Biography

I am proud to say I’m Luton born and Luton bred. I am a successful charity professional - I have mobilised people in dozens of countries to lobby governments, raise money and take direct action to get millions more children a better education.

I know there’s massive potential in Luton too, because I’m from here.I want to be a proud ambassador for Luton.

I am hard working and honest. I bring youth and energy – but also experience, creativity and above all the determination to do better for the people of Luton.

I was born in Luton, grew up in Luton, have worked in Luton, been mugged in Luton. I am the independent candidate from Luton and for Luton. My Dad was a teacher for many years at Luton Sixth Form College, my Mum has worked at the University and my brother runs a small business in Luton.

After university, I came back to Luton. I helped set up and build up Luton’s film festival (Filmstock), working for next to nothing because I thought it was such an important thing to do. I also taught at Luton Sixth Form College and started my own drama and arts project for local teenagers.

Then I moved to London to work because I wanted to see the world and obtain professional experience working for the Tate and then Save the Children, the world’s largest independent children’s charity. With my job at Save the Children, I’ve spent time working in the US and Congo, and have travelled to many countries all over the world. Throughout, I kept close links with Luton and I have my family and good friends here.

Main Issues

We need bold, brave vision and leadership in Britain

We need change from the consensus of the political parties. The most striking example of this is their response to the financial crisis and the recession - missing the opportunity to take brave, bold action to reform our society.

Now is the time when we we must invest more in education, much more - smaller class sizes in schools so teachers can make a greater difference, more university places so we can compete globally and recover from this recession long-term, reform of education to focus on children’s real development not exam results. I know firsthand the importance of education from my parents (who were both teachers) and through campaigning for Save the Children - I managed to get education for children in wartorn countries.

Some cuts will inevitably be necessary but we could support our communities and protect many public services with braver, fairer taxes on high earners and a Robin Hood financial services tax – at the same time reducing the growing inequality between rich and poor. And where will cuts come? I believe in fairness and that means places like Luton which have missed out on real attention from government in the boom years must be protected now.

I will be a dedicated constituency MP, a local servant of the people working from the bottom-up to help local people find solutions to their problems and improve our town. I will spend a day a week working directly with children and young people and bring the realities of their schools and their lives into Parliament.

As an independent MP, I will also support the deep political reform we need in Britain - a fairer voting system, a directly elected House of Lords, devolution of power and greater public involvement on important issues. In Luton I will push for a directly elected Mayor to give our town the local leadership we really need.