Catherine Fookes
British politician

Catherine Fookes
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
Incumbent
Assumed office
11 September 2025
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byChris Ward
Liz Twist
Member of Parliament
for Monmouthshire
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byDavid TC Davies
Majority3,338 (6.5%)
Monmouthshire County Councillor for Town Ward
In office
5 May 2022 – 22 September 2024
Preceded byWard established
Succeeded byMartin Newell
Personal details
Born (1970-10-21) 21 October 1970 (age 55)
PartyLabour
Alma mater
WebsiteOfficial website

Catherine Ann Fookes (born October 1970) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Monmouthshire since 2024 and since 2025 is a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.[1]

Education

Fookes was born in 1970[2] and was educated at the elite private boarding school Godolphin School in Salisbury. She later studied at Middlesex Polytechnic studying Business studies and French, and later she did a master's degree in Development Studies at the University of Bath.[3]

Professional life

Fookes worked as a Campaigner at ActionAid, Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming and the Organic Trade Board. She served as a board member on the Food and Drink Wales industry board helping to grow and promote the industry in Wales.[4] In 2017 she became CEO of the Women's Equality Network Wales[5] and chair of the Welsh think tank, Fabians Cymru.[6] She is a member of the Fabian Society's executive committee.[7]

Political career

In 2017 Fookes contested the Wyesham ward on Monmouthshire County Council. She came second, by 24 votes, to the Welsh Conservatives' Laura Anne Jones.[8][9] In 2022 she was successfully elected to the council, representing the Town ward in Monmouth.[10]

While on the council she job-shared the equalities and engagement portfolio on the council. She quit her portfolio and job for Women's Equality Network Wales in 2023, after being selected as Labour parliamentary candidate for the 2024 UK general election and to work on the campaign full-time.[11][12]

In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, Fookes raised more than £20,000 from trade unions to fight her campaign.[13]

In the 2024 general election, Fookes was elected as MP for Monmouthshire with a majority of 3,338 (6.5%), defeating former Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies.[6] On 17 July, Fookes announced her intention to resign her role as a councillor with a statement on social media, saying she would stand down "after the summer," saying she wished to avoid a by-election for her constituents in the summer holidays.[14] Fookes resigned her seat in September 2024,[15] with the following by-election won by Martin Newell, the Conservative candidate.[16]

In October 2024, Fookes was elected to the Women and Equalities Select Committee[17]

In her South Wales Argus column, she vowed to end river pollution by 2029, naming it her "top priority".[18][19]

In January 2025, Fookes was elected as a co-chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Western Gateway - a body aimed at boosting economic development in Wales - but the group was forced to close in April 2025, after the UK and Welsh Governments cancelled its funding.[20][21]

In the September 2025 reshuffle, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Fookes as one of his parliamentary private secretaries.[1]

Views and voting record

In January 2024, Fookes came out in favour of more devolution for the Welsh Parliament, including criminal justice.[22]

In July 2024, Fookes came out and defended embattled First Minister Vaughan Gething, stating: "He has my full support". Gething ended up resigning the following month.[23][24]

In January 2025, Fookes voted against holding a national inquiry into grooming gangs.[25]

In November 2024, Fookes voted in favour of removing winter fuel allowance to pensioners.[26][27]

In the same month, Fookes voted in favour of the UK government taxing farmers with its proposed inheritance tax.[28] With 80% of the land in her constituency used for agriculture, Fookes was criticised by farming unions, as reported in the Monmouthshire Beacon.[29]

Fookes praised Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Winter Budget, which was published in December, as "fair and positive day for the future of the country".[29]

References

  1. ^ a b https://x.com/GuidoFawkes/status/1966156622150902200
  2. ^ "Catherine Ann Fookes – Companies House". gov.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  3. ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-fookes-60831220/ [bare URL]
  4. ^ Mosalski, Ruth (5 July 2024). "The full list of all 32 MPs in Wales and who they are". Wales Online. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  5. ^ Fookes, Catherine (29 September 2017). "WEN Wales Announces New Director". Women's Equality Network Wales. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b Owen, Twm (5 July 2024). "General election 2024: Labour win in Monmouthshire". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Executive committee". Fabian Society. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  8. ^ "Election results for Wyesham, 4 May 2017". Monmouthshire County Council. 4 May 2017. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Wyesham Ward". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Election results for Town, 5 May 2022". monmouthshire sir fynwy. 5 May 2022. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  11. ^ Owen, Twm (17 May 2023). "Monmouthshire cabinet: Catherine Fookes and Tudor Thomas out". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Councillor details – County Councillor Catherine Fookes – Modern Council". Monmouthshire Sir Fynwy. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Register of Interests for Catherine Fookes - MPS and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk.
  14. ^ Price, Emily (17 July 2024). "Newly elected Welsh MP steps down as councillor". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Newly elected MP resigns from seat she was elected to at 2022 elections". South Wales Argus. 22 September 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  16. ^ Jones, Rhodri (25 October 2024). "Martin Newell has been elected as a ward member for the Town Ward in Monmouth". Monmouthshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  17. ^ Fookes, Catherine. "Catherine Fookes elected member of the Women and Equalities Select Committee". X (Formerly known as Twitter).
  18. ^ Fookes, Catherine (6 January 2025). "Catherine Fookes MP reveals priorities for the year ahead". South Wales Argus.
  19. ^ Fookes, Catherine (15 January 2025). "The View from Westminster with Catherine Fookes MP". Abergavenny Chronicle.
  20. ^ Wood, David (10 January 2025). "MPs and peers join new group to support Western Gateway". Punchline Gloucester. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  21. ^ "Wales-England border body Western Gateway loses funding". www.bbc.co.uk. 24 April 2025.
  22. ^ "We need further devolution to Wales, including over the criminal justice and probation service argues @CatherineFookes. Labour governments in Wales and Westminster will lead to mutual respect, which will help everyone". X (formerly Twitter). 20 January 2024. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Welsh secretary rejects Vaughan Gething 'damaged goods' claim". www.bbc.com. 7 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Wales' first minister Vaughan Gething resigns as ministers quit". www.bbc.co.uk. 16 July 2024.
  25. ^ "MPS vote against Tory call for new grooming gangs inquiry". www.bbc.co.uk. 8 January 2025.
  26. ^ "How local MPS voted on the winter fuel question". Monmouthshire Beacon. 10 September 2024.
  27. ^ "Monmouthshire MP criticised in Senedd". Abergavenny Chronicle. 27 March 2025.
  28. ^ https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-labour-mps-slammed-over-vote-backing-inheritance-tax-changes-for-farmers/
  29. ^ a b https://www.abergavennychronicle.com/news/monmouthshire-mp-slammed-for-supporting-controversial-inheritance-tax-legislation-857814
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Catherine Fookes.
  • Official website
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catherine_Fookes&oldid=1331808227"