Catherine is the Labour MP for Hornsey & Wood Green and Shadow Foreign Minister, covering Europe and the Americas. Before being elected as an MP in 2015, Catherine was leader of Islington Council. In February 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.
Since first being elected to Parliament in 2015, Catherine has served in a number of roles including Shadow Foreign Minister (covering China and Australasia), member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on International Trade, member of the joint Committee on Arms Export Controls and member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and Shadow Sports Minister.
Catherine is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vice Chair of the APPG on Rare, Genetic & Undiagnosed Conditions, Deputy-Chair of the APPG on China, Vice-Chair of the APPG on North Korea, the patron of Hong Kong Watch and the Vice-Chair of the APPG on American Football. In 2017 she established the All-Party Parliamentary Group on swimming. Catherine was a strong supporter of the campaign to remain in the EU and voted against triggering Article 50.