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Catharine Letitia Hoey, Baroness Hoey[2] (born 21 June 1946), better known as Kate Hoey, is a Northern Irish politician and life peer who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Home Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and Minister for Sport from 1999 to 2001. During the 1970s Hoey was involved in radical far-left groups but by the end of the decade became involved with the Labour Party. Hoey remained a member of the Labour Party for several decades while she was Member of Parliament (MP) for Vauxhall from 1989 to 2019, but resigned from the party in 2020.

Key Information

Hoey has attracted a high level of attention throughout her career, but particularly in the 2010s, holding many socially conservative views that brought her into conflict with fellow members of Labour. Early in her life, Hoey was radically in favour of a United Ireland; however, in more recent decades she has pulled away from this view, declaring in 2017 "I'm pro-union, I'll do anything to make sure that the United Kingdom has Northern Ireland as an integral part of it on the same terms as any other part of the United Kingdom when we leave the EU."[3]

Early life

[edit]

Hoey was born in Mallusk, County Antrim,[4] and studied at Belfast Royal Academy and the Ulster College of Physical Education.[5] She has a degree in Economics earned at London Guildhall University, and was a Vice-President of the National Union of Students.[6]

Sport

[edit]

Hoey has a longstanding interest in sport. She was the 1966 Northern Ireland high jump champion[7] and has worked for football clubs including Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea and Brentford as an educational advisor. Before entering Parliament, she was educational adviser to Arsenal FC from 1985 to 1989.[citation needed]

Political career

[edit]

Student politics

[edit]

During the mid-1970s Hoey was one of the early members of the Newtownabbey Labour Party, which left its parent organisation, the Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP), in 1974.[citation needed] Prior to being a member of the British Labour Party, Hoey was a member of the International Marxist Group (IMG), whose policies included support for a united Ireland with the slogan 'Victory for the IRA'.[8] Hoey also ran for a seat on the National Union of Students as a candidate for a left-wing grouping called the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Student Unions (LDSCU). The LDSCU demanded the defence of student unions and "solidarity of students and workers". Another LCDSU demand was "Support for both wings of the IRA – unconditionally but not uncritically".[9]

Member of the Labour Party

[edit]

As a member of the Labour Party, she unsuccessfully contested Dulwich at the 1983 and 1987 general elections, being defeated by the Conservative Gerald Bowden, on the second occasion by only 180 votes. In 1989, she was elected at the Vauxhall by-election precipitated by the resignation of Stuart Holland. Vauxhall Constituency Labour Party had wanted Martha Osamor, vice-chair of the Labour Party Black Sections, as the Party's candidate. Osamor did secure the most nominations, eighty in total, with Hoey only having one.[10] However, the National Executive Committee declined to shortlist Osamor and imposed a shortlist on the constituency party. When the local party refused to choose from the shortlist, Hoey was imposed by the NEC as the Labour candidate.[11]

Interviewed by a Belfast-based newspaper in 1989, Hoey claimed that she "yearned" for Irish unity, adding "I believe that there should be a united Ireland by consent and I think that there are a lot of people in Ireland who want this." Hoey also said she wanted to see an all-Ireland soccer team: "I believe that football supporters on both sides of the border would like to see this happen but it is football officials who are preventing it from coming about."[12]

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.

As the chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on Zimbabwe, Hoey was a vocal critic of the government of Robert Mugabe. In 2005, she called on Tony Blair to put diplomatic pressure on South Africa to condemn Zimbabwean government demolitions of townships, after an unsanctioned visit to the country.[13] The Zimbabwean government threatened to jail her if she repeated her "sneak" visit.[14]

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.[15] The announcement was controversial both because Hoey had once said of London's Olympic bid "we don't deserve it and Paris does"[16] and because it could have been perceived as endorsing an election candidate from a rival party.[17]

Hoey nominated John McDonnell for the Labour leadership election of 2010 but, on his withdrawal, she switched her nomination to Diane Abbott. However, she voted for Andy Burnham, giving Ed Miliband her second preference. In the 2015 Labour election, Hoey supported Andy Burnham and Caroline Flint for the leadership and deputy leadership, saying that she could not see Liz Kendall as a Prime Minister.[citation needed]

In 2016, Hoey was one of few Labour MPs who voted to have confidence in Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the party. She supported him during the leadership contest.[citation needed]

On 8 July 2019, Hoey announced that she would retire from the House of Commons, and would not seek re-election as a Labour candidate at the next general election.[18] The constituency Labour Party had voted to censure her and passed a vote of no confidence after she was one of 4 Labour MPs who had supported the government.

Independent politician

[edit]

In December 2019 Hoey announced she was no longer a member of the Labour Party.[1]

In July 2020, Hoey was nominated for a life peerage in the House of Lords in the 2019 Dissolution Honours and was created Baroness Hoey, of Lylehill and Rathlin in the County of Antrim, on 14 September 2020.[19]

On 23 August 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Baroness Hoey as the UK's trade envoy to Ghana.[20]

Political views

[edit]

Hoey is a Eurosceptic and has often rebelled against her party.[21] She was a prominent critic of the ban on handguns[22] and, in an interview in Sporting Gun magazine, voiced her support for fox hunting.[22] She has voted against Labour government policy on the war in Iraq, foundation hospitals, Trident, 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.[23] Hoey favours stricter controls on immigration, tougher welfare reform, withdrawal from the European Union, English votes for English laws, grammar schools, marriage tax allowances, free schools and academies.[citation needed]

LGBT+ rights

[edit]

In 1994, Hoey successfully proposed an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill to have Northern Ireland included in the gay age of consent reform which reduced the male age from 21 to 18. Her amendment passed by 254 votes to 141.[24]

In 2010, Hoey was described as "the least gay-friendly of all Labour MPs" by the chief executive of Stonewall.[25] However, she voted in favour of same-sex marriage in 2013.[26]

In 2017, Hoey sparked criticism from LGBT advocates after it emerged she had liked a swastika-emblazoned Pride flag on Twitter. She stated that the tweet was "liked in error" and later apologised.[27]

In March 2019, Hoey abstained on a vote to allow LGBT+ inclusive education in schools.[28] When asked why by Vice News, she stated that it was "going to pass anyway".[29]

In July 2019, she was the only Labour MP to have voted against allowing abortion and same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.[30]

Brexit

[edit]

Hoey advocated the United Kingdom leaving the European Union during the campaign for the EU membership referendum held on 23 June 2016. She pointed to Labour's earlier Euroscepticism "from Attlee to Foot" in The Independent and changes in European bodies since Jacques Delors' advocacy of a "social Europe" to refute the claim that Eurosceptism was a movement of the right.[31] She later extended these views, characterising the EU as a "part of the global movement to remove democratic resistance to capitalism" and as fascism, in a Heat Street/blog article[32] written after the EU referendum, deleted from her blog.

