   martin philip caton (born 15 june 1951) is a british labour party politician who has been the member of parliament (mp) for gower since 1997. == early life and career == caton was born in bishop's stortford and educated at the newport free grammar school near saffron walden, the norfolk school of agriculture, and the aberystwyth college of further education. from 1974 he worked for 10 years as a research officer with the welsh plant breeding station at aberystwyth before becoming a researcher for the member of the european parliament david morris. he was elected as a councillor of the mumbles community council 1986-1990, and to the swansea city council from 1988 until his election to parliament. == political career == he won the safe labour seat of gower at the 1997 general election on the retirement of gareth wardell. he was elected with a majority of 13,007 and made a very amusing maiden speech on 4 june 1997, in which he defended the cockle industry in his constituency. caton has been a little rebellious in parliament, having participated in the rebellion of labour mps voting against the government decision to invade iraq in 2003, and also being one of the 88 labour mps to vote against replacing the trident nuclear missile system, caton having been a member of the campaign for nuclear disarmament for years. within parliament, he has spent a long time on the welsh affairs select committee and sits with the socialist campaign group of labour mps. == personal life == he married bethan evans in 1996 and they have two daughters. == references ==  ==external
1951_births Councillors_in_Wales Labour_Party_(UK)_MPs Living_people Members_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom_for_Welsh_constituencies People_from_Bishop\'s_Stortford Politics_of_Swansea UK_MPs_1997a2001 UK_MPs_2001a05 UK_MPs_2005a10 UK_MPs_2010a