Born and raised in Manchester’s Wythenshawe, Katherine is grounded on the importance our public services have to all our lives. She benefited from our wonderful state schools and was the first in her family to go to university taking science at the University of Nottingham with a Biology BSc Hons. Paying her way through university Katherine’s proud of having worked as a nursing assistant in an elderly care home and understands the importance of the NHS & social care services to us all.
Formerly Katherine was an SME business owner.
Katherine lives locally and is proud to champion, South Ribble, Lancashire & the whole of the northern powerhouse.
With a background in environmental sciences and a deep interest in the environment, Katherine is passionate about nature and habitat maintenance. She's a keen birdwatcher and can be found, usually falling off a mountain bike, in the Lakes, Peak District and North Wales when time allows.
Taking this interest more globally Katherine is also a qualified Safari Ranger (Field Guide) and has lived and worked in Mpumalanga / Limpopo South Africa & Mozambique. Her favourite mammal is a Giraffe and she is most scared of Honey Badgers.
Away from politics, Katherine’s love of palaeontology spills into the odd fossil collecting trip, and she is a lover of the beautiful game with a season ticket at Manchester United.
After Katherine's election in 2019 She has continually worked hard for constituents. She has served not only as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport but also as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women ensuring that South Ribble has had a strong voice not just at Westminster but at the heart of government. Her advocacy for investment in the Northwest has involved championing such causes as the Northwest Nuclear Arc and a new two-billion-pound hospital to replace the Royal Preston in South Ribble.
Katherine also has a passion for nature. She has proved that when it comes to local issues to do with our Greenspaces, she is willing to stand up for residents and this is evidenced by her unanimous No to a 3rd Prison on the site of HMP Garth & MHP Wymott. Katherine has worked since 2019 with the farming community and rural groups to protect our natural landscape in South Ribble for wildlife and local people. From Mere Sands Wood in Rufford to Longton Brickcroft, Katherine has shown she will do all she can to protect, support and promote local nature reserves.
On Policing within South Ribble Katherine was a strong advocate for 20,000 new police officers being delivered by the Government which it has now done. Katherine will continue to make sure our community gets our fair share on the beat. She will and regularly has met with our local police to understand what is happening. Her initative and campaigning helped to reopen Leyland Police station all towards the goal of keeping our towns safe as well as making sure rural crime gets the attention it deserves.
Katherine as a strong voice for residents has helped to ensure millions have been invested in flood defences across South Ribble, like the recent £40m works on the River Ribble around Penwortham. Of course there’s always more to do. From Banks, to Penwortham, to Croston, Katherine will continue work to make sure our flood defences get the funding they need.