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Miriam Cates

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Miriam Cates
Official portrait, 2019
Member of Parliament
for Penistone and Stocksbridge
In office
12 December 2019 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byAngela Smith
Succeeded byMarie Tidball
Majority7,210 (14.6%)
Personal details
Born
Miriam Joy Atkins

(1982-08-23) 23 August 1982 (age 42)
Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
Political partyConservative (since 2018)[1]
Other political
affiliations		Labour (1997)
SpouseDavid Cates
Children3
Residence(s)Oughtibridge, South Yorkshire, England
Alma materChrist's College, Cambridge
ProfessionPolitician, businesswoman, teacher
Websitemiriamcates.org.uk Edit this at Wikidata

Miriam Joy Cates (born 23 August 1982) was the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Penistone and Stocksbridge from 2019 to 2024.

Early life and education

Miriam Cates was born on 23 August 1982 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.[2][3][4] She grew up in a Christian family and has two younger brothers.[5] Her father was a general practitioner,[5][6] while her mother, who had a maths degree, was a stay at home mum.[7] Although her parents had no particular interest in politics,[8] Cates was drawn to the field at an early age, including listening to the Today programme on the radio from the age of 11.[5] Her keen interest in politics led her to also become a young fan of the Westminster Hour.[7]

Whilst at primary school, she was "raised with rhymes about how much people hated Margaret Thatcher."[7] She then attended King Edward VII School,[9] a comprehensive school, where she was a straight-A student.[1] She reports that the allegedly "Leftist" ethic of her school turned her towards conservative ideas.[7] Initially, she intended to become a concert pianist.[7][1]

Cates went on to study Natural Sciences at Christ's College, Cambridge,[10] where she earned a degree in genetics.[1] On her gap year after her Cambridge studies, she met her now-husband Dave Cates at a church in Sheffield.[11] She went on to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Sheffield Hallam University, and worked as a biology teacher at Tapton School in Sheffield.[1] A councilor at Bradfield Parish Council since 2015, Cates is finance director of the award-winning software company Redemption Media,[12] which she and her husband founded and own together.[11]

Political career

Local councillor

In an interview, Cates described moving to the village of Oughtibridge, joining the local Parent–Teacher Association and organising nights for mothers and the playgroup at her local church.[13] Speaking on a podcast in 2021, Cates said of that time: "I got a sense of what you could achieve if you’re passionate about your community”.[13] Cates was elected in 2015 as a parish councillor for Oughtibridge Ward on Bradfield Parish Council, which, at one point involved her campaigning to save local parkland.[7][8][14] She was re-elected in 2019 and resigned her seat in 2021.[15][16] Cates stood as a Conservative candidate for Stannington ward in the 2018 Sheffield City Council election and joined the party in the same year, finishing third behind the Liberal Democrats candidates.[17]

Member of Parliament

In an interview, Cates described a family friend asking her to stand as a Conservative candidate for Penistone & Stocksbridge in October 2018.[8][1][18] She had previously supported the UK remaining a member of the European Union in the 2016 referendum but, during the election campaign, commented she had since changed her mind and supported Brexit.[4] Though unsuccessful in her bid, she later said she enjoyed campaigning, and decided to go to the next Conservative party conference.[8]

At that conference, in 2019, Cates met Anne Jenkin, who was recruiting for women candidates, and identified a seat near her home.[7] Cates was subsequently selected, campaigned, and elected as MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge in the 2019 general election with a majority of 7,210 (14.5%) on a swing of 8.6% from Labour to the Conservatives.[19] As such, Cates became the first Conservative MP in South Yorkshire since 1992.[4]

After her election, it was reported that a mobile app launched in 2014 by Redemption Media, a company co-owned by Cates and her husband, charged foodbanks for the services that it provided.[20] Cates commented on this by stating that the app had been developed for free, and that the first foodbank to use it had not been charged. After the app was expanded to other foodbanks, there was a set-up charge which was used to help cover development and training costs, and that by joining the app they also received a complimentary subscription to JustGiving.[21]

Cates was a member of the Ecclesiastical Committee and the Education Select Committee.[22] She also co-chaired the Stocksbridge Towns Fund with local property developer Mark Dransfield.[23] She was elected to the Executive of the 1922 Committee on 11 July 2022.[24][25][26]

She supported Suella Braverman in the July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election[27] won by Liz Truss, who resigned in October 2022, and Rishi Sunak in the subsequent October 2022 Conservative leadership election.[28] She defended Braverman when Braverman attracted fierce criticism for an op-ed that accused London's Metropolitan Police of being more lenient with left-wing pro-Palestine protesters than supporters of Israel. Braverman had been advised not to publish the op-ed, but did so anyway, costing her her cabinet position. Cates wrote: "Suella Braverman’s views may be distasteful to Westminster liberals but they're utterly mainstream in the rest of UK".[29]

