Catherine West is the Labour Member of Parliament for Hornsey & Wood Green. Before becoming an MP she was Leader of Islington Council, Chair of London Councils’ Transport & Environment Committee and a member of the LGA Finance Panel. In 2013 she was awarded the ‘Local Authority Leader of the Year’ award by the Local Government Information Unit for her work leading the Islington Fairness Commission. Catherine speaks five languages and holds a degree in Social Science and Languages and a Masters Degree in Chinese Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies. She was a Shadow Foreign Office Minister from 2015-17 and is a member of the International Trade Committee in Parliament and Chair of the APPG on Swimming.