Kate Dearden
{{Short description|British politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}
{{infobox office holder
| name = Kate Dearden
| honorific-suffix = MP
| image = Official portrait of Kate Dearden MP crop 2.jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2024
| office1 = Assistant Government Whip
| primeminister1 = Keir Starmer
| term_start1 = 18 July 2024
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| office2 = Member of Parliament
for Halifax
| term_start2 = 4 July 2024
| majority2 = 6,269 (15.5%)
| predecessor2 = Holly Lynch
| birth_date = April 1994 (age 30)
| birth_place = Bingley, West Yorkshire, England
| party = Labour and Co-operative
| alma_mater = University of Edinburgh{{cite news|url=https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/politics/general-election-2024-labour-announce-candidate-hoping-to-keep-halifax-for-the-party-when-town-goes-to-the-polls-after-holly-lynch-steps-down-4659402|first=John|last=Greenwood|date=10 June 2024|title=General election 2024: Labour announce candidate hoping to keep Halifax for the party when town goes to the polls after Holly Lynch steps down|work=Halifax Courier|accessdate=5 July 2024}}
| education = St Bede's and St Joseph's Catholic College
}}
Kate Alexandra Dearden (born April 1994) is an English Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Halifax since 2024. She previously worked for the Community Trade Union.
Early life and career
Dearden was born and raised in Bingley, West Yorkshire, and attended St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College in Bradford.{{Cite web |last=Blackburn |first=Ralph |date=2024-11-17 |title=Kate Dearden: meet the new Halifax MP with trade unions 'in my blood' |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/kate-dearden-meet-the-new-halifax-mp-with-trade-unions-in-my-blood-4869612 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Yorkshire Post |language=en}} She studied for MA (Hons) International Relations at the University of Edinburgh,{{Cite web |last=Greenwood |first=John |date=2024-06-10 |title=Labour announce candidate hoping to keep Halifax for the party after Holly Lynch steps down |url=https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/politics/general-election-2024-labour-announce-candidate-hoping-to-keep-halifax-for-the-party-when-town-goes-to-the-polls-after-holly-lynch-steps-down-4659402 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Halifax Courier |language=en}} where she was Chair of Edinburgh Labour Students and campaigned for equal marriage in Scotland.
During her third year at university, Dearden worked as a Campaign Organiser for Ian Murray MP, before working for Kezia Dugdale MSP (then Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament and Member of Scottish Parliament for Lothian) in her fourth year.
After graduating, Dearden served as Chair of the National Labour Students Committee until June 2017,{{Cite web |last=Dickinson |first=Jim |date=1 July 2024 |title=The former student leaders entering Parliament |url=https://wonkhe.com/blogs/the-student-leaders-that-could-be-about-to-enter-parliament/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Wonkhe |language=en-GB}} having begun working as a Campaigns Officer for the Labour Party in April. Whilst Chair of the Labour Students, Dearden launched training against antisemitism at the Oxford University Labour Club.{{Cite web |last=Frommer |first=Rachel |date=2017-02-13 |title=UK Labour Party Student Group Launches New Antisemitism Education Program in Effort to Repair Relations With Jewish Community |url=https://www.algemeiner.com/2017/02/13/uk-labour-party-student-group-launches-new-antisemitism-education-program-in-effort-to-repair-relations-with-jewish-community/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=The Algemeiner |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Mendel |first=Jack |date=15 February 2017 |title=Labour student chair: Party must stand 'in solidarity' with Jews |url=https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/labour-student-chair-party-must-stand-in-solidarity-with-jews/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Jewish News |language=en-US}}
Dearden worked for Community Union from 2017 - 2024.{{Cite news |date=2022-05-15 |title=Wakefield Labour candidate chosen after committee walks out |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-61458020 |access-date=2025-04-16 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} Beginning as a Research and Campaigns Officer in October 2017, Dearden was then promoted to be Head of Research, Policy & External Relations in January 2020.{{cite web |title=Kate Dearden MP |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/katedearden/ |accessdate=4 March 2025 |website=Linkedin}}
Parliamentary career
Dearden attempted to stand as a candidate in the 2022 Wakefield by-election,{{Cite web |last=Chappell |first=Elliot |date=2022-05-11 |title=Wakefield Labour is speedily picking a candidate. Here's what is happening |url=https://labourlist.org/2022/05/wakefield-labour-is-speedily-picking-a-candidate-heres-whats-happening/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=LabourList |language=en-GB}} but was not selected.{{Cite web |last=Chappell |first=Elliot |date=13 May 2022 |title=Exclusive: Labour accused of breaching rules in Wakefield candidate selection |url=https://labourlist.org/2022/05/exclusive-labour-accused-of-breaching-rules-in-wakefield-candidate-selection/ |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=LabourList }}
Dearden was elected as Member of Parliament for Halifax in the 2024 United Kingdom general election, succeeding the former Labour MP for Halifax, Holly Lynch, who stood down.{{cite news |title=Halifax – General election results 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001262 |access-date=5 July 2024 |work=BBC News }}{{Cite web |last=Chippindale |first=Jane |date=2024-07-10 |title=Kate Dearden MP: I'm here in Westminster to serve the people of Halifax, to ensure everyone’s voice is heard |url=https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/politics/kate-dearden-mp-im-here-in-westminster-to-serve-the-people-of-halifax-to-ensure-everyones-voice-is-heard-4697257 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Halifax Courier |language=en}} Dearden was appointed Assistant Whip, House of Commons on 18 July 2024.{{cite web |title=Assistant Whip, House of Commons |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/assistant-whip-house-of-commons--9 |accessdate=22 July 2024 |website=Gov.uk}}
From 2025, she has offered cost of living advice surgeries to her constituents.{{Cite web |last=Chippindale |first=Jane |date=2025-02-19 |title=Kate Dearden MP: Paving the way for a more resilient energy future for everyone |url=https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/politics/kate-dearden-mp-paving-the-way-for-a-more-resilient-energy-future-for-everyone-4998185 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Halifax Courier |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Dearden |first=Kate |date=2025-04-16 |title=Kate Dearden MP: Tackling the cost of living |url=https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/politics/kate-dearden-mp-tackling-the-cost-of-living-5085634 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Halifax Courier |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
{{UK MP links
| parliament = 5224
| publicwhip = Kate_Dearden
| theywork = 26548
}}
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{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=Holly Lynch}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Halifax|years=2024–present}}
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{{Labour Party UK MPs}}
{{Authority control}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Dearden, Kate}}
Category:Labour Co-operative MPs for English constituencies
Category:21st-century British women politicians
Category:British women trade unionists
Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies