Catherine Stihler
Encyclopedia
Catherine Stihler is a British
Labour Party
politician. She has been a Member of the European Parliament
for Scotland
since 1999, being re-elected in 2004 and 2009. She is currently the only female MEP representing Scotland.
where she gained an MA with joint honours in International Relations and Geography and a postgraduate MLitt in International Security Studies.
While at St Andrews she was elected President of the Students' Association
, serving from 1994 to 1995. She also served on the Scottish Executive Committee of the Labour Party from 1993 to 1995 and was the Young Labour
delegate to the National Executive Committee
from 1995 to 1997. While a postgraduate student she stood in the Angus constituency
at the 1997 general election
.
In March 2006 she had her first child, Alexander, with her husband David (whom she met while at university).
They are expecting their second child in November,2011.
, Member of Parliament
for Aberdeen South
, as a researcher. She was placed at third on the Labour Party list for Scotland
in the 1999 European Parliament election
, and therefore took the third Labour Party seat under the d'Hondt electoral system becoming the UK's youngest MEP at the age of 25.
Catherine was re-elected as an MEP for Scotland in 2004 and 2009. She has served as the Deputy Leader of the EPLP and held positions as Labour's Euro spokesperson on health and fisheries. Catherine is currently Labour's Euro-Spokesperson on Consumer Rights and is the only Scottish MEP on the prestigious economic and monetary affairs committee. As the Parliament's rapporteur on construction products(2011), she has steered through a new piece of law which improved the single market on construction products whilst ensuring the highest protection against hazardous substances. She is an anti tobacco campaigner with a key interest in campaigning for greater recognition of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD)and helping those who have the condition have better treatment. Her current work includes improvement of EU public procurement rules, reform of financial services regulation in particular tackling unfair bank charges and the promotion and inclusion of all EU citizens within the digital economy.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician. She has been a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
since 1999, being re-elected in 2004 and 2009. She is currently the only female MEP representing Scotland.
Early and personal life
Born as Catherine Dalling Taylor, Stihler was educated at Coltness High School, later going on to the University of St AndrewsUniversity of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
where she gained an MA with joint honours in International Relations and Geography and a postgraduate MLitt in International Security Studies.
While at St Andrews she was elected President of the Students' Association
University of St Andrews Students' Association
The University of St Andrews Students' Association was founded in 1864, and is the oldest students' union in the world.-Management:The Association is run by a student-majority Board and four sabbatical officers, each responsible for a separate aspect of student life: the Director of Representation...
, serving from 1994 to 1995. She also served on the Scottish Executive Committee of the Labour Party from 1993 to 1995 and was the Young Labour
Young Labour
Young Labour can refer to three youth organizations of Labour Parties.*Young Labour , youth wing of the Labour Party*Young Labour , youth wing of the New Zealand Labour Party...
delegate to the National Executive Committee
National Executive Committee
The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties,...
from 1995 to 1997. While a postgraduate student she stood in the Angus constituency
Angus (UK Parliament constituency)
Angus is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
at the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
In March 2006 she had her first child, Alexander, with her husband David (whom she met while at university).
They are expecting their second child in November,2011.
Political career
After the election Stihler worked for Anne BeggAnne Begg
Dame Anne Begg, DBE is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South since 1997...
, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Aberdeen South
Aberdeen South (UK Parliament constituency)
Aberdeen South is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, as a researcher. She was placed at third on the Labour Party list for Scotland
Scotland (European Parliament constituency)
Scotland constitutes a single constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
in the 1999 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 1999 (UK)
The European Parliament Election, 1999 was the UK part of the European Parliament election 1999. It was held on 10 June. It was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom using a system of proportional representation. The European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 introduced the...
, and therefore took the third Labour Party seat under the d'Hondt electoral system becoming the UK's youngest MEP at the age of 25.
Catherine was re-elected as an MEP for Scotland in 2004 and 2009. She has served as the Deputy Leader of the EPLP and held positions as Labour's Euro spokesperson on health and fisheries. Catherine is currently Labour's Euro-Spokesperson on Consumer Rights and is the only Scottish MEP on the prestigious economic and monetary affairs committee. As the Parliament's rapporteur on construction products(2011), she has steered through a new piece of law which improved the single market on construction products whilst ensuring the highest protection against hazardous substances. She is an anti tobacco campaigner with a key interest in campaigning for greater recognition of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD)and helping those who have the condition have better treatment. Her current work includes improvement of EU public procurement rules, reform of financial services regulation in particular tackling unfair bank charges and the promotion and inclusion of all EU citizens within the digital economy.