Catherine West
MP
Official portrait of Catherine West
Official portrait, 2024
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific
In office
9 July 2024 – 6 September 2025
Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Preceded by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Succeeded by Seema Malhotra
Member of Parliament
for Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Hornsey and Wood Green (2015–2024)
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded by Lynne Featherstone
Majority 21,475 (44.2%)
Leader of Islington London Borough Council
In office
6 May 2010 – 10 October 2013
Preceded by Terry Stacy
Succeeded by Richard Watts
Member of Islington London Borough Council
for Tollington
In office
2 May 2002 – 22 May 2014
Personal details
Born Catherine Elizabeth West
(1966-09-14) 14 September 1966 (age 59)
Mansfield, Victoria, Australia
Citizenship
  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
Party Labour
Spouse Colin Sutherland
Children 2
Relatives Michael West (brother)
Italia Conti (great-great-aunt)
Education Meriden School
Ravenswood School for Girls
Alma mater
University of Sydney
(BA, BSW)
SOAS, University of London (MA)
Website Official website

Catherine Elizabeth West (born 14 September 1966) is an Australian and British politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hornsey and Friern Barnet, formerly 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.

In May 2026, West called for a cabinet minister to challenge Keir Starmer's leadership, stating that she would stand herself if no senior figure did so. She later withdrew her threat to challenge Starmer, instead stating she wanted Starmer to set out a timetable for an election of a new leader in September.

Early life and career

Catherine Elizabeth West was born on 14 September 1966 in Mansfield, Victoria, Australia.[1] She was one of four children to Janet (née Conti) and Roderick West.[2] Her eldest brother is Michael West[3], an Australian investigative journalist and founder of Michael West Media. 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.[4] West studied modern languages and social work at the University of Sydney, where she was awarded BA and Bachelor of Social Work degrees.[5][6] 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.[5] She then graduated MA in Chinese Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.[7]

West joined the Labour Party in 1998 and became a caseworker for Tottenham MP David Lammy two years later.[5]

From 2 May 2002 to 22 May 2014, West was a member of 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.

Parliamentary career

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.[8][9][10]

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.[11]

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 it 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.[12] Following the EU referendum, West confirmed she would vote against invoking Article 50 should a vote come before parliament.[13]

Official portrait, 2017

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.[14] 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.[15][16][17]

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.[18]

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.[19][20][21]

West returned to the Labour frontbench in 2020 as shadow Sport minister,[22] prior to her promotion to the shadow Foreign Office team under new Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer.[23] 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.[24]

On 11 July 2024, she was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.[25][26] Executive Councillor of Hong Kong Ronny Tong criticised her patronage of Hong Kong Watch, a human rights non-governmental organisation based in Hong Kong. The mainland Chinese and Hong Kong governments have repeatedly described Hong Kong Watch as an anti-Chinese organisation.[27] The organisation allegedly 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.[28]

Challenge to Labour leadership

On 9 May 2026, following Labour's losses in the 2026 United Kingdom local elections, West gave an interview in which she called on a cabinet minister to challenge Keir Starmer's leadership. If this failed to happen, she would challenge him herself.[29] This challenge was compared to Sir Anthony Meyer's challenge to Margaret Thatcher in 1989; however, it was noted by The Independent political editor David Maddox that Labour's process is more arduous, requiring 20% of all incumbent Labour MPs to nominate a candidate to run.[30]

Even though this process is difficult to achieve, Maddox said that West's efforts give "permission for the big beasts to come in", which could possibly include names such as health secretary Wes Streeting and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.[30]

Speaking in North London to the Press Association that night, West argued that:[31]

What I'd really like to see is not a leadership election, but for them to come together and appoint somebody amongst them who can lead us and give us a vision of how we're going to defeat Nigel Farage and the right wing in the coming general election, which could be as soon as possible... This is what we would describe as an electoral emergency and sadly, the Cabinet have not come out strongly to lead us, to tell us what’s coming next.