Originally active in Labour Leave as a co-chair, Hoey resigned in February 2016 following internal disagreements.[33] Soon afterwards, she became active in Grassroots Out, along with then-UKIP leader Nigel Farage and George Galloway, then-leader of the Respect Party.[34] In her Vauxhall constituency, an estimated 78% voted to remain in the EU.[35][36] Her Constituency Labour Party (CLP) stated in February 2017 that she was insufficiently opposing Conservative government policy on child refugees and the residency rights of EU nationals after the UK leaves.[37]

The following month, Hoey was one of 70 parliamentary signatories to a letter sent to the Director-General of the BBC, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, along with two Labour colleagues and many Conservative politicians, which was critical of the BBC for running stories biased against Brexit.[38] Since then she has continued to criticise the BBC, accusing them of being "embittered Remainers" "taking delight" in "undermining our country". Fellow Labour MP Wes Streeting responded that it was "Orwellian" to expect broadcasters to "act as cheerleaders for the government".[39]

During an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme in November 2017, Hoey commented that the Irish border problem – how to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, post-Brexit, whilst avoiding a border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK – would be solved if the Republic of Ireland also left the EU. Addressing Senator Neale Richmond, Fine Gael spokesperson on European affairs in Seanad Éireann, Hoey said, "We joined the EU together, you joined when we joined, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we leave and when we are very successful that you don't start thinking about leaving as well".[40]

Hoey attracted criticism again from within the Labour Party and from Irish political figures in February 2018 after she said the Good Friday Agreement was "not sustainable in the long term". These comments followed similar remarks by Eurosceptic Conservative politicians Daniel Hannan and Owen Paterson. Simon Coveney, the Republic of Ireland's Tánaiste (deputy head of government) and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, condemned the comments as "not only irresponsible but reckless". Owen Smith, the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said the remarks by Hannan, Paterson and Hoey were a "concerted, transparent effort to undermine the GFA... driven by their blind, misplaced faith in Brexit" and were "reckless and utterly wrong".[41]

On 17 July 2018, Hoey was one of five Labour MPs who defied the Labour whip in order to vote with the government on a Brexit amendment, which, if passed, would have required the UK to remain a member of a customs union with the EU in the event of no other arrangements on free trade and no arrangements for no hard border in Ireland. The UK Government was against this amendment, but would have lost the vote without Hoey and the other Labour rebels, who possibly saved the Government from defeat.[42][43] A few days later her CLP members passed a motion calling for her Labour whip to be withdrawn and for her to become ineligible to be a future Labour parliamentary candidate.[44]

In March 2019, whilst taking part in a televised discussion about Brexit on the Andrew Neil show, Hoey was asked to "name any reputable independent study that show us better off if we leave". She admitted she could not produce any study that showed leaving the European Union would leave the UK in a better off position.[45][46]

On 3 September 2019, Hoey and John Mann were the only Labour MPs to vote with the Government in an attempt to prevent MPs from taking control of the House in an attempt to block a potential no deal Brexit.[47] In November 2019, Hoey said she would be voting for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the December general election in Northern Ireland. She also endorsed the Conservative Party and Boris Johnson, stating that Labour "would not keep faith with the British people".[48]

In February 2021 Hoey, together with Jim Allister, leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice, and former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib, applied for a judicial review of the Northern Ireland Protocol, that was ultimately dismissed by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.[49][50][51] It was later revealed that the UK Government had spent a total of £196,567 of public money on legal fees associated with defending the judicial actions against the Northern Ireland Protocol.[52]

In June 2021, Hoey claimed that the Republic of Ireland "will probably decide to leave" in the short term following the UK's departure from the EU.[53]

"Nationalist Persuasion" comments

[edit]

In January 2022, Hoey faced widespread criticism after writing "there are very justified concerns that many professional vocations [in Northern Ireland] have become dominated by those of a nationalist persuasion, and this positioning of activists is then used to exert influence on those in power" in the foreword for a loyalist pamphlet.[54] Hoey's comments initially incited a vocal reaction on social media,[55] with some from a Catholic background posting their educational achievements in response.[56] The Belfast branch of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) accused her of adopting "an appallingly blinkered view of professional journalists".[54] Sinn Féin vice-president and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill labelled the piece "outrageous" and called on Hoey to withdraw the remarks, saying they were a throwback to a "bygone era". O'Neill added that "the days of nationalists being denied opportunities are gone".[54] Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MLA Matthew O'Toole accused Hoey of promoting a "McCarthyite tactic of othering members of the judiciary, lawyers, academics or journalists just because you disagree with them".[54] Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie dismissed Hoey's comments as "vacuous".[57] Alliance Party MP Stephen Farry said she was espousing an 'enemy within' argument that was "inaccurate, sinister, and dangerous" and represented a "further shameful intervention" from Hoey.[58]

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson endorsed the report and Hoey's foreword, describing it as a "welcome contribution".[59]

Journalist Susan McKay described the remarks as sectarian and "distasteful" and linked them to historic Protestant resentment of increasing Catholic social mobility in Northern Ireland.[60] The unionist-leaning[61] News Letter claimed to have unearthed data "which appear[ed] to support" Hoey's comments, noting that according to the 2011 census, there were 2,474 legal professionals with a Catholic background practicing in Northern Ireland, compared with 1,665 from a Protestant background. The Newsletter was unable to find a similar breakdown for journalists.[62]

Other interests

[edit]
Hoey in 2010, at the launch of the Blue Badge 2012 Guided Tours for the 2012 Summer Olympics

Hoey is known for her objection to the ban of fox hunting: a rare position among Labour MPs.[63] On 22 July 2005, she was named the new chairman of the Countryside Alliance (a British group known for its pro-hunting stance).[64] She said the appointment was a "great honour and a great challenge". The Alliance's headquarters are in Hoey's Vauxhall constituency.[65] This appointment was controversial in the Labour Party as the Countryside Alliance was seen to be behind a campaign to unseat Labour MPs at the 2005 election. Hoey stepped down in 2015 saying "I am sad to be resigning after more than nine years as chairman of the Countryside Alliance. The organisation has achieved much in that time, but I will always be most proud that having joined when hunting faced such uncertainty, I leave with new generations queuing up to join the hunting field."[66]

Hoey is patron of Roots & Shoots, a vocational training centre for young people in Lambeth.[67]

Hoey has been a trustee of the Outward Bound charity since October 2002.[68]

A vice-president of the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association, Hoey is a supporter of the women's national team and the work of the charity.

