Martin Caton

Martin Philip Caton (born 15 June 1951) is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gower from 1997 to 2015.

Martin Caton
Member of Parliament
for Gower
In office
1 May 1997 – 30 March 2015
Preceded byGareth Wardell
Succeeded byByron Davies
Personal details
Born
Martin Philip Caton

(1951-06-15) 15 June 1951
Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England, UK
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour
Spouse(s)Bethan Evans
Children2

Early life and career

Caton was born in Bishop's Stortford and educated at the Newport Free Grammar School near Saffron Walden, the Norfolk School of Agriculture, and the Aberystwyth College of Further Education. From 1974 he worked for 10 years as a research officer with the Welsh Plant Breeding Station at Aberystwyth before becoming a researcher for the member of the European Parliament David Morris. He was elected as a councillor of the Mumbles Community Council (1986–90) and to the Swansea City Council from 1988 until his election in 1997 to parliament.

Political career

He won the safe Labour seat of Gower at the 1997 general election on the retirement of Gareth Wardell. He was elected with a majority of 13,007 and made his maiden speech on 4 June 1997, in which he defended the cockle industry in his constituency.[1]

Caton participated in the rebellion of Labour MPs voting against the government decision to invade Iraq in 2003, and was one of the 88 Labour MPs to vote against replacing the Trident Nuclear Missile System, Caton having been a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament for years. Within Parliament, he has spent a long time on the Welsh Affairs Select committee and sits with the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs.[2] Martin Caton retired from Parliament at the 2015 General Election.

Personal life

He married Bethan Evans in 1996 and they have two daughters.

References
  1. Martin Caton's maiden speech Archived 16 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine, publications.parliament.uk; accessed 8 May 2015.
  2. Profile Archived 31 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine, l-r-c.org.uk; accessed 8 May 2015.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Gareth Wardell		 Member of Parliament for Gower
1997–2015		 Succeeded by
Byron Davies
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