:Catherine Fookes

Fookes was born in 1970{{cite web |title=Catherine Ann Fookes – Companies House |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/RdbsdhlGdDTS084KOl5UEmiLx2o/appointments |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=gov.uk}} and was educated at the private Godolphin School. She later studied at Middlesex Polytechnic studying Business studies and French, and later she did a Masters in Development Studies at the University of Bath.https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-fookes-60831220/

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.[https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/full-list-32-mps-wales-29449942] In 2017 she became CEO of the Women's Equality Network Wales{{Cite web |last=Fookes |first=Catherine |date=2017-09-29 |title=WEN Wales Announces New Director |url=https://wenwales.org.uk/wen-wales-announces-new-director/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822192531/https://wenwales.org.uk/wen-wales-announces-new-director/ |archive-date=2024-08-22 |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=Women's Equality Network Wales |language=en-GB}} and chair of the Welsh think tank, Fabians Cymru.{{cite news |last=Owen |first=Twm |date=5 July 2024 |title=General election 2024: Labour win in Monmouthshire |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/24432546.general-election-2024-labour-win-monmouthshire/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |work=South Wales Argus}}

In 2017 Fookes contested the Wyesham ward on Monmouthshire County Council. She came second, by 24 votes, to the Welsh Conservatives' Laura Anne Jones.{{Cite web |date=2017-05-04 |title=Election results for Wyesham, 4 May 2017 |url=https://democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=249&RPID=32570874 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707220151/https://democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=249&RPID=32570874 |archive-date=2024-07-07 |access-date=2024-07-07 |publisher=Monmouthshire County Council |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Wyesham Ward |url=https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/ward/11343/ |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=Local Elections Archive Project}} In 2022 she was successfully elected to the Council, representing the Town ward in Monmouth.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-05 |title=Election results for Town, 5 May 2022 |url=https://democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=405 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925230509/https://democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=405 |archive-date=2023-09-25 |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=monmouthshire sir fynwy |language=en}}

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.{{cite news|first=Twm |last=Owen |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/columnists/23529955.monmouthshire-cabinet-catherine-fookes-tudor-thomas/ |title=Monmouthshire cabinet: Catherine Fookes and Tudor Thomas out |work=South Wales Argus |date=17 May 2023 |access-date=2024-07-04 }}{{Cite web |title=Councillor details – County Councillor Catherine Fookes – Modern Council |url=https://democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1860&RPID=32570969 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707220716/https://democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1860&RPID=32570969 |archive-date=2024-07-07 |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=Monmouthshire Sir Fynwy}}

In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, Fookes raised more than £20,000 from trade unions to fight her campaign. https://members.parliament.uk/member/5291/registeredinterests

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. 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.{{Cite web |last=Price |first=Emily |date=2024-07-17 |title=Newly elected Welsh MP steps down as councillor |url=https://nation.cymru/news/newly-elected-welsh-mp-steps-down-as-councillor/ |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=Nation.Cymru |language=en-GB}} Fookes resigned her seat in September 2024,{{Cite web |date=2024-09-22 |title=Newly elected MP resigns from seat she was elected to at 2022 elections |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/24588286.catherine-fookes-mp-resigns-monmouthshire-council-seat/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=South Wales Argus |language=en}} with the following by-election won by Martin Newell, the Conservative candidate.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Rhodri |date=2024-10-25 |title=Martin Newell has been elected as a ward member for the Town Ward in Monmouth. |url=https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/2024/10/martin-newell-has-been-elected-as-a-ward-member-for-the-town-ward-in-monmouth/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Monmouthshire |language=en}}

In October 2024, Fookes was elected to the Women and Equalities Select Committee{{Cite web |last=Fookes |first=Catherine |title=Catherine Fookes elected member of the Women and Equalities Select Committee |url=https://x.com/CatherineFookes/status/1847191137565413814 |website=X (Formerly known as Twitter)}}

In her South Wales Argus column, she vowed to end river pollution by 2029, naming it her "top priority".https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/columnists/politics_file/24829450.monmouthshire-mp-catherine-fookes-reveals-priorities-2025/https://www.abergavennychronicle.com/opinion/the-view-from-westminster-with-catherine-fookes-mp-755183

In January 2025, Fookes was elected as a Co-Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Western Gateway.{{cite news|url=https://www.punchline-gloucester.com/articles/aanews/mps-and-peers-join-new-group-to-support-western-gateway|title=MPs and peers join new group to support Western Gateway|last=Wood|first=David|date=10 January 2025|work=Punchline Gloucester|accessdate=26 February 2025}}

In January 2024, Fookes came out in favour of more devolution for the Welsh Parliament, including criminal justice.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-20 |title=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. |url=https://x.com/thefabians/status/1748691880106160189 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727015121/https://x.com/thefabians/status/1748691880106160189 |archive-date=2024-07-27 |website=X (formerly Twitter)}}

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.https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd1d9p7m94nohttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c51ydeeeeyro

In November 2024, Fookes voted in favour of removing winter fuel allowance to pensioners. https://www.monmouthshirebeacon.co.uk/news/how-local-mps-voted-on-the-winter-fuel-debate-720613 https://www.abergavennychronicle.com/news/politics/labour-mp-criticised-for-winter-fuel-payment-cuts-amid-welsh-ae-strain-778190

In 2025, Fookes voted against holding an inquiry into grooming gangs. https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/how-your-mp-voted-grooming-gangs-inquiry-3469733?srsltid=AfmBOoqsSDxj2EEDknRlkSL1DR_5607Mrc0upPuS8-w8UdPyTcF6UshZ https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/how-your-mp-voted-on-holding-an-inquiry-into-grooming-gangs/ar-AA1xc3lp?cvid=1BD98B4917C744B69DE766FDADE037D9&ocid=bingcoronaviruslinks&apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1

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Category:1970 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Welsh women politicians

Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Welsh constituencies

Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Monmouthshire

Category:UK MPs 2024–present

Category:Welsh Labour MPs

Category:Welsh Labour councillors

Category:Women councillors in Wales