Catherine West

Catherine West was elected as the Labour MP for Hornsey and Wood Green in 2015. She began her career in politics in local government, representing Tollington ward on Islington London Borough Council for over ten years, becoming council leader. In the 2015 general election, she unseated the Liberal Democrat Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone with a swing of 15.8 per cent. In parliament, West has opposed the renewal of Trident, and co-wrote a letter to then-Prime Minister David Cameron calling for urgent action to address the Syrian refugee crisis. West represents one of the highest Remain-voting constituencies in the country, with 81.5 per cent of her constituents voting in favour of Britain’s membership of the European Union. Having been appointed shadow minister for foreign and commonwealth affairs after Jeremy Corbyn became leader of the Labour party in 2015, West was sacked in 2017 after defying the Labour whip to vote for an amendment to the Queen’s Speech that called for Britain to stay within the single market. She is currently shadow minister for foreign and commonwealth affairs and has chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Rare, Genetic and Undiagnosed Conditions and Swimming.