Kate Allen

Katherine Allen (born 25 January 1955) is a chief executive who served as 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, Oxford. Allen was made an Honorary Fellow by the university in 2006. 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 PPC for the marginal seat of 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 May 1990 local elections.

Allen speaks at the International Human Rights Day event held in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London on 10 December 2018.

She became deputy chief executive of the Refugee Council in 1987, a role she held until 1999. In 1998/99 she was seconded to the Home Office, where she worked on the 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act. Having appeared on BBC 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.