In December 2018 she became patron of the Professional Paralegal Register.[69]

In October 2013, Hoey was fined £240 for driving through a red light having previously criticised cyclists as "Lycra louts that run red lights".[70][71] Hoey wants all cyclists to pay tax[70] and be registered so they have a registration number:

What I do genuinely think, and the cycling lobby should argue for it too, is that everyone who rides a bicycle, particularly as a form of transport to work, should be registered, so their bike has a registration number. At the moment if someone does knock down an old lady and rides off no one can trace that person.[70]

Kate Hoey reportedly lives on Rathlin Island, an island off the coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland, where she grew up and now owns a cottage.[72]

Government and parliamentary positions

[edit]

Additionally, Hoey was a member of several select committees during her time as a Member of Parliament, including: the European Scrutiny Committee, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, the Public Administration Committee, the Social Security Committee and the Science and Technology Committee.

[edit]

Hoey's role on the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee was dramatised in the 2017 verbatim musical Committee: (A New Musical), which retold the downfall of the charity Kids Company and which was first performed at the Donmar Warehouse. Hoey was portrayed by actor Rosemary Ashe.[73]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Kate Hoey

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from Grokipedia
Catharine Letitia Hoey, Baroness Hoey of Lylehill and Rathlin (born 21 June 1946), is a Northern Irish-born British politician who represented the Labour Party as Member of Parliament for Vauxhall from 1989 to 2019. She served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office from July 1998 to July 1999 and as Minister for Sport from July 1999 to June 2001, becoming the first woman in the latter role. A longstanding Eurosceptic, Hoey opposed ratification of the Maastricht and Lisbon Treaties and campaigned for the UK to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. She advocated for the preservation of traditional field sports, including fox hunting, and handgun ownership rights, positions that often set her against the prevailing views in her urban constituency. Following her departure from the Commons, Hoey was nominated for a life peerage by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and introduced to the House of Lords in October 2020 as a non-affiliated member, where she has continued to critique EU-related arrangements affecting Northern Ireland.

Early Life and Education

Family Background and Childhood

Catharine Letitia Hoey was born in 1946 on a small in Mallusk, , , approximately 15 miles from . Her parents were pig farmers who operated the family holding in the nearby village of Roughfort, providing a rural upbringing marked by agricultural labor. Hoey grew up in a relatively poor yet intellectually oriented , with lower-middle-class parents who frequently contended with financial difficulties while instilling a value for and reading. She had an elder sister and a younger brother, the latter born when Hoey was 17 years old; her brother later remained on the . The family home lay between Mallusk and Lyle's Hill, a locale Hoey later referenced in selecting her peerage title, Baroness Hoey of Lylehill and Rathlin, evoking memories of an idyllic rural childhood. From an early age, Hoey recalled experiencing the sporadic violence of IRA terrorism in the region, which shaped her awareness of security concerns in even during peacetime intervals. She has described this period as a happy one overall, despite the economic constraints and occasional unrest.

Academic Training and Early Interests

Kate Hoey attended for her secondary education in . Following this, she enrolled at the Ulster College of Physical Education, where she trained and qualified as a . Hoey later pursued higher education in , earning a degree in from what is now , previously known as the City of London Polytechnic. This academic path reflected her dual focus on and economic principles, bridging practical training with theoretical study. From an early age, Hoey's interests centered on athletics; she competed as a talented high jumper and won the high jump championship in 1966. She also engaged in debating at school, fostering an early inclination toward public discourse. These pursuits in sports and intellectual exchange shaped her formative years alongside her academic development.

Sports Involvement

Competitive Athletics

Kate Hoey demonstrated early talent in events, particularly in , during her youth in . As a student at , she competed at a regional level and achieved notable success in the discipline. In 1966, Hoey won the Northern Ireland championship, marking her primary competitive achievement in athletics. This victory highlighted her athletic prowess prior to her transition into training at the Ulster College of Physical Education, where she qualified as a teacher. While specific performance metrics such as her winning height remain undocumented in available records, the title underscored her standing among local competitors in the mid-1960s. Hoey's competitive athletics involvement was concentrated in her teenage years and did not extend to international or elite senior-level representation, though it informed her lifelong advocacy for sports participation. Following her championship success, she shifted focus toward and administrative roles in , leveraging her background to promote in educational settings.

Professional Roles in Sports

Hoey served as the United Kingdom's Minister for Sport from July 29, 1999, to June 7, 2001, holding the position of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). In this role, she became the first woman appointed to the post, overseeing policies on in schools, which she emphasized as a government priority to improve participation among pupils. Her tenure included efforts to enhance sports access and address issues, though it ended amid controversies surrounding the failed of , for which she bore partial responsibility in government oversight. Following her ministerial dismissal, Hoey transitioned to advisory positions in sports governance. In May 2008, she was appointed by London Mayor Boris Johnson as an advisor on sport, later formalized in 2009 as Commissioner for Sport, with a mandate to boost grassroots participation and ensure the 2012 Olympic legacy delivered increased access to sporting opportunities across the city. She provided unpaid counsel on Olympic-related matters, advocating for sustained investment in community-level athletics over elite facilities. Hoey has held honorary leadership roles in sports organizations, including serving as Honorary Vice President of and Honorary President of British Wheelchair Basketball, reflecting her long-standing advocacy for inclusive and participatory sports. These positions underscore her commitment to broadening sports engagement beyond professional levels, consistent with her earlier policy focus on and programs.

