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Catherine West
| Catherine WestMP |
|---|
| Official portrait, 2017 |
| In office9 July 2024 – 6 September 2025 |
| Keir Starmer |
| Anne-Marie Trevelyan |
| Seema Malhotra |
| Incumbent |
| Assumed office 7 May 2015 |
| Lynne Featherstone |
| 21,475 (44.2%) |
| In office6 May 2010 – 10 October 2013 |
| Terry Stacy |
| Richard Watts |
| In office2 May 2002 – 22 May 2014 |
| Catherine Elizabeth West (1966-09-14) 14 September 1966Mansfield, Victoria, Australia |
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| Labour |
| Colin Sutherland |
| 2 |
| Meriden SchoolRavenswood School for Girls |
| University of Sydney(BA, BSW)SOAS, University of London (MA) |
| Official website |
Catherine Elizabeth West (born 14 September 1966) is a 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 served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific from 2024 to 2025.
Catherine West was born on 14 September 1966 in Mansfield, Australia. She was one of four children to Janet (née Conti) and Roderick West. Her parents were both teachers, and her father was Headmaster of Trinity Grammar School in Sydney for 21 years.
She grew up in Sydney and was privately educated at Meriden School and Ravenswood School for Girls. West studied modern languages and social work at the University of Sydney, where she was awarded BA and Bachelor of Social Work degrees. 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. She then graduated MA in Chinese Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
West joined the Labour Party in 1998 and became a caseworker for Tottenham MP David Lammy two years later.
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 a councillor to contest the 2015 general election.
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.
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.
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. Following the EU referendum, West confirmed she would vote against invoking Article 50 should a vote come before parliament.
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.
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.
West was dismissed 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.
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.
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 Starmer. Due to the 2023 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.
On 11 July 2024, she was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. 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. The organisation claims to have received a letter from the National Security Department of Hong Kong Police Force indicating it was suspected of violating the 2020 Hong Kong national security law.
On 9 May 2026, following a disastrous series of local and national elections for the Labour Party, she gave an interview in which she called on a cabinet minister to challenge Keir Starmer's leadership. If this failed to happen, she said it was her intention to run against him.
She is a member of the Fabian Society.
West is a Quaker. She is married to Colin Sutherland, co-director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's Malaria Centre. They met while studying at the University of Sydney. They have a daughter and a son.
She is a dual British and Australian national. She is the great-great-niece of actress Italia Conti.
- Official website
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
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