Katherine Allen (born 25 January 1955) was the Director of Amnesty International UK (AIUK) from 2000 to 2021.

Early life and education

Katherine Allen was the daughter of William Allen and Patricia Allen (née Middleton). She gained a BA (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Brasenose College, University of Oxford. Allen was made an Honorary Fellow by the university in 2006.

Career

Allen was a policy officer at the Greater London Council from 1977 to 1979. She then became a scientific officer at the Social Science Research Council (1979–80) and a policy officer at Haringey London Borough Council (1980–81). From 1981 to 1987, Allen was senior policy officer in Social Services for the Association of County Councils. She was elected to Camden London Borough Council, Camden Council in 1982 Camden London Borough Council election, 1982, representing Kilburn (Camden ward), Kilburn for the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party. Whilst on the council, she was chair of the Women's Committee. In March 1990, whilst still a councillor, she attempted to become the Labour Prospective parliamentary candidate, PPC for the marginal seat of Hampstead and Highgate (UK Parliament constituency), Hampstead and Highgate, which included Kilburn. However, she lost out to the actress Glenda Jackson on the third ballot. Allen remained a councillor until the 1990 Camden London Borough Council election, May 1990 local elections.

She became deputy chief executive of the Refugee Council in 1987, a role she held until 1999. There, Allen headed the UK emergency evacuation programmes for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Kosovo, and chaired the Asylum Rights Campaign during the passage of new asylum and immigration legislation. In 1998/99 she was seconded to the Home Office, where she worked on the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act. In 2000, Allen was appointed the UK Director of Amnesty International, the third-largest Amnesty section worldwide with more than a quarter of a million supporters; Allen undertook a major restructure, and established the Human Rights Action Centre in Shoreditch. Having appeared on BBC ''Question Time (TV series), Question Time'', in October 2005 she wrote a two-page article in ''The Observer'' newspaper, which launched an international campaign on Internet censorship and repression. In March 2021, Allen announced she would be retiring from Amnesty International in September of the same year, after 21 years.

Personal life

For 20 years, Allen was the partner of Ken Livingstone, former leader of the Greater London Council, then Member of Parliament, and later the first Mayor of London. Allen was one of the three Labour councillors representing Kilburn on Camden Council. The couple's relationship ended in 2001.

References

External links

Video interview with Kate Allen (The Alligator Online)

Transcript of an interview with Kate Allen (The Student Journals)

(Third Sector)

(The Guardian)

(Amnesty International UK)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Kate 1955 births Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford Amnesty International people British activists British women activists Living people Councillors in the London Borough of Camden Women councillors in England Labour Party (UK) councillors