Early Political Engagement

Trotskyist Activism

Hoey became involved in Trotskyist politics during her student years at Ulster Polytechnic in the late 1960s, joining the , the British section of the . The IMG promoted , workers' self-emancipation, and opposition to , including support for Irish unification and the republican struggle against British rule in . As a Protestant from a unionist background in , her affiliation reflected a radical break from her upbringing, driven by exposure to civil debates and Catholic peers at college. Her activism within the IMG included campaigning against internment without trial in , a policy enacted in 1971 that targeted suspected republicans and nationalists. The group viewed internment as a tool of state repression, aligning with broader Trotskyist critiques of and imperialism. Hoey later described her membership as brief, motivated by anti-imperialist sentiments rather than full endorsement of the IMG's pro-republican stance, claiming ignorance of positions that appeared to back the IRA's armed campaign. Reflecting her growing unease with the IMG's Irish Republican orientation, she distanced herself by the mid-1970s, transitioning toward mainstream Labour politics upon moving to for further studies in . This period marked her initial foray into organized left-wing agitation, though specific leadership roles or publications under IMG auspices remain undocumented in primary accounts.

Transition to Mainstream Politics

Following her brief involvement with the Trotskyist during the 1970s, particularly as a activist, Hoey disaffiliated by the late decade and aligned with the mainstream Labour Party. This shift reflected a broader pattern among some former far-left figures seeking greater influence within established parliamentary channels rather than fringe revolutionary groups. Hoey entered local politics as a Labour councillor for the London Borough of Hackney, serving from 1978 to 1984. She contested the constituency as the Labour candidate in the 1983 but was defeated by the incumbent Conservative. These experiences honed her campaign skills and positioned her within Labour's selection processes for winnable seats. In 1989, following the death of the sitting MP Stuart Holland, Hoey was adopted as Labour's candidate for and secured victory in the on 15 June, defeating the Conservative Stuart Goleby by 6,412 votes. This win, in a seat with a diverse electorate, established her as a member and distanced her public profile from earlier radical associations, emphasizing pragmatic social democratic policies thereafter.

House of Commons Career

Initial Election and Opposition Years (1989–1997)

Hoey was selected as the Labour candidate for the Vauxhall by-election on 15 June 1989, following the resignation of incumbent MP Stuart Holland to take up an academic post. Her nomination by national party leadership under proved contentious among local activists, who favored a black candidate amid efforts to increase ethnic minority representation, yet she prevailed in the selection process. Hoey won the by-election, securing the safe inner-London seat for Labour with 15,191 votes against the Conservative candidate's 5,425, achieving a majority of 9,766. As a new backbencher during Labour's opposition tenure under Kinnock (until 1992), John Smith, and , Hoey concentrated on constituency matters in , a borough facing urban challenges like and shortages, while leveraging her sports and education background in parliamentary contributions. In June 1992, she was appointed Shadow Spokesperson for Women, a role she held until June 1993, also covering the portfolio amid Labour's policy reviews on public service reforms. Hoey retained Vauxhall in the 1992 general election, defeating the Conservative challenger by a reduced but still substantial of 9,170 votes amid Labour's national defeat. She focused on critiquing government policies on inner-city regeneration and youth opportunities, aligning with party efforts to modernize its appeal without prominent rebellions in this period. Re-elected again in the 1997 general election with a of 12,514 votes as Labour swept to power, her opposition-phase service marked the transition from fringe activist to established parliamentarian.

Ministerial Service (1997–1999)

Hoey entered government following Labour's in the 1997 , initially serving as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Frank Field, the for at the Department of Social Security, from 1997 until 1998. On 28 July 1998, during Tony Blair's first major reshuffle, she was promoted to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the , a junior ministerial position responsible for supporting departmental policies on areas including community cohesion, engagement, and aspects of administration. Her appointment was partly in recognition of her prior parliamentary efforts to bolster Protestant unionist support for the in , aligning with the government's peace process priorities. During her tenure, which lasted until 29 July 1999, Hoey contributed to responses on European matters, including endorsing strategies to combat cross-border fraud and within the framework. Her service ended with a transfer to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, where on 29 July 1999 she succeeded Tony Banks as Minister for Sport—the first woman appointed to the role—marking the conclusion of her initial ministerial phase amid Blair's ongoing cabinet adjustments. This period highlighted Hoey's alignment with Labour's modernizing agenda while foreshadowing her independent streak on policy issues outside her portfolio.

Independent-Minded Backbench Tenure (1999–2019)

Hoey demonstrated independence from Labour's leadership during her ministerial tenure as Minister for Sport (July 1999–June 2001), notably by publicly opposing the government's proposed ban on despite party pressure to support rural restrictions. Her dismissal on 7 June 2001, attributed to mishandling the redevelopment, marked her full transition to the backbenches, where she prioritized constituent and principled positions over . From 2001 onward, Hoey's backbench record featured frequent rebellions against the Labour whip, totaling 149 instances between 1999 and 2019 according to parliamentary voting data, with peaks during EU-related debates. She opposed the euro's adoption in 2003, voting against government amendments that facilitated deeper , reflecting her long-held rooted in concerns over loss. On the Hunting Bill, Hoey rebelled multiple times, including voting to delay or amend the measure on 18 November 2004, arguing it unfairly targeted traditional rural practices without of animal welfare improvements. As chairman of the from 2006 to 2015, Hoey advocated for hunting rights and rural freedoms, organizing campaigns against the 2004 Hunting Act's implementation and subsequent enforcement, which she criticized as class-based legislation driven by urban biases rather than data on conservation or efficacy. Her stance extended to rejecting identity cards in 2005–2006 votes, where she joined minority rebellions against expanded state surveillance, citing erosion without proven security gains. Hoey's Euroscepticism intensified post-2010, culminating in her leadership of Labour Leave during the 2016 referendum, where she campaigned for withdrawal alongside figures like , defying Labour's leadership ambiguity and emphasizing democratic accountability over supranational authority. She rebelled on key votes, such as supporting the Withdrawal Bill's second reading on 11 September 2017 and opposing delays to Article 50 invocation in 2019, amassing over 100 rebellions in the 2017–2019 alone. These positions drew internal backlash, including a 2018 no-confidence vote from Labour members who accused her of prioritizing over local Remain sentiments (78% in her constituency). Throughout, Hoey's independence aligned with empirical critiques of policy: she supported the 2003 intervention consistent with Labour's line but later questioned fiscal transfers lacking voter consent, and backed renewal in 2016 against Corbynite opposition, underscoring her preference for realism over ideological conformity. By 2019, facing deselection threats, her record solidified her as one of Labour's most rebellious MPs, with voting divergence rates exceeding 25% in multiple sessions.

