Kate Osamor

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Kate Osamor
MP
Official portrait, 2020
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
In office
27 June 2016 – 1 December 2018
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byDiane Abbott
Succeeded byDan Carden
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
In office
14 January 2016 – 27 June 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byCarolyn Harris
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition
In office
12 September 2015 – 14 January 2016
Serving with Steve Rotheram
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byKaren Buck
Wayne David
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Member of Parliament
for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
Edmonton (2015–2024)
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byAndy Love
Majority12,632 (30.8%)
Personal details
Born
Ofunne Kate Osamor

(1968-08-15) 15 August 1968 (age 56)
London, England, UK
Political partyLabour Co-operative
Domestic partnerKim Udi (separated)
Children1
ParentMartha Osamor (mother)
EducationNew City College
University of East London (BA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Ofunne Kate Osamor (/oʊˈsæmɔːr/;[1] born 15 August 1968)[2] is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill, previously Edmonton, since 2015. She was Shadow Secretary of State for International Development from 2016 to 2018. She is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group parliamentary caucus.[3]

Early life and career

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Ofunne Kate Osamor was born on 15 August 1968 in North London and grew up in Haringey.[4][5] She was one of four children; her father died when she was a child and her mother, politician Martha Osamor (née Oburotha), had to work "three, sometimes four jobs".[6][7]

Osamor was educated at Creighton Comprehensive School in Muswell Hill from 1979 to 1983. She completed an access course at Hackney College from 2003 to 2006, and subsequently read Third World Studies at the University of East London. Osamor was diagnosed with dyslexia at university, to which she attributes some of her difficulties at school.[8][9]

She worked for The Big Issue newspaper after graduating,[8] but principally worked in the NHS and been active in Unite the Union.[10] Osamor was an executive assistant in a general practitioner (GP) out of hours service for 9 years and a GP practice manager for 2 years.

In 2014, Osamor was elected a member of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party.[8]

Political career

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Osamor in 2017

1st parliament (2015-2017)

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At the 2015 general election, Osamor was elected to Parliament as MP for Edmonton with 61.4% of the vote and a majority of 15,419.[11]

Osamor was one of 36 Labour MPs to nominate Jeremy Corbyn as a candidate in the Labour leadership election of 2015.[12] She was appointed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Corbyn in September 2015.[13]

On 14 January 2016, Osamor was appointed to the Opposition frontbench as Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities.[14]

Also in January 2016, Osamor was accused of hypocrisy for advertising an unpaid internship which paid expenses only. Osamor subsequently withdrew the advert, claiming it had been a "misunderstanding".[15][16]

On 27 June 2016, after the resignations of numerous members of Labour's ministerial team due to disquiet over the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, Osamor was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.[17]

Osamor has served as the chair for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Nigeria since 2015.[18]

2nd term (2017-2019)

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At the snap 2017 general election, Osamor was re-elected as MP for Edmonton with an increased vote share of 71.5% and an increased majority of 21,115.[19][20] After her re-election, she was accused of plagiarising sections of her victory address from Barack Obama's 2008 speech.[21] According to Osamor, she "deliberately invoked a victory speech so famous that she thought it needed no introduction".[22]

In her role as Shadow International Development Secretary, Osamor in December 2018 advocated an increase in aid funding for women's groups, and argued that international aid should be targeted towards schemes which aimed to reduce inequality, as well as schemes aimed at poverty reduction.[23][24]

On 29 August 2019, she warned that the monarchy could be abolished, following Queen Elizabeth II approving Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to suspend Parliament.[25]

Parliamentary standards investigation

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In October 2018, it was revealed that Osamor continued to employ her son, Ishmael, in her Parliamentary office despite his drug-related convictions.[26] The Labour Party initially claimed that Osamor, who also lives with her son, knew nothing about his case until sentencing on 26 October. However, it later emerged that she had written to the trial judge asking for leniency before his sentencing on 19 October.[27] She faced further criticism when it was revealed that she used parliamentary stationery and referenced her shadow cabinet position in writing to the judge.[28]

Upon being doorstepped by reporter from The Times about the issue, Osamor threw a bucket of water, shouted profanities, and said "I should have come down here with a...bat and smashed your face open".[29][30][31][32] Osamor was first referred to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in November 2018, by a Conservative MP, and the investigation was expanded following the incident with the journalist.[33] She denied any wrongdoing, and called the initial referral "politically motivated".[33]

Osamor resigned from the Shadow Cabinet on 1 December 2018,[34] stating she needed "to concentrate on supporting my family through the difficult time we have been experiencing".[35] She later tweeted that she was "deeply sorry for (her) emotional outbursts and ... working to better manage (her) feelings".[36]

