Kate Stewart

**Kate Anne Lethinbridge-Stewart** (born 14 January 1965) is a British politician serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party since 2016. She was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2015 to 2016 alongside being First Secretary of State, and previously served as Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities from 2014 to 2015. Stewart has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Edgbaston since 2005 and previously served in the parliamentary offices of Terry Davis (former MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill from 1979 to 2004).

Stewart attended the University of Birmingham. She was elected as the National Policy Forum Chair in 2014, in which she was responsible for the Labour Party's policy platform in the 2015 General Election.

After Llewellyn Pryce resigned in 2016, Stewart was elected Labour leader and appointed prime minister. She re-negotiated the coalition agreement which was in place with the Liberal Democrats. Stewart was re-elected in the 2020 General Election in May 2020 in which she led the Labour Party to victory with 46.5 per cent of the vote, and the party's largest seat share since 2001. On 8 May 2020, she announced the Second Stewart Ministry.

Stewart is a fairly popular figure in British politics. Supporters have praised her as strong and a breath of fresh air, with an appeal stretching beyond traditional Labour voters. Stewart's political positions generally follow socialist and pragmatic approaches to government.

## Early Life and Education

Kate Anne Lethbridge-Stewart was born to Fiona and Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart three years into their marriage which lasted up until those three years as Fiona unfortunately passed during the birth. As a child, her father never told her of his work as an advisor to the Ministry of Defence 1975 to 1978 (but was a Brigadier in the British Armed Forces until his retirement in 1990 and his death from dementia in 1997), she was only aware that he was a military man and was under the impression that it was a boring job. Kate was born in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. She lived in Harborne for all of her childhood.

Her father was an avid member of the Socialist Campaign Group, believing in LGBT rights, better support for patients with AIDS/HIV, and bringing justice to the world. Her mother, was a industry worker who helped to work for the war effort during World War Two. She (Fiona) built up weapons for the British Armed Forces.

Kate grew up in Harbone, Birmingham, she lived with her father. Kate attended the local primary school and whilst at her Secondary education took up an interest towards politics and history. Kate went to what is now Harbone Academy, afterwards studying political science at the University of Birmingham receiving an alma mater in political science in 1989.

## Adulthood and Office Work

After Kate graduated from university she began to take up many jobs in which she worked in retail which as she slowly built up her reputation and portfolio, she was able to take an office job in a local solicitor office. In which she would come across Terry Davis, the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hodge Hill, he offered a job working for his office, this happened in 1992. A year after she gave birth to her son Gordon.

During her work in Davis' office she was able to gain experience and a further political reputation, she was eventually selected to be the candidate for the constituency of Birmingham Edgbaston by the Constituency Labour Party for the 2005 General Election. This was due to the sitting Member of Parliament Gisela Stuart, not wishing to stand again for election. Stewart won her constituency in the 2005 General Election, with an increased majority of 18.000 - a landslide at the time, which didn't reflect the national swing towards the Conservatives.

## Early political career

### Member of Parliament (2005-2014)

In Parliament, Stewart was appointed to a standing committee assessing the Proceeds of Crime Bill, in which she attended all the meetings for such.

### 2016 Labour Leadership Election

On 9 June 2016, Stewart confirmed she would stand in the forthcoming Labour Party leadership election following Llewellyn Pryce's resignation. On 12 June 2016, Stewart formally launched her campaign, saying that a "country that puts the British people at heart, I began that change as Deputy Leader and I intend to bring that as Leader", further stating also her prime focus would be on "our future, the European Union, the deficit, independence, the rights of workers and our diverse country".

The members' vote closed on 8 July 2016. The following day, Stewart was elected leader with 70.0% to Levy's 30.0% of the vote.

## Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

### First term (July 2016-May 2020)

On 10 July 2016, the day following Stewart's election as Labour Party leader, Queen Elizabeth II accepted Llewellyn Pryce's resignation and appointed Stewart as prime minister. Stewart appointed Angela Rayner, whom she worked with on the Labour Leadership campaign, as her senior advisor and Government spokesperson.

#### First Cabinet

Stewart appointed her Cabinet on 10 July 2016, dismissing former senior ministers and renegotiated briefly with the Liberal Democrat leader, Marie Stuart. The mass reorganisation was the most extensive post-war Cabinet reorganisation without a change in the ruling party.

Among other appointments, Stewart made Andy Burnham the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (in 2017 she made Burnham First Secretary of State impeding his election as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party), and appointed Bridget Phillipson and Michael Cairns as the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary, respectively. Stewart increased the number of ministers attending the Cabinet to \_\_, \_\_ more than had attended the Pryce Cabinet. \_\_ of those appointed were women, and the Cabinet set a record for ethnic minority representation, with \_\_ secretaries of state and \_\_ additional ministers coming from minority backgrounds. Stewart also created the Department for Equality and Social Fairness (from 2020 onwards it has been known as the Department for Equality and Social Justice), which was held by Wes Streeting until 2020.