Post-Commons Roles

Departure from Labour and Peerage (2019–2020)

On 8 July 2019, Kate Hoey announced that she would not seek re-election as the Labour candidate for Vauxhall in the upcoming , effectively ending her 30-year tenure as a Labour MP. This decision followed years of internal party tensions, particularly over her prominent pro- stance during the 2016 referendum, where she campaigned alongside figures like , and her subsequent rebellions against Labour's equivocal position on EU withdrawal under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. In July 2018, her Vauxhall had passed a no-confidence motion against her for "reneging" on manifesto pledges and prioritizing Brexit, heightening deselection pressures amid rule changes favoring incumbent challenges. Hoey's term as MP concluded with the on 6 November 2019 ahead of the 12 December , after which she publicly distanced herself from the . On 18 December 2019, following Corbyn's directive for Labour MPs to oppose the implementation of on 31 January 2020, Hoey stated on that she was "so glad I am no longer a member of the Labour Party," confirming her from party membership in the wake of the defeat and ongoing ideological clashes. This marked her formal departure from Labour, driven by irreconcilable differences on European policy and the party's shift toward a more centralized, pro-Remain orientation that marginalized dissenting voices like hers. In July 2020, Prime Minister nominated Hoey for a life as part of a honours list recognizing supporters, including several former Labour MPs who had broken ranks on EU issues. Created Baroness Hoey of Lylehill and Rathlin in the County of Antrim on 14 September 2020, she entered the as a non-affiliated peer, independent of party whips, allowing her to continue advocating for causes such as unionism and rural interests without Labour constraints. The appointment drew criticism from Labour figures for rewarding perceived defectors, but Hoey framed it as an opportunity to challenge establishment norms from an unaligned position.

House of Lords Contributions (2020–Present)

Baroness Hoey of Lynn and Redrock was created a life peer on 14 September 2020 and sits as a crossbencher in the House of Lords. Her contributions have centered on scrutinizing post-Brexit arrangements, particularly those affecting Northern Ireland, as well as defending biological sex-based protections in sports and single-sex spaces. She has delivered over 600 spoken interventions since joining, often challenging government and EU-influenced policies through speeches, questions, and motions. Hoey has been a consistent of the and its successor, the , arguing that they impose an internal border, subordinate to law, and erode its constitutional place within the without democratic consent from unionists. In a 11 2022 debate on the , she stated that the protocol "has downgraded 's position within the union and left it out on a limb, subject to still being part of the ." On 3 March 2022, she highlighted how the protocol left "feeling significantly disadvantaged" due to its imposition without local consent. In December 2023, she moved a motion regretting aspects of the 's Retail Movement Scheme for failing to fully address these divisions in goods movement. More recently, on 23 2024, she supported a motion to annul regulations under the framework, contending they perpetuated oversight on plant and animal health checks, and on 29 January 2025, she described arriving in from as "in effect entering the " regarding applicable laws. Her written questions and interventions have repeatedly pressed for scrutiny of legislative proposals impacting and urged resolution of trade imperfections through negotiation rather than acceptance. On gender and sports issues, Hoey has advocated for the preservation of fair and in women's categories, opposing the inclusion of women based on self-identification. During the 9 2021 on Sport: Transgender Inclusion, she emphasized sport's transformative power while underscoring the importance of and the need to protect female categories from male physiological advantages, even with testosterone suppression. Following the Supreme Court's 2025 ruling in For Women , she welcomed the clarity it provided for single-sex spaces on 24 April 2025, stating it offered "confidence for women and service providers" and affirmed that such protections were "personal" to biological females. In May 2025, she praised decisions barring women from women's football as prioritizing over equality claims. Her positions align with votes against expansive data and regulation bills that could indirectly affect privacy in sex-based policies. In broader debates, such as the July 2024 King's Speech, Hoey questioned the adequacy of legislative support for 's devolved institutions under ongoing framework constraints. She has raised concerns over irregular migration across the -Ireland border on 16 September 2025, seeking details on UK-Ireland discussions, and critiqued unequal duty-free allowances for residents traveling to the on 22 October 2025. Additionally, on 14 October 2025, she opposed mandatory digital ID schemes, warning of exclusion for those without access to and noting the absence of electoral mandate. On 12 January 2026, she urged a government minister to thank Elon Musk for providing Starlink access in Iran to enable protesters to obtain uncensored information amid restrictions, but the minister expressed pleasure at its operation while declining to credit Musk personally. Her voting record reflects independence, including opposition to public railway nationalization in November 2024 and data access expansions in February 2025.

Policy Positions and Ideology

European Integration and Brexit

Kate Hoey has maintained a consistent Eurosceptic stance throughout her political career, rooted in opposition to the progressive ceding of national sovereignty to supranational institutions. As a Labour MP, she argued that the party's historical scepticism toward —from to —reflected concerns over democratic accountability and the prioritization of corporate interests over workers' rights. This position led her to rebel against party lines on key treaties advancing integration, including voting against the in 1993, which she viewed as establishing the foundation for an undemocratic federal Europe; this defiance resulted in her dismissal from the Labour frontbench by leader John Smith. She similarly opposed the Treaty in 2008, joining a minority of Labour MPs in demanding a on its provisions for further centralization of powers, such as the creation of a permanent EU presidency and enhanced qualified majority voting. Hoey's Euroscepticism culminated in her prominent role during the 2016 EU membership , where she campaigned actively for the Leave side as a co-chair of Labour Leave, a cross-party group emphasizing , immigration control, and regulatory independence from . She founded the Eurosceptic Labour for Britain group in June 2015 to advocate within the party for exit or radical renegotiation, framing as aligned with left-wing principles of resisting neoliberal and restoring parliamentary control over laws affecting British citizens. Despite facing internal party pressure, including deselection attempts by pro-Remain activists in her Vauxhall constituency, Hoey defended her stance as consistent with voter mandates, criticizing Labour leadership under for ambiguity that alienated working-class Leave supporters. Following the 52% Leave victory on 23 June 2016, Hoey opposed Theresa May's proposal in 2018, which she deemed a "" arrangement preserving too much influence, and urged rejection of any deal compromising on fisheries, customs, and regulatory . In the after her 2020 , she endorsed Boris Johnson's Trade and Cooperation Agreement on 30 December 2020, praising it for delivering independence while critiquing tactics during negotiations as punitive toward the . She has since criticized the —retained in the 2023 —as undermining the Act of Union by imposing rules on part of the , advocating its scrapping to prioritize internal market integrity over access for . By 2023, Hoey expressed frustration at the slow pace of post-Brexit divergence, such as in retained laws, arguing that full realization of requires bolder and shifts away from alignment. Her interventions consistently emphasize empirical evidence of overreach, like the Eurozone crisis exposing integration flaws, over abstract ideals of unity.

