14 Facts About Catherine McKinnell

Catherine McKinnell was born on 8 June 1976 and is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne North since 2010.

Catherine McKinnell has served as Minister of State for School Standards since July 2024.

Catherine McKinnell was born on 8 June 1976 in Newcastle upon Tyne, where she attended Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Fenham.

Catherine McKinnell studied politics and history at the University of Edinburgh.

Catherine McKinnell raised questions about the Crown Prosecution Service's handling of the scandal, including a question to the Attorney General in the House of Commons asking why the CPS had refused for so long to admit that there were grounds to bring prosecutions.

In October 2011, during a shadow ministerial reshuffle, Catherine McKinnell was made shadow children's minister, shadowing Tim Loughton.

Catherine McKinnell backed a campaign by ActionAid on international tax laws and tabled amendments to the Budget which would have required the government to monitor the impact on developing countries of changes to so-called Controlled Foreign Companies regulations.

Also in June 2012, Catherine McKinnell publicly criticised Take That singer Gary Barlow following newspaper allegations of tax avoidance made against him.

Catherine McKinnell agreed that Barlow should consider returning his recently awarded OBE if allegations of tax avoidance were proven "because it doesn't send out the right messages to ordinary people who are paying their fair share of tax".

Catherine McKinnell was made Shadow Attorney General in September 2015 by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, but resigned in January 2016, citing party infighting, family reasons and the ability to speak in parliament beyond her legal portfolio.

Catherine McKinnell supported Owen Smith in the failed attempt to replace Jeremy Corbyn in the 2016 Labour Party leadership election.

Catherine McKinnell has been a prominent campaigner for the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.

Catherine McKinnell was made Vice Chair of the recently established All-Party Parliamentary Group on the WASPI campaign.

In September 2020, Catherine McKinnell was appointed a vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel.