Kate Osborne | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament forJarrow and Gateshead East Jarrow (2019–2024) | |
| Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen Hepburn |
| Majority | 8,946 (24.4%) |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Other political affiliations | Socialist Campaign Group (2019–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | South Tyneside |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Website | kate-osborne |
Katharine Helen Osborne[1] is a BritishLabour Party politician who has been theMember of Parliament (MP) forJarrow and Gateshead East, formerly Jarrow since 2019.[2][3]
Osborne worked forRoyal Mail for 25 years. Her first foray into politics came in 2009, when she contested aby-election for Preston ward onNorth Tyneside Council, losing toConservative David Sarin.[4] The following year, Osborne was elected to represent the ward at the2010 local elections, gaining the seat from the Conservative incumbent. She was re-elected to represent Preston in2014, and again in2018.[5][6][7] Osborne did not stand at the2022 North Tyneside elections.[8]
She was elected to theHouse of Commons at the2019 United Kingdom general election, representingJarrow, asafe seat for Labour. She succeeded the party's former MPStephen Hepburn, who had been prevented from standing again over allegations of misconduct.[9] Osborne is a member of Labour's left-wingSocialist Campaign Group.[10]
Osborne was appointedParliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Shadow Home Affairs team, led byShadow Home SecretaryDiane Abbott, in January 2020.[11] She served until the front bench reshuffle followingKeir Starmer's election asLabour Leader in April 2020. Osborne returned as a PPS in December 2021, this time to the Shadow Northern Ireland team led byShadow Secretary of StatePeter Kyle.[12]
In 2021, she was selected for theArmed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, assigned to theRoyal Air Force.[13]
During theJune 2022 rail strikes, Osborne joined a picket line with railway workers, reportedly going against orders from her party not to do so. Commenting, she said, "Solidarity to workers on strike today, they have my full support."[14]
In December 2023, Osborne came under scrutiny for accusing Conservative MPKemi Badenoch of likening trans children to "the spread of a disease" during a parliamentary meeting. When asked by Badenoch, Osborne failed to identify when Badenoch said this. Osborne was later accused of making up quotes that didn't exist.[15]
Osborne describes herself as an "out queer woman"[16] and is an activist and campaigner in the trade union andLGBT+ movements.[17]
She was married to Pamela Brooks,[18] a former North Tyneside councillor.[5][19] The couple served on the council at the same time, including four years in which they both represented Preston ward.[20] Brooks gained Preston from the Conservative candidate who had defeated her partner in 2009. Osborne has two sons and lives in her Jarrow constituency.[21]
On 16 March 2020, Osborne became the second BritishMember of Parliament to test positive forCOVID-19, after ConservativeNadine Dorries.[22] She was inself-isolation in her London flat for three weeks.[23][24]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forJarrow 2019–2024 | Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament forJarrow and Gateshead East 2024–present | Incumbent |