Rural Rights and Hunting

Kate Hoey has been a prominent for rural interests, particularly in opposing restrictions on traditional countryside practices such as . Despite representing the urban constituency of , she consistently argued that the proposed ban on with hounds represented an urban imposition on rural livelihoods and traditions, voting against the Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Bill in multiple readings, including as one of only three Labour MPs to oppose the final during its third reading on 15 November 2004. In a House of Commons debate on 18 March 2002, she contended that involved no greater cruelty than alternative methods like or gassing, emphasizing that opposition to hunting often stemmed from class-based prejudices rather than concerns. As Minister for Sport from 1999 to 1999, Hoey defended her personal opposition to a ban, clarifying that it fell outside her departmental remit while stressing the cultural and economic importance of to rural communities. She participated in high-profile protests against the legislation, including the 2002 Countryside Alliance march in , where she warned that a ban would devastate hundreds of rural jobs and businesses tied to . Following the Act's passage, Hoey predicted its eventual repeal, describing the law as "so bad and so ridiculous" that it undermined legitimate rural practices without achieving meaningful gains. Hoey served as chairman of the from July 2005 until March 2015, using the role to broaden advocacy beyond to encompass rural equality in public services and economic opportunities. She promoted policies ensuring rural residents' access to equivalent healthcare, education, , and business diversification rights as their urban counterparts, arguing that urban-centric policies perpetuated disparities. Under her leadership, the organization urged consumer boycotts of supermarkets perceived as supporting anti-rural agendas, framing such actions as defenses of countryside economies against industrial dominance. Hoey later reflected in a 2015 Spectator article that Labour's pursuit of the hunting ban had been a misguided " issue," diverting focus from substantive governance priorities and alienating rural voters. Her stance drew criticism from animal rights groups and some Labour colleagues, who highlighted the perceived disconnect between her urban electorate's views and her rural advocacy, as evidenced by a 2006 Electoral Reform Society guide questioning her alignment with Vauxhall voters on the ban. Nonetheless, Hoey maintained that rural rights encompassed fundamental liberties, including the preservation of as integral to community cohesion and , continuing to campaign for even after leaving the .

Social Conservatism on Gender and LGBT Issues

Hoey has consistently advocated for the exclusion of women from , arguing that biological males retain physical advantages that undermine fairness and safety for female athletes. In May 2025, she described the Football Association's decision to bar women from elite women's football as "the best news possible," emphasizing that the policy addresses not only equality but also the safety risks posed to female competitors. She reiterated this position in October 2025, stating her readiness to highlight the "wrong and unfair and unsafe" nature of allowing males identifying as women to compete against biological females. In the House of Lords, Hoey has defended the preservation of single-sex spaces and services based on biological sex, opposing expansions of gender self-identification that she views as eroding women's protections. During the April 2025 debate on the Supreme Court's "For Women Scotland" ruling—which affirmed that "sex" in equality law refers to biological sex rather than gender identity—she welcomed the decision for providing "clarity and confidence" to women and service providers, underscoring the personal importance of safeguarding single-sex provisions. This stance aligns with her broader critique of gender ideology's impact on women's rights, as evidenced in her June 2023 commentary decrying the weaponization of accusations of "bullying" against advocates for sex-based protections. Regarding LGBT rights, Hoey's record reflects a moderate approach to same-sex marriage but reservations about its imposition in contexts like . She supported the 2013 Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill with a voting alignment of 64.4% in favor, per parliamentary division . However, in July 2019, she voted against extending and abortion access to via Westminster override, prioritizing devolved legislative consent amid the absence of a functioning Stormont assembly. In 2017, she faced criticism from LGBT groups for inadvertently liking a tweet featuring a swastika on a , which she attributed to an accidental click while scrolling. Critics, including left-leaning outlets, have portrayed her overall LGBT voting history as suboptimal, though she has not publicly opposed core equality measures like equal .

Northern Ireland Unionism

Kate Hoey, born in in 1946 to a Catholic family, has consistently advocated for 's retention within the , emphasizing the importance of the Union against Irish reunification efforts. Her unionist stance emerged prominently during the , where she opposed arrangements that she argued undermined 's economic integration with , such as the proposed backstop mechanism intended to avoid a hard with the . In November 2017, Hoey stated that without a deal addressing the Irish border, the would bear the cost of implementing any physical customs infrastructure, rejecting claims that the would fund such measures and criticizing Dublin's position as unrealistic given its economic reliance on . She further argued in 2018 that the Irish government's alignment with the had exaggerated the border issue to obstruct , declaring she would not support any withdrawal agreement perceived as capitulating to this pressure, prioritizing the maintenance of seamless within the internal market. Following the 's departure from the , Hoey campaigned vigorously against the , which she described as severing the province from the rest of the by imposing regulatory checks on goods moving from , potentially eroding unionist consent for the political settlement under the . In September 2020, as a peer, she endorsed the UK Internal Market Bill, warning that opposition to it equated to abandoning Northern Ireland's place in the Union, and continued to call for the Protocol's complete scrapping to restore unfettered access to markets. She has praised figures like leader for principled defense of the Union, while expressing willingness to collaborate with any pro-Union groups without joining local parties herself. Hoey has critiqued perceived external threats to unionism, including U.S. President Joe Biden's interactions with Irish nationalists, such as posing with former IRA figures, asserting in April 2023 that no discerning unionist could view him as an ally given his administration's emphasis on the Protocol over internal unity. In January 2022, she highlighted what she saw as nationalist dominance in Northern Ireland's , , and media, urging pro-Union activists to build counter-networks to safeguard institutional impartiality, a view that drew accusations of promoting division but which she framed as essential for preserving democratic balance. Throughout, she has pushed for the Labour Party to extend full membership to Northern Ireland residents, arguing it would integrate unionist voices more effectively into British politics.