The Guardian reported that some allies of Andy Burnham tried to encourage West to withdraw her challenge, because it would not give him enough time to enter parliament before a leadership contest.[32]

On 11 May, after a speech from Starmer, West withdrew her threat to challenge Starmer and stand as a candidate, instead saying she wanted Starmer to set out a timetable for an election of a new leader in September, effectively giving Burnham time to return to parliament.[33] As of 11 May 2026, over 70 MPs have publicly called for Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure.[34]

Personal life

West is a Quaker.[35] She is married to Colin Sutherland, Professor of Parasitology, and former co-director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's Malaria Centre.[5][36] They met while studying at the University of Sydney. They have a daughter and a son.[37]

She is a dual British and Australian national.[38] West is a member of the Fabian Society.[39] She is also the great-great-niece of actress Italia Conti.[40]

West speaks five languages, including Mandarin, which she developed while teaching English as a second language in Nanjing, China.[7]

She is a keen swimmer and cyclist.[41]

References

  1. ^ "Election results". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Obituary: Headmaster who inspired thousands of pupils and teachers". February 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  3. ^ Brown, Malcolm (2 February 2016). "Obituary: Headmaster who inspired thousands of pupils and teachers". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  4. ^ "How an Australian expat may help topple a British Prime Minister". 24 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Lamden, Tim (13 March 2015). "Labour's Catherine West: 'I know how to beat Liberal Democrats'". Ham & High. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Catherine West MP". LSTM. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b Self, Josh (10 May 2026). "Starmer's 'stalking horse': who is Labour challenger Catherine West?". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  8. ^ "Hornsey & Wood Green Parliamentary constituency". BBC. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Haringey votes – Haringey Elections website". voting.haringey.gov.uk.
  11. ^ "Catherine West MP". parliament.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  12. ^ Hanretty, Chris (29 June 2016). "The EU referendum: how did Westminster constituencies vote?". Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  13. ^ West, Catherine (27 June 2016). "75% of my constituents voted to remain in the EU. I stand w/ them on this issue & I will vote against Brexit #EUrefpic.twitter.com/TX0lUC5Csb". Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  14. ^ Sparrow, Andrew (1 February 2017). "MPs vote to give May power to trigger article 50 – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  15. ^ "Hornsey & Wood Green parliamentary constituency". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation.
  16. ^ "General Election 2017 in Haringey – Results". London Borough of Haringey. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  17. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
  18. ^ Asthana, Anushka (29 June 2017). "Jeremy Corbyn sacks three frontbenchers after single market vote". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  19. ^ Etheridge, Zina (15 November 2019). "Statement of persons nominated and notice of poll. Election of a Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green" (PDF). Haringey London Borough Council.
  20. ^ "Hornsey & Wood Green parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. 13 December 2019.
  21. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Catherine West MP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  23. ^ "About". Catherine West. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  24. ^ "General Election 2024". London Borough of Haringey. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  25. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  26. ^ "Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Indo-Pacific) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  27. ^ "英國關注港人組織HK WATCH贊助人衛倩婷 任英新政府外交部次官" [Catherine West, patron of the UK-based Hong Kong activist organisation HK Watch, appointed Under-Secretary of State in the new UK government's Foreign Office]. Radio Free Asia (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 11 July 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  28. ^ "英外交部新次官 為香港監察贊助人". 明報教育網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  29. ^ Morton, Beth. "West: 'We can't go on with our main spokesperson being Keir'". BBC News. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  30. ^ a b "How a Tory MP 37 years ago has inspired an MP's 'stalking horse' challenge to Starmer". The Independent. 9 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  31. ^ "Cabinet must unite around a new leader to take fight to Reform, Labour MP says". The Independent. 9 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  32. ^ Mason, Rowena (10 May 2026). "Rayner warns Starmer to change direction as Streeting preparing leadership bid". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  33. ^ Walker, Peter (11 May 2026). "Catherine West backs down from Starmer challenge but urges him to go by September". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  34. ^ Crerar, Pippa; Elgot, Jessica (11 May 2026). "Pressure on Starmer mounts as more than 70 Labour MPs call for him to quit". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  35. ^ "First Quaker MPs elected in a decade". Quakers in Britain. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  36. ^ "Colin Sutherland". London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  37. ^ "Special Report: Catherine West MP reflects on her first six months in Parliament". Ham & High. 20 December 2015. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  38. ^ Bourke, Latika (13 May 2018). "'Utterly absurd': British MPs question Australia's ban on dual citizens". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  39. ^ "Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards". UK Government. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  40. ^ "Catherine West: I am so proud of my ancestor, Italia Conti". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  41. ^ Allegretti, Aubrey (10 May 2026). "Who is Catherine West? Starmer's challenger is scourge of PMs". www.thetimes.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
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