15 Facts About Jessica Asato

Jessica Asato was selected in 2012 as the parliamentary candidate for Norwich North at the 2015 general election.

Jessica Asato grew up in Gorleston and Rollesby where she lived with and cared for her grandmother, who had serious health problems, and went to Flegg High School in Great Yarmouth.

Jessica Asato was a keen debater at Sixth Form level, reaching the semi-finals of the Oxford Union schools' debate competition.

Jessica Asato studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she graduated with a degree in law.

Jessica Asato was quickly divorced from her first husband, Howard Dawber, who stood as the Labour candidate for Bexleyheath and Crayford at the 2010 general election, whilst her second husband, journalist Gareth Butler, died of a heart attack in 2008.

Jessica Asato married her third husband, Rob Chaplin, in 2014 and had a baby.

Jessica Asato is a quarter Japanese and has family in Hawaii.

In 2009, Jessica Asato was ranked no 78 among the Top 100 most influential Left-wingers by The Daily Telegraph.

Jessica Asato was a councillor on Islington London Borough Council from 2010 to 2013, but resigned to spend more time in Norwich.

Jessica Asato has been criticised in Islington by political opponents for spending too much time in Norfolk, and for allegedly being a "professional politician".

Jessica Asato worked in Westminster two days a week as political adviser to former cabinet minister and culture secretary Tessa Jowell, and was featured as one of the Evening Standard's Lucky 13 in 2013.

Jessica Asato was accused of hypocrisy for later supporting Clive Efford's anti-privatisation National Health Service.

Jessica Asato was previously acting director of Progress, a director of Left Foot Forward and is vice-chairman of the Fabian Society.

Jessica Asato is Vice-Chair of the Electoral Reform Society and chair of governors of Jack Taylor Special School for children with disabilities and learning difficulties, and served as joint acting chair of Brook.

Jessica Asato is on the advisory board of the European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism.