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Katie White (politician)

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Katie White
OBE MP
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament
for Leeds North West
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byAlex Sobel
Majority11,896
Personal details
Born1980 or 1981 (age 43–44)
Adel, Leeds, England
Political partyLabour
SpouseSam White
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow (MA)
Websitekatie4leedsnw.com

Katie Jayne White OBE (born 1980 or 1981)[1] is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Leeds North West since 2024.

Early life and education

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White was born and grew up in Adel, Leeds.[2] She was privately educated at Leeds Girls' High School,[3] and received a Master of Arts degree in Politics from the University of Glasgow in 2003.[4]

Career before Parliament

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After graduating White did an internship in Washington DC where she first became interested in the issue of climate change.[3] She went on to work at Friends of the Earth, during her time there she co-led the campaign for the Climate Change Act 2008.[4][5]

In 2009 White aided the UK government to prepare for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen,[6] and went on to work at the newly created Department for Energy and Climate Change. From October 2012 to April 2014 she was European campaigns director of One.org, and she then became an independent campaigns director.[7]

She worked for WWF as Director for Campaigns and Advocacy from September 2019 to April 2024,[4][7] and in 2019 she joined private school operator Nord Anglia Education, leading their charitable foundation.[8] White is a trustee of the Mindfulness Initiative, which works with politicians to introduce the practice of mindfulness into policy-making.[9]

Parliamentary career

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Following a hustings in Leeds North West in November 2023, White was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the next general election;[10] this was later called to take place on 4 July 2024. She won the seat with 46% of the vote and a majority of 11,896 over the second-placed Conservative candidate. There were a total of seven candidates, and a turnout of 70%.[11]

Although Alex Sobel had previously held Leeds North West for Labour, boundary changes following the 2023 boundary changes meant that the notional 2019 result for the current seat was Conservative, so the result was described as a "Labour gain from Conservative".[11][12] White is the first female MP to be elected to the Leeds North West constituency.[13]

Awards

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White's campaigning work led to her being appointed OBE in the 2013 Birthday Honours.[8] She was described in the official citation as "lately Head of International and UK Engagement, Department of Energy and Climate Change", and the award was "For services to tackling Climate Change Engagement in the UK and overseas".[14]

Personal life

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White is married to Sam White and has two children.[8][15]

References

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  1. ^ Connolly, James (17 July 2024). "New Labour MP Katie White sets out priorities for Leeds North West constituency including climate and housing". Yorkshire Evening Post.
  2. ^ "Home". Katie 4 Leeds NW. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b "What Katie did next – from talking torque to climate campaigner". The Grammar School at Leeds. 31 January 2020. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Bentley, Maddie (1 May 2024). "Katie White OBE, prospective parliamentary candidate for Leeds North West". Lippy Mag. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  5. ^ "After COP26: lessons learned and the way forward: On the panel". Aspen Institute UK. 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  6. ^ Lomax, Claire (1 March 2024). "Alastair Campbell joins Labour's Katie White OBE for events night". Wharfedale Observer. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Katie White OBE". LinkedIn. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "Inspirational Woman: Katie White OBE". We Are the City. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Patrons & Trustees". The Mindfulness Initiative. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  10. ^ Mason, Viv (28 November 2023). "Labour picks candidate to run for Leeds North West in next GE". Wharfedale Observer. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Leeds North West results". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  12. ^ "UK Parliament election results: Notional election for the constituency of Leeds North West on 12 December 2019". UK Parliament election results. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  13. ^ "First female chancellor hailed a 'game-changer'". BBC News. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  14. ^ "No. 60534". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2013. p. 14.
  15. ^ "Climate Change and Education Bring An OBE for Katie White and MBE for Lewis Bronze". ChiswickW4.com. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Leeds North West
2024–present 		Incumbent
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