On 19 March 2020, the Standards Commissioner found Osamor guilty of two breaches of Parliamentary rules.[37] The first breach was the use of House of Commons paper for her son's reference, and the second was the abusing and assaulting the journalist. She was ordered to produce a written apology for her actions.[38] Osamor accepted that she broke the rules and apologised to the Commissioner, although she later commented that she was "the target of a witch-hunt, and that race and class were factors".[39]

Ishmael remains Chief of Staff in his mother’s parliamentary office.[40][41] A ban on MPs employing family members and other ‘Connected Parties’ came in to effect after the 2020 general election, however it was not applied to existing employees.[42]

3rd term (2019-2024)

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In October 2019, local party members voted for Osamor to face a re-selection contest to stand at the next general election.[43] However, the contest was scrapped when the 2019 general election was called.[44] At the general election, Osamor was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 65% and a decreased majority of 16,015.[45][46]

In January 2022, Osamor and four other Labour delegates to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe tabled ten amendments to a resolution on "Combating rising hate against LGBTI people".[47] The amendments sought to include the word "sex" alongside gender identity, de-conflate the situation in the UK from Hungary, Poland, Russia and Turkey, and remove references to alleged anti-LGBTI movements in the UK. The delegates received both praise and criticism.[48][49]

On 28 January 2024, Osamor had the Labour Party parliamentary whip withdrawn pending an investigation into comments she made about Holocaust Memorial Day in her weekly newsletter. She wrote that there was an "international duty" to remember the victims of the Holocaust and that "more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and now Gaza" should also be remembered.[50][51] On 8 May 2024, the Labour whip was restored to her.[52]

4th term (2024-)

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Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Osamor's constituency of Edmonton was abolished, and replaced with Edmonton and Winchmore Hill. At the 2024 general election, Osamor was elected to Parliament as MP for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill with 50% of the vote and a majority of 12,632.[53]

Personal life

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She had a son in 1989, Ishmael Osamor (born Ishmael Udi), with her then partner Kim Udi. Ishmael served as a Councillor and Cabinet Member on Haringey Council. He resigned from his position at Haringey Council after his criminal conviction in 2018.[54]

Her mother, Martha, is a Labour activist and politician who served as a Councillor and Deputy Leader of Haringey Council.[55][10] She was appointed to the House of Lords in 2018, on the recommendation of Jeremy Corbyn.[56]