In March 2024, the parliamentary commissioner for standards concluded that he did not have evidence to justify a finding of breach of the Code of Conduct. This followed media allegations that she had breached Covid rules by attending an event on 8 December 2020. The commissioner was "satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the event included both business and social elements".[30][31] She was defeated at the 2024 general election.[32]

Political views

Miriam Cates in an interview in 2023

Cates was described as a "radical traditionalist" who felt that conservatism has become unnecessarily embittered, and that there is "too much whinging on the right".[1] Cates established the New Social Covenant Unit with fellow Conservative MP Danny Kruger in 2021 with the principal purpose of promoting policy that would "strengthen families, communities, and the nation".[33]

Minority rights

In October 2021, Cates wrote an article in The Daily Telegraph claiming "If we erode the very concept of women – for example by saying that trans women are women, or by denying the importance of biological sex – we erase the rights of women."[34] In November 2021, during a parliamentary session, Cates warned schools against inviting leading LGBTQ rights charities Stonewall and Mermaids to provide counselling services as she claimed that they taught "dangerous and contested extreme ideologies that don't have a basis in science".[35] In October 2023, at a fringe event of the Conservative Party Conference, Cates claimed without evidence, that internet pornography was a factor in people 'becoming' transgender, commenting "This is anecdotal, but you see an awful lot of trans women, so men, saying it was trans porn that led them into the trans arena."[36]

Children

Cates argued for families to be able to have more children, and for societies that value children. In June 2021, in an article for online magazine UnHerd, Cates criticised the focus on protecting the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic as in her opinion it only had a short-term impact on the "longevity of older people" and that emphasis should have been on "the long term impact of lockdowns on young peoples' lives".[37]

In an speech at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship's inaugural conference, she said "[it] is increasingly impossible when our GDP-obsessed economic system demands that even mothers of small children leave their infants in daycare to return to the workplace" and modern parents were unwilling to greatly discomfort their children enough.[38] In the area of childhood and sexuality, Cates urged fellow Conservative MPs to sign a letter to voice opposition to a bill aiming to ban conversion therapy.[39]

However, Cates regarded the very low number of children being born as the highest political concern for the UK.[40] In a plenary session of the 2023 National Conservatism Conference, Cates was quoted saying:

“I don’t care if you’re a Red Tory, a communitarian, a follower of Burke, or, heaven forbid, a libertarian free marketeer. None of these traditions has a future, none of our philosophical musings or policy proposals will amount to anything long-lasting unless we address the one overarching threat to British conservatism, and indeed the whole of Western society. No, it’s not climate change. It’s not Russia or China or Iran. It’s not the neo-Marxist ideology that has so weakened our institutions. It’s not inflation or taxation or poor productivity. No. There is one critical outcome that liberal individualism has completely failed to deliver and that is babies."[41]

Nation

Cates served on the advisory board of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship, a group dedicated to cultural renewal in western nations.[42] In May 2023, at the National Conservatism Conference, Cates commented that she felt that Western society was threatened by Cultural Marxism along with falling birthrates. Cates stated in an interview in June 2023 that she misuses the former term as a catch-all pseudonym for "bad liberal ideology".[6][40] In August 2023, Cates called for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights as she felt that it was a threat to democracy.[43] Cates argued for the nation to be resolved to use the power of the state to address the needs of voters who feel ignored and disrespected whilst also aiming to keep faith with Brexit voters.[1][7]

Conversion therapy

In July 2024 an independent report concluded that Cates was a member and a trustee of St Thomas Philadelphia Church in Sheffield that promoted conversion therapy between 2014 and 2019. Cates claimed that she does not support, and never has supported, conversion therapy, despite her documented opposition to the introduction of legislation opposing it.[44][45]

