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Miriam Cates
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Miriam Cates
Miriam Joy Cates (born 23 August 1982) is a British television host and former politician who was the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Penistone and Stocksbridge from 2019 to 2024.
Miriam Cates was born on 23 August 1982 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. She grew up in a Christian family and has two younger brothers. Her father was a general practitioner, while her mother, who had a maths degree, was a stay at home mum. Although her parents had no particular interest in politics, Cates was drawn to the field at an early age, including listening to the Today programme on the radio from the age of 11. Her keen interest in politics led her to also become a young fan of The Westminster Hour.
Whilst at primary school, she was "raised with rhymes about how much people hated Margaret Thatcher." She then attended a comprehensive school, where she was a straight-A student. She reports that the "Leftist" ethic of her school turned her towards conservative ideas. Initially, she intended to become a concert pianist.
Cates went on to study Natural Sciences at Christ's College, Cambridge, where she earned a degree in genetics. 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.
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. 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". 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. She was re-elected in 2019 and resigned her seat in 2021.
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.
Cates described a family friend asking her to stand as a Conservative candidate for Penistone & Stocksbridge in October 2018. Though unsuccessful in her bid, she found she enjoyed campaigning, and decided to go to the next Conservative party conference.
At that conference, in 2019, Cates met Anne Jenkin, who was recruiting for women candidates, and identified a seat near her home. Cates was subsequently selected, and campaigned to be the MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge in the 2019 general election. The seat was targeted as part of Boris Johnson's red wall strategy, with Cates and Johnson appearing together in the local campaign.
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Miriam Cates
Miriam Joy Cates (born 23 August 1982) is a British television host and former politician who was the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Penistone and Stocksbridge from 2019 to 2024.
Miriam Cates was born on 23 August 1982 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. She grew up in a Christian family and has two younger brothers. Her father was a general practitioner, while her mother, who had a maths degree, was a stay at home mum. Although her parents had no particular interest in politics, Cates was drawn to the field at an early age, including listening to the Today programme on the radio from the age of 11. Her keen interest in politics led her to also become a young fan of The Westminster Hour.
Whilst at primary school, she was "raised with rhymes about how much people hated Margaret Thatcher." She then attended a comprehensive school, where she was a straight-A student. She reports that the "Leftist" ethic of her school turned her towards conservative ideas. Initially, she intended to become a concert pianist.
Cates went on to study Natural Sciences at Christ's College, Cambridge, where she earned a degree in genetics. 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.
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. 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". 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. She was re-elected in 2019 and resigned her seat in 2021.
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.
Cates described a family friend asking her to stand as a Conservative candidate for Penistone & Stocksbridge in October 2018. Though unsuccessful in her bid, she found she enjoyed campaigning, and decided to go to the next Conservative party conference.
At that conference, in 2019, Cates met Anne Jenkin, who was recruiting for women candidates, and identified a seat near her home. Cates was subsequently selected, and campaigned to be the MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge in the 2019 general election. The seat was targeted as part of Boris Johnson's red wall strategy, with Cates and Johnson appearing together in the local campaign.
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