "MPs vote to give May power to trigger article 50 – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  14. ^ "Hornsey & Wood Green parliamentary constituency". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation.
  15. ^ "General Election 2017 in Haringey – Results". London Borough of Haringey. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  16. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
  17. ^ Asthana, Anushka (29 June 2017). "Jeremy Corbyn sacks three frontbenchers after single market vote". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  18. ^ Etheridge, Zina (15 November 2019). "Statement of persons nominated and notice of poll. Election of a Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green" (PDF). Haringey London Borough Council.
  19. ^ "Hornsey & Wood Green parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. 13 December 2019.
  20. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  21. ^ "I am delighted to be appointed as shadow Sports Minister, following in the footsteps of the excellent @DrRosena. I am determined to use my time taking on some of the big issues in sport, particularly following the racist abuse Haringey Borough FC experienced last year". Twitter.com. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  22. ^ "So pleased that @CatherineWest1 @FabianLeedsNE @SKinnock @SDoughtyMP @WayneDavid_MP have joined the @UKLabour FCO team. Every single one brings huge expertise and passion. Proud to be working with them all". Twitter.com. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  23. ^ "General Election 2024". London Borough of Haringey. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  25. ^ "Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Indo-Pacific) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  26. ^ "英國關注港人組織HK WATCH贊助人衛倩婷".
  27. ^ "英外交部新次官 為香港監察贊助人". 明報教育網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  28. ^ "First Quaker MPs elected in a decade". Quakers in Britain. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  29. ^ "Colin Sutherland". London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  30. ^ "Special Report: Catherine West MP reflects on her first six months in Parliament". Ham & High. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  31. ^ Bourke, Latika (13 May 2018). "'Utterly absurd': British MPs question Australia's ban on dual citizens". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Catherine West.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Hornsey and Wood Green
2015–2024 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Hornsey and Friern Barnet
2024–present 		Incumbent