Taiwo Owatemi


Taiwo Owatemi is a British Labour Party politician. She was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Coventry North West in the 2019 election.

Early life

Owatemi grew up in Plumstead with close links to an extended family via her aunt and cousins in Coventry. Her father died when she was six due to a shortage of organ donors, an event which she has identified as being formative of her political views. She was brought up alongside her twin and her elder brother by her mother, a nurse.
Owatemi is a Masters graduate from the University of Kent and a qualified pharmacist. She worked as a senior oncology pharmacist in a cancer unit in Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust prior to entering Parliament.

Political career

Owatemi was selected for a Parliamentary internship by the Social Mobility Foundation, and gained experience working in the Westminster office of Oliver Letwin. She served in a number of roles in the Young Fabians and published on health policy. She also served as a school governor at a local primary school since 2016.
She was selected as Labour's candidate for Coventry North West after incumbent Geoffrey Robinson stood down. Contrary to exit poll predictions, Labour held the seat, albeit with a significantly reduced majority of 0.4%.
Owatemi is one of Coventry's three female MPs, alongside Zarah Sultana and Colleen Fletcher.