I’m local and love my diverse home town of Luton where I have lived virtually all my life. I was born in the Luton & Dunstable Hospital, I grew up in Biscot and