Kate Hoey

The Right Honourable Kate Hoey MP
Minister for Sport
In office 20 October 1999 – 7 June 2001
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Tony Banks
Succeeded by	Richard Caborn
Member of Parliament for Vauxhall
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 June 1989
Preceded by	Stuart Holland
Majority	9,977 (26.7%)
Personal details
Born	(1946-06-21) 21 June 1946 Belfast
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Alma mater	University of Ulster

Catharine Letitia Hoey (born 21 June 1946) is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Vauxhall since 1989, and previously served in government as Minister for Sport.

Background

Born in Belfast, Hoey studied at Belfast Royal Academy. While attending the Ulster College of Physical Education she joined the International Marxist Group, one of the few people with an Ulster Unionist background to do so in the 1960s. After relocating to England, Hoey graduated in economics from the City of London College, today known as London Metropolitan University. She was a senior lecturer at Kingsway College from 1976 to 1985, during which time she left the International Marxist Group.

Sport

Hoey is known for her longstanding interest in sport. She was Northern Ireland High Jump Champion and worked for football clubs including Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea and Brentford, as an Educational Advisor. Prior to entering Parliament she was educational adviser to Arsenal Football Club from 1985 to 1989.

A founder member of the London Northern Ireland Supporters' Club, Hoey took part in a St Patrick's Day parade in London with Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez.

Politics

Kate Hoey was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office from 1998 to 1999, and Minister for Sport in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport from 1999 to 2001. She campaigned against London's candidacy for the 2012 Olympics on the basis that Paris is more deserving, due to the volume of sporting facilities in the city, but has actively promoted sport in schools and is involved in gun politics in the UK. The current handgun ban affects training and participation in international shooting competitions. Hoey has been involved in the issues of affordable housing, top-up tuition fees, foundation trust hospitals and provision for pensioners.

In Parliament, Hoey has participated in 50% of votes, described as "well below average amongst MPs", but has spoken in 36 debates in the last year in parliament, which has been described as "above average for MPs". On top of her income as an MP, she is paid over £5,000 a year for articles in the Daily Telegraph, a conservative newspaper, and over £15,000 a year for her campaigning work on behalf of the Countryside Alliance, a rural pressure group.

Hoey quite often rebels against her party. She has voted against government policy on the war in Iraq, foundation hospitals, university tuition and top-up fees, ID cards and extended detention without trial. She was a leading Labour rebel supporting a referendum on the EU Lisbon Treaty.

The existence of the British Telecom Tower was covered by the Official Secrets Act (and therefore officially secret) until the mid 1990s. It was finally "confirmed" by Kate Hoey on 19 February 1993: "Hon. Members have given examples of seemingly trivial information that remains officially secret. An example that has not been mentioned, but which is so trivial that it is worth mentioning, is the absence of the British Telecom tower from Ordnance Survey maps. I hope that I am covered by parliamentary privilege when I reveal that the British Telecom tower does exist and that its address is 60 Cleveland Street, London."

On 29 April 2008 it was announced that Hoey would form part of the team of Conservative Boris Johnson, should he become Mayor, as an unpaid non-executive director advising on sport and the 2012 Olympics.

Other interests

Hoey is known for her fight against the Labour Government's plans to ban fox hunting in the UK; a rare position among Labour MPs.

On 22 July 2005, Hoey was named the new chairman of the Countryside Alliance (the main pro-hunting group in the UK). She said the appointment was a "great honour and a great challenge". The Alliance's headquarters are in Hoey's Vauxhall constituency.

Hoey's appointment in this role was greeted with widespread disdain in the Labour Party as the Countryside Alliance was seen to be behind a campaign to unseat Labour MPs at the 2005 election.

Hoey has been a trustee of the Outward Bound charity since October 2002.

A Vice President of the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association, Hoey is a strong supporter of the women's national team and the work of the charity in general.

She is a supporter of the Northern Ireland national football team.

Government and parliamentary positions

• Opposition spokesperson, citizen's charter and women (1992–1993)
• PPS to Frank Field, Department of Social Security (1997–1998)
• Junior minister, home office (1998–1999)
• Junior minister, department of culture, media and sport (1999–2001)
• Backbencher (2001–present)

External links

• MP's website
• LambethLabour.com Lambeth Labour Party
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Kate Hoey MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Kate Hoey MP
• Interview with Kate Hoey, Candidate for Vauxhall three-part video interview from The Chatshow Network
• Sunday Times Magazine profile
• Kate Hoey Voting record
• July 22nd - Hoey becomes Countryside Alliance Chairman
• London Northern Ireland Supporters Club