15 Facts About Catherine West

Catherine Elizabeth West was born on 14 September 1966 and is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.

Catherine West was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green in May 2015.

Catherine West is the great-great niece of actress Italia Conti.

Catherine West grew up in Sydney and was privately educated at Meriden and Ravenswood.

Catherine West studied modern languages and social work at the University of Sydney.

Catherine West then gained a master's degree in Chinese Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Catherine West joined the Labour Party in 1998 and became a caseworker for MP David Lammy two years later.

From 2 May 2002 to 22 May 2014, Catherine West was a member of the Islington London Borough Council representing the Tollington Ward.

Catherine West 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.

Catherine West resigned as councillor in order to contest the 2015 general election.

Catherine West was elected Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green in the 2015 general election.

In January 2017, Catherine West voted against triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the process by which EU Member States may use to withdraw from the European Union, along with 46 other Labour Party Members of parliament.

Catherine 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.

Catherine West returned to the Labour frontbench in 2020 as shadow Sport Minister, prior to her promotion to the shadow Foreign Office team under new Labour Leader Sir Keir Stamer.

Catherine West is one of three Quakers elected during the 2015 general election, the others being Ruth Cadbury in the Labour Party and Tania Mathias in the Conservative Party.