References

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  1. ^ Osamor, Kate (2016). Kate Osamor MP - EU Referendum #Remain. YouTube. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
    Osamor, Kate (2017). Alumna Kate Osamor MP talks about how UEL shaped her life. YouTube. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Kate Osamor". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  3. ^ Quinn, Chay (29 January 2024). "Labour MP has whip suspended for controversial Gaza tweet about Holocaust Memorial Day". LBC. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  4. ^ Carr, Tim (18 May 2015). The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2015: Profiles of the New MPs and Analysis of the 2015 General Election Results. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781849549240 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "Kate Osamor". politics.co.uk.
  6. ^ Carr, Tim; Dale, Iain; Waller, Robert, eds. (18 May 2015). The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2015. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781849549240.
  7. ^ Segalov, Michael (23 January 2016). "Labour MP Kate Osamor On Women, Race And Politics". Refinery29. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  8. ^ a b c "About – Kate Osamor". Kate Osamor. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Kate Osamor MP: my pride at being a UEL graduate". UEL. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  10. ^ a b Cowburn, Ashley (12 March 2015). "'Who is this black woman?': Kate Osamor on her path to parliament". New Statesman. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Who nominated who for the 2015 Labour leadership election?". New Statesman. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  13. ^ "About Me - Kate Osamor MP". Kate Osamor. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  14. ^ Casalicchio, Emilio (14 January 2016). "New Labour appointments as Corbyn reshuffle enters eleventh day". PoliticsHome. Dod's Parliamentary Communications. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  15. ^ "Labour shadow equalities minister Kate Osamor accused of hypocrisy for unpaid intern ad". International Business Times UK. 19 January 2016.
  16. ^ Wheeler, Brian (19 January 2016). "Labour MP's unpaid intern 'mistake'". BBC News.
  17. ^ Asthana, Anushka; Elgot, Jessica; Stewart, Heather (27 June 2016). "Jeremy Corbyn preparing for leadership contest". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  18. ^ "Register of All Party Parliamentary Groups: Nigeria". Parliament UK. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  19. ^ "Edmonton parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015.
  20. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ "WATCH Labour frontbencher Kate Osamor plagiarises acceptance speech from Barack Obama". Politics Home. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  22. ^ Buchan, Lizzy (18 May 2018). "Labour frontbencher ridiculed for copying Barack Obama's acceptance speech". The Independent. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  23. ^ McVeigh, Karen. "Labour pledges to put women at heart of British aid efforts". Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  24. ^ Osamor, Kate. "A World for the Many Not the Few" (PDF). Labour Policy Forum. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  25. ^ PoliticsHome.com (29 August 2019). "Labour MP says 'monarchy could be abolished' after Queen approves PM's plan to prorogue Parliament". PoliticsHome.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  26. ^ Devlin, Kate (31 October 2018). "Labour MP Kate Osamor still employs her drug dealer son Ishmael". The Times. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  27. ^ O'Neil, Sean; Devlin, Kate; Humphries, Will (December 2018). "Kate Osamor: Top Labour MP 'misled public' over son's drugs arrest". The Times. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  28. ^ Proctor, Kate (22 January 2019). "Kate Osamor facing fresh controversy as secrecy rules mean Commons will not say if Labour MP is being probed". Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  29. ^ Booth, James (1 December 2018). "Shadow Labour minister allegedly threatens journalist with bat". The Times.
  30. ^ "Labour's Kate Osamor accused of 'misleading public' over son's conviction for drug offences". PoliticsHome.com. 1 December 2018.
  31. ^ O’Neill, Sean; Webber, Esther; Shukman, Harry (4 December 2018). "Labour MP Kate Osamor dialled 999 after questions over drugs case". The Times.
  32. ^ Badshah, Nadeem (1 December 2018). "Kate Osamor: Labour MP resigns amid row over son's drug conviction". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  33. ^ a b "Kate Osamor referred to watchdog over son's drug conviction". BBC News. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  34. ^ "Kate Osamor resigns as Shadow Minister". BBC News. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  35. ^ McShane, Asher; Rose, Eleanor (1 December 2018). "Labour frontbencher Kate Osamor resigns amid storm over son's drug conviction". Evening Standard.
  36. ^ Mairs, Nicholas (11 December 2018). "Labour's Kate Osamor 'sorry for emotional outbursts' which led to frontbench resignation". PoliticsHome.
  37. ^ "Kate Osamor - Committee on Standards - House of Commons". publications.parliament.uk.
  38. ^ Heffer, Greg (19 March 2020). "'I should have smashed your face open with a bat,' Labour MP Kate Osamor told journalist in front of police". Sky News.
  39. ^ "Kate Osamor - Committee on Standards - House of Commons". publications.parliament.uk.
  40. ^ "IPSA Kate Osamor MP,Other Financial Information 2022-2023, Connected Party Payroll". Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  41. ^ Shone, Ethan (21 May 2023). "MPs employing family members gave them pay rises well above inflation after the pandemic". National World. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  42. ^ Syal, Rajeev (15 March 2017). "MPs to be banned from using public money to hire relatives". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  43. ^ Savage, Michael (12 October 2019). "Kate Osamor is fifth female Labour MP to face deselection threat". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  44. ^ Syal, Rajeev; Stewart, Heather (29 October 2019). "Labour axes controversial trigger ballots after backing election". Guardian. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  45. ^ "Edmonton parliamentary constituency" (PDF). Enfield Council.
  46. ^ "Edmonton parliamentary constituency - Election 2019 - BBC News".
  47. ^ "Resolution 2417 (2022): Combating rising hate against LGBTI people in Europe". Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. 25 January 2022.
  48. ^ Kelleher, Patrick (25 January 2022). "Labour politicians slammed for 'trying to erase' UK transphobia from anti-LGBT+ hate resolution". PinkNews. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  49. ^ Hayton, Debbie (27 January 2022). "Stop saying the UK is transphobic". UnHerd. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  50. ^ Harpin, Lee (28 January 2024). "Labour suspend MP Osamor over her comments about Gaza and Holocaust Memorial Day". Jewish News. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  51. ^ Mason, Rowena (28 January 2024). "Labour suspends Kate Osamor over Gaza comments in Holocaust message". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  52. ^ Adu, Aletha (8 May 2024). "Kate Osamor has Labour whip restored after investigation into Gaza genocide comments". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  53. ^ "Edmonton and Winchmore Hill - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  54. ^ "Ishmael Osamor resigns over Bestival drugs supply charges". BBC News. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  55. ^ Segalov, Michael (23 January 2016). "Labour MP Kate Osamor On Women, Race And Politics". Refinery29. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  56. ^ "Labour defends peerage for campaigner linked to antisemitism row". The Guardian. Press Association. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kate Osamor.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Edmonton
2015–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
2016–2018 		Succeeded by
Dan Carden (Acting)
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