Kate Garvey member of political party Labour Party
Career
Political staff member
Garvey's career began as a personal assistant for the Labour Party under leader Neil Kinnock. From there, she moved to become diary secretary for Tony Blair.In 1994 during Blair's leadership bid, Garvey suggested that Peter Mandelson, who was at the time being derided by the trade unions and other Labour factions, should adopt a "nom de guerre" to conceal his considerable role within the campaign team. Mandelson agreed to be called "Bobby" for the duration. In his victory speech, Blair referred to Mandelson by the false name.From 1997 until 2005, except for campaign seasons, Garvey worked in the Prime Minister's Private Office. She was responsible for presentation and planning of domestic and foreign events and visits. By 2005, Garvey's role had progressed to scheduling. Aide Katie Kay, who had worked for Blair's advisor John Birt, had taken over the diary secretary job.On the campaign circuit, Garvey worked on Blair's behalf in the general election of 1997 and of 2001. A 2001 story in The Daily Telegraph, "Babes on the Bus who keep the campaign journalists at bay", described Garvey as one of a band of women led by Anji Hunter who kept discipline on the political tour with their superior-to-male attention to detail. In Blair's 2005 election, Garvey ran his election tour.
In his memoir A Journey, Blair reflected on Garvey's importance:
affiliated with political party party membership political party member partisan affiliation political affiliation