Taiwo Owatemi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Taiwo Owatemi
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Official portrait, 2019
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| Lord Commissioner of the Treasury | |
| Assumed office 10 July 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities | |
| In office 21 September 2021 – 7 September 2022 |
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| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Charlotte Nichols |
| Succeeded by | Yasmin Qureshi |
| Member of Parliament for Coventry North West |
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| Assumed office 12 December 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Geoffrey Robinson |
| Majority | 11,174 (26.6%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 July 1992 |
| Political party | Labour |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | University of Kent |
Taiwo Victoria Owatemi (born 22 July 1992) is a British politician. She has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Coventry North West since 2019. She is part of the Labour Party. Currently, she works as a Junior Lord of the Treasury, which is a role in the government.
Early Life and Education
Taiwo Owatemi grew up in Plumstead, a part of London. She had close family in Coventry, including her aunt and cousins. Her father passed away when she was seven years old. Her mother, who was a nurse, raised Taiwo, her twin, and her older brother.
Taiwo went to Conway Primary School in Plumstead. Later, she attended The Business Academy Bexley, which is now called Harris Garrard Academy. She studied Pharmacy at the Medway School of Pharmacy, which is part of the University of Kent. She earned a Master's degree and became a qualified pharmacist.
Starting Her Career
While still in school, Taiwo had a special opportunity. She was chosen for a parliamentary internship by the Social Mobility Foundation. This allowed her to gain experience working in Westminster. She worked in the office of Conservative MP Oliver Letwin.
After finishing her studies, Taiwo became a qualified pharmacist. She worked at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester. She is officially registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Before becoming an MP, she worked as a pharmacist in a cancer unit. This was at the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust.
From 2016, Taiwo Owatemi took on various roles with the Young Fabians. She also wrote articles about health policy. She became interested in health differences between people. This led her to join the Labour Party during her training at St Richard’s Hospital.
Political Journey
Taiwo Owatemi was chosen to be the Labour Party's candidate for Coventry North West. This happened for the 2019 general election. The previous Labour MP, Geoffrey Robinson, decided not to run again. Taiwo won the election, keeping the seat for Labour. She won by a small number of votes, just 208.
In 2019, three women were elected as MPs from Coventry. Taiwo was one of them, along with Zarah Sultana and Colleen Fletcher.
Coventry was the UK City of Culture in 2021. After the organization that ran the legacy projects had financial problems, Taiwo spoke about it. She raised the issue in the House of Commons.
In the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, Taiwo supported Lisa Nandy.
From April 2020 to September 2021, Taiwo worked as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS). She assisted the Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds. In September 2021, she was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities. She left this role in September 2022. She wanted to spend more time helping people in her local area.
In July 2024, Taiwo was given a new role in the Labour government. She became a Government Whip and a Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury.
Taiwo Owatemi is a member of Labour Friends of Israel. She visited the country as part of a group in February 2023.
Taiwo was part of the Health and Social Care Select Committee. She served on this committee from March 2020 to May 2024. She also served on the International Trade Select Committee from June 2020 to July 2021. From April 2021 to March 2022, she was on the Petitions Committee.
She was also the Chair or Co-Chair of several special groups in Parliament. These included groups on Pharmacy, Child Criminal Exploitation and Knife Crime, and Alternative Investment Management.
Taiwo Owatemi was a governor at a local primary school starting in 2016. From 2021, she also volunteered as a Trustee for several charities. She resigned from these roles in 2024 when she became a Government Whip. These included the Albany Theatre Trust and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. She also stepped down from her role as an Executive Committee Member of the Fabian Society. She also left her role as a Strategic Adviser on Cancer Prevention Trials at King's College Hospital.
Taiwo has a dog named Bella, who is a cockapoo. In March 2025, it was reported that Taiwo had claimed expenses for a fee. This fee was about £900 and was charged by her landlord. It allowed her to keep her dog in her London flat. Another Labour MP, Dan Jarvis, commented on this. He said Taiwo followed the rules. However, he also said the government would ask the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to review the rule.
MPs can claim expenses for extra costs when staying away from their main home. This is to help them do their parliamentary duties. These expenses can cover rent, mortgage interest, and daily living costs. This means MPs can claim for overnight stays in London if their main home is in their constituency outside London.
Taiwo Owatemi is a member of the trade union GMB.
Personal Life
Taiwo Owatemi is married. In December 2023, she shared the happy news that she had given birth to her first child, a daughter.
