Profile

The early years!

I was born in 1973 and grew up in north west London. My father served an apprenticeship in printing, worked on the newspapers in Fleet Street and was a trade unionist. In the late 1970s he had dreams of opening his own small print firm; but it wasn’t until the 1980s reforms – lower tax, an economic framework which encouraged entrepreneurialism and enterprise and the end of the trade union’s closed shop – that his printing and stationery firm took off. My mother helped run the company, as well as raising a family.

The aspiration of my parents to make a better life for themselves and their family has stayed with me throughout my life – and I will always believe in and fight for a society in which aspiration and hard work is encouraged and rewarded.

Education, and getting involved in politics…

I studied GCSEs at Watford Grammar School, which was then a state comprehensive, despite the name! And I took my A Levels at Watford Cassio College, studying in night classes.

I won a place at Birmingham University, graduating with a 1st in Political Science in 1997. Whilst at university I successfully campaigned to overturn a short-sighted ban by the student union on a national newspaper; and I took on extremist organisation Hizb ut Tahrir in debate on campus, after they took to intimidating demonstrations there against the British way of life. I learned from first hand the importance of pluralism and freedom in my time at Birmingham.

Working in Westminster and communications…

Since 1997 I have been working in politics and communications. Although there is no history of politics in my family, to me Westminster remains the most important arena in which to fight for aspiration, meritocracy and freedom. And so between 1997 and 1999 I worked for the Conservative party in Westminster (including for William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith).

In 2000 I became a Communications Executive for NTL Interactive, but was made redundant in 2001 when the so-called ‘dotcom’ bubble burst. The experience of redundancy is one which will always stay with me: I learned first-hand how important it is to both get the right training and skills required for that next role, as well as making it easier for employers to take on new staff, so those out of work have more opportunities to find new jobs. That is why I have been campaigning, and securing media coverage, for our “Support local businesses” campaign, which generate the vast majority of Hackney jobs.

Since 2001 I have been working in communications on integrated public relations and public affairs projects to raise the profile of client campaigns. It’s said by some that this means I do not live in the real world, but the kind of campaigns I work on – whether helping to secure political and community support for hospitals such as the nearby Royal London, promoting advanced ‘Building Schools for the Future’ technology or widening telecoms and digital access for all – benefit many people, most of whom one can safely say ‘live in the real world’! Part of the work that I do means that I know how Westminster works, and so can use this knowledge to the benefit of people living in Hackney.

Outside experience – school governor and football!

I have been a school governor, and became a member of the special team tasked with bringing a joint mixed infants and primary school out of special measures, following poor Ofsted inspections – we succeeded within a year, and the school continues to thrive. And I help run an amateur football club, which has grown to four teams within ten years and which is comprised of players from across London’s various communities.

I love playing football and going to football matches (having been a Crystal Palace season ticket-holder for 30 years!); and the rest of my spare time is spent with my wife and young son.

Real change for Hackney

Finally, I believe Hackney is a great and vibrant place, but that the policies of Gordon Brown and this tired Labour government are holding it back from being even better. Local Member of Parliament Diane Abbott has said regularly she supports Gordon Brown – and so she is part of the problem, not the solution.

To bring about the real changes required – to bring improvements for aspirational families who want to better themselves, job-seekers and businesses looking to thrive, and for better schools run by heads, teacher and parents and not local authorities – Hackney needs a Conservative government and a Conservative MP with experience, relevant skills and passion. I believe I have what it takes to be a successful MP for the people of Hackney North & Stoke Newington – I hope you do too.