Controversies and Criticisms

Conflicts with Labour Orthodoxy

Hoey's opposition to the Labour government's ban on hunting with dogs exemplified early tensions with party orthodoxy during Tony Blair's premiership. As a rural , she argued that played a legitimate role in and rural economies, voting against the second reading of the Hunting Bill on 16 November 2004 alongside only two other Labour MPs. The resulting , which prohibited foxes and hares with hounds, passed with Labour's majority despite her protests that it prioritized urban prejudices over empirical evidence of hunting's regulatory benefits. This stance isolated her from the party's progressive wing, which viewed the ban as aligning with priorities, though Hoey maintained it ignored data on alternative control methods' ineffectiveness. Her intensified conflicts, particularly as Labour shifted toward greater EU integration under and before diverging under Corbyn's ambiguous stance. Hoey consistently voted against further powers, including opposition to the and constitutional , positions that rebelled against the during 's era when the party favored deeper ties. By the 2016 , she campaigned actively for Leave as co-chair of Labour Leave, defying the party's de facto Remain alignment and associating with figures like , which drew accusations of undermining Labour's unity. In parliamentary votes, such as defying the on 17 2018 to support a amendment with Conservatives, she prioritized delivering the result over party discipline, arguing Labour's indecision alienated working-class voters. Under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership from 2015, Hoey's criticisms of Labour's "extremely unpatriotic" direction and failure to embrace deepened rifts, as she accused the party of reversing earlier Eurosceptic commitments and prioritizing elite remain views. This culminated in July 2018 when her constituency Labour Party passed a unanimous vote of no confidence, demanding whip removal for "reneging" on manifesto pledges and "colluding" with opponents to her pro-Leave advocacy. Hoey vowed to resist deselection, framing it as intolerance for , but announced in July 2019 she would not seek re-election as a Labour candidate, citing irreconcilable differences with the party's trajectory. These episodes highlighted her prioritization of constituent referenda outcomes and first-hand rural/Eurosceptic perspectives over centralized party lines.

Public Statements on Nationalism and Professions

In January 2022, Baroness Hoey contributed a foreword to a policy document published by the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), in which she expressed concerns that "many professional vocations have become dominated by those of a nationalist persuasion," particularly in fields such as law, journalism, and academia in Northern Ireland. She argued this dominance created an "elite nationalist network" that undermined impartiality in decision-making and judgments, potentially favoring Irish unification over maintaining the Union with Great Britain. Hoey framed these observations as "very justified concerns" rooted in observable patterns of influence within public-facing professions, linking them to broader threats against unionist interests post-Brexit. Her remarks drew immediate criticism from nationalist politicians, media organizations, and professional bodies, who accused her of promoting sectarian and implying anti-union among Catholic professionals. The National Union of Journalists condemned the statements as "dangerous and divisive," urging Hoey to retract them and warning of risks to media independence. Figures like SDLP leader labeled the comments "depressingly bleak" and reflective of outdated unionist paranoia, while some outlets portrayed them as echoing historical anti-Catholic sentiments. Hoey and supporters, including loyalist commentator , defended the remarks as factual commentary on demographic and ideological shifts in Northern Ireland's institutions, rather than ethnic targeting. She maintained that unionists had failed to counter civic nationalism's organizational successes, leading to disproportionate influence in key sectors, and cited examples of perceived anti-Union activism in courts and broadcasting as evidence. Critics' backlash, Hoey contended, illustrated discomfort with acknowledging these realities, which she tied to post-Good Friday Agreement changes favoring nationalist integration into elite roles. The episode highlighted tensions over professional impartiality in divided societies, with Hoey's position aligning her pro-Union advocacy against narratives of inevitable demographic destiny.

Backlash Over Brexit Prioritization

In February 2018, during a House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee hearing on and democracy, Kate Hoey faced sharp criticism from MPs for remarks perceived as prioritizing over the stability of the . SDLP leader accused her of making "very, very destabilising" comments by questioning the need to tweak the agreement, stating he would not allow it to be "torn up just to facilitate a very awkward negotiation" on EU withdrawal. Ireland's deputy prime minister, , described Hoey's position as "reckless" and "irresponsible," arguing it undermined peace efforts amid stalled power-sharing at Stormont. Hoey rejected the charges, insisting her comments did not propose altering the agreement and were unrelated to . The incident highlighted broader tensions over Hoey's advocacy for a hard , which critics, including pro-Remain Labour figures and Northern Irish nationalists, claimed risked reigniting border frictions and sectarian divides in . Her stance aligned with other supporters like and , prompting accusations of a coordinated effort to downplay Irish border concerns in favor of restoring sovereignty. Loyalist commentator defended her, dismissing peace threat claims as exaggerated. Within the Labour Party, Hoey's prioritization of Brexit drew internal backlash, culminating in a July 26, 2018, vote of no confidence by her Constituency Labour Party, where 42 members voted in favor, with 3 abstentions and none opposed. The motion cited her "reneging" on the 2017 pledge to oppose a hard , her collaboration with Conservatives and UKIP leader , and disregard for her constituents, who voted 78% to remain in the EU referendum. The non-binding vote called for removing the and blocking her reselection, reflecting frustration among Remain-leaning activists that her focus overshadowed party unity and local priorities. Hoey responded dismissively, noting her local party's strong Remain bias after 29 years as MP and affirming she would "always put my country before my party," undeterred in her parliamentary voting. This , amid earlier controversies like her July 2017 tweet sharing a Breitbart article criticizing Labour's Brexit ambiguity—which prompted accusations of promoting right-wing narratives—underscored how her Brexit emphasis alienated pro-EU elements in Labour, contributing to deselection pressures and her decision not to stand in the 2019 election.