Personal life

Cates lives in Oughtibridge, a village near Stocksbridge in South Yorkshire, with her husband and three children.[18][1] She is an evangelical Christian and met her husband while working on a voluntary project at their church, the Network Church in Sheffield.[6][46][47] Her husband Dave is the managing director of software company Redemption Media, and is the chair of the trust board overseeing the Peak Edge Academy Trust.[48]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lloyd, Will (7 February 2024). "Miriam Cates: the radical traditionalist". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 17 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Members Sworn". parliament.uk. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  3. ^ Brunskill, Ian (19 March 2020). The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. HarperCollins Publishers Limited. p. 298. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1. OCLC 1129682574. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Burn, Chris (28 November 2019). "Conservatives on course for first South Yorkshire victory since 1992 in wake of 'chicken run' MP". Yorkshire Post. Archived from the original on 1 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Miriam Cates on conservatism, embracing complexity and the importance of family". Theos. 18 August 2021. Event occurs at 04:00. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Turner, Janice (29 June 2023). "Is Miriam Cates a mainstream Tory or a right-wing ideologue?". The Times.(subscription required)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Pearson, Allison (27 May 2023). "Miriam Cates: 'If we don't favour our own country no one else will. That is our first duty'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d Feroze, Natasha (3 February 2023). "Women With Balls: The Miriam Cates Edition on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  9. ^ Bond, Daniel (16 December 2019). "Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs". Politics Home. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Oxbridge colleges offer a particularly sheltered existence — when I was at Christ’s College, our rooms were cleaned, our bins emptied and all our meals cooked." Cates, Miriam (10 May 2024). "The students are revolting. Far too many young people are sheltered from the real world by their university education.". The Critic. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  11. ^ a b Juvenal (31 May 2023). "Rising star of the right: who is Miriam Cates?". Yorkshire Bylines. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs". Politics Home. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  13. ^ a b "UNBELIEVABLE, a conversation with...: Miriam Cates on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Conservative Candidate Elected". Look Local. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  15. ^ "Local Parish Election Results". Sheffield City Council. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  16. ^ "The Register of Members' Financial Interests As at 3 May 2022". UK Parliament. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  17. ^ "Sheffield City Council Results" (PDF). Sheffield City Council. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  18. ^ a b Hill, Henry (25 October 2018). "Miriam Cates selected for Penistone & Stocksbridge". ConservativeHome. Archived from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  19. ^ "Penistone & Stocksbridge". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  20. ^ Wyatt, Tim (14 December 2019). "Foodbank app run by newly elected Tory MP charges charities to use it". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022.
  21. ^ Scott, Geraldine (16 December 2019). "New Yorkshire Tory MP hits back at claims she profits from foodbanks". Yorkshire Post. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  22. ^ "Parliamentary career for Miriam Cates". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  23. ^ Walker, Peter; Duncan, Pamela; McIntyre, Niamh (16 July 2021). "Labour concerned over management of flagship levelling up scheme". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  24. ^ "Results of the 1922 Committee Elections". ConservativeHome. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  25. ^ "1922 Committee re-elects chairman and vice-chairmen". The Daily Telegraph. 11 July 2022. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2024. In Updates thread: 5:43PM{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  26. ^ Garton-Crosbie, Abbi (11 July 2022). "Powerful Tory 1922 Committee announces new executive after major election". The National. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  27. ^ Cates, Miriam (12 July 2022). "Suella Braverman is the anti-woke prime minister our children need". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  28. ^ Cates, Miriam (21 October 2022). "Miriam Cates backs Rishi Sunak for leader". Miriam's newsletter. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  29. ^ Webber, Jude; Gross, Anna; Fisher, Lucy; Parker, George (9 November 2023). "'She's toast': Suella Braverman dares Rishi Sunak with provocative rhetoric". Financial Times. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  30. ^ "NOT UPHELD: MS MIRIAM CATES MP, MS VIRGINIA CROSBIE MP, SIR BERNARD JENKIN MP, AND RT HON. DAME ELEANOR LAING MP" (PDF). UK Parliament. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  31. ^ "Sir Bernard Jenkin MP cleared of flouting Covid-19 rules". BBC News. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  32. ^ "Penistone and Stocksbridge - General election results 2024". BBC News.
  33. ^ "About Us". New Social Covenant Unit. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  34. ^ "Conservative MP argues women 'are being cancelled' over trans debate". politics.co.uk. 11 October 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  35. ^ "MP condemns LGBT charities teaching 'dangerous and extreme ideologies' in schools". LBC. 9 November 2021. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  36. ^ Walker, Peter; Allegretti, Aubrey; Adu, Aletha (1 October 2023). "Little sign of Tory unity as factions jostle on first day of conference". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  37. ^ Ashton, Lucy (18 June 2021). "Anger over Sheffield MP's 'offensive and insensitive' Covid and the elderly comment". Yorkshire Live. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  38. ^ Martin, Daniel (30 October 2023). "Miriam Cates blames increase in working women for rise in children going to school in nappies". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  39. ^ Billson, Chantelle (22 October 2023). "Government set to ditch conversion therapy ban after 'intense' lobbying by anti-trans MP". PinkNews.
  40. ^ a b Walker, Peter; Crerar, Pippa (15 May 2023). "Low birthrate is UK's top priority, Tory MP tells rightwing conference". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  41. ^ "National Conservatism Comes to the U.K. | John Duggan". First Things. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  42. ^ "This global right-wing movement wants to save the world. It just needs a plan". POLITICO. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  43. ^ Tolson, Jack (18 August 2023). "MP: Mass migration a 'serious security threat'". Barnsley Chronicle. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  44. ^ "Miriam Cates: Tory candidate was trustee of church that 'endorsed' conversion therapy". BBC News. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  45. ^ "Tory candidate was member of church which endorsed gay conversion therapy". Kent Online. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  46. ^ Following God into the neighbourhood. Network Church Sheffield. 25 February 2018. Event occurs at 01:10. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  47. ^ "Miriam Cates MP: we're obsessed with what we can measure". UnHerd. 2 February 2021.
  48. ^ "Trustees". Peak Edge Academy Trust. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Penistone and Stocksbridge
2019–2024 		Succeeded by


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