Broader Impact and Legacy

Achievements in Sports Policy and Advocacy

As Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport from July 1999 to June 2001, Hoey became the first woman to hold the position of Minister for Sport in the UK government. In this role, she prioritized grassroots participation and access to sports facilities, advocating against excessive commercialization and bureaucracy that hindered community-level engagement. She contributed to the "A Sporting Future for All" policy framework launched in 2000, which aimed to increase across all age groups through targeted investments in school and community programs. Hoey introduced the concept of School Sport Partnerships (SSPs) during her tenure, establishing coordinated networks between schools and local sports clubs to enhance delivery and sustain participation beyond elite levels. These partnerships were credited with improving coordination and resources for youth sport, though their long-term success varied by region. She also played a part in securing increased funding for elite athletes, aligning lottery proceeds more effectively with performance targets ahead of events like the 2000 Olympics. In 2008, Hoey was appointed as an unpaid Commissioner for Sport by Mayor , with a mandate to boost grassroots access and prepare for the 2012 Olympic legacy by expanding facilities and programs for underprivileged youth. Her efforts emphasized practical barriers, such as affordable entry to clubs, over top-down mandates, influencing local initiatives to raise participation rates in the capital. Post-parliamentary career, Hoey has advocated for biological sex-based categories in to ensure fairness and safety, arguing that male physiological advantages persist post-transition. She supported the Football Association's 2025 decision to exclude transgender women from women's competitive football, describing it as essential for protecting female athletes from injury risks and competitive inequities. In the , she endorsed ' 2023 policy barring athletes who underwent male puberty from elite female events, citing empirical data on retained strength and speed disparities. Her interventions have amplified calls for evidence-based guidelines, contributing to shifts by bodies like Sport toward prioritizing female-only protections over inclusive policies lacking scientific backing.

Reception Among Peers and Public

Hoey has been a polarizing figure among political peers, admired by some for her principled independence and willingness to challenge party orthodoxy, while facing sharp criticism from Labour establishment figures and progressive allies for her and . A 2018 Guardian opinion piece argued that Labour should value her as an "independent thinker" rather than seek to expel her, highlighting her defiance against deselection efforts in over support. Cross-party respect emerged from conservatives and unionists; she advised on hunting issues and was praised in Telegraph coverage for her local appeal, which saw her majority double in 2017 despite Vauxhall's 78% Remain vote in the 2016 referendum. In unionist circles, she expressed admiration for figures like of the TUV as "one of the most principled, cleverest politicians," reflecting mutual regard among pro-Union advocates. However, peers in Labour and nationalist groups rebuked her; a 2018 vote of no confidence by 's cited her votes as disloyalty, and in 2022, her claims of nationalist dominance in Northern Irish professions drew accusations of "gross stereotyping" from the National Union of Journalists and Irish media outlets. Public reception mirrors this divide, with strong personal loyalty in her constituency offsetting policy clashes, particularly on and unionism. Despite Vauxhall's overwhelming Remain preference, Hoey's 2017 election success—doubling her majority to 9,557 votes—demonstrated voter appreciation for her constituency work over ideological alignment, as noted in post-election analyses. Among supporters and rural advocates, she garnered praise for consistency, with profiles portraying her evolution from Marxist to Brexiteer as a steadfast commitment to values like national . Critics in left-leaning media, such as a 2019 Guardian column, derided her as a "wild Brexiteer" unswayed by evidence, reflecting broader urban progressive disdain. In , her unionist stance earned support from pro-UK voters but backlash from nationalists over comments on professional imbalances and the , where she argued critics face exaggerated vilification. No dedicated polls track her favorability, but her 2019 retirement without deselection and subsequent nomination underscore enduring respect among those prioritizing conviction over conformity.

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  103. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/20/labour-eurosceptics-accuse-corbyn-reversing-position-eu-referendum
  104. https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/politics/kate-hoey-vote-no-confidence-brexiteer-labour-vauxhall-mp-a8466001.html
  105. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/27/labour-mp-says-she-will-fight-moves-to-deselect-her-as-mp
  106. https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/national-union-of-journalists-slams-kate-hoey-for-nationalist-dominance-remarks-3518436
  107. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/hoey-urged-to-backtrack-on-nationalist-domination/41219989.html
  108. https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2022/01/07/news/kate-hoey-urged-to-withdraw-comments-about-nationalist-professionals-after-widespread-criticism-2553923/
  109. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/baroness-hoey-criticised-for-attack-on-anti-union-activists/41213226.html
  110. https://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/niallodowd/kate-hoey-anti-catholic-bigotry
  111. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/baroness-hoey-and-jamie-bryson-defend-their-comments-on-nationalist-domination/41235008.html
  112. https://sluggerotoole.com/2022/01/11/defensive-response-to-hoey-reveals-unwelcome-truths-about-northern-irelands-new-establishment/
  113. https://www.ruthdudleyedwards.co.uk/2022/01/kate-hoey-is-a-warrior-for-free-speech-just-when-we-need-it/
  114. https://rebelnews.ie/2022/01/08/no-fenians-about-the-place/
  115. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/21/mps-accuse-kate-hoey-of-putting-brexit-before-northern-ireland-peace
  116. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/20/ireland-kate-hoey-good-friday-agreement-remarks
  117. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/labours-kate-hoey-faces-angry-backlash-for-sharing-breitbart-news-article-a3597661.html
  118. https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2000-05-04/debates/180049c4-ab82-47c3-ae58-d0cf4ec86d6b/Sport
  119. https://www.sportanddev.org/sites/default/files/downloads/keeping_the_flame_alive.pdf
  120. https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/ndownloader/files/17252060/1
  121. https://lordsbusiness.parliament.uk/Documents/Download?documentId=4106&filename=HLBusiness.pdf
  122. https://hansard.parliament.uk/html/lords/2021-11-09/LordsChamber
  123. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/30/labour-kate-hoey-deselect-vauxhall-mp-independent-thinker-expel
  124. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/11/23/john-mcdonnell-nasty-devious-figure-behind-scenes-kate-hoey/
  125. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/kate-hoey-good-friday-babies_uk_5a8d4b26e4b00a30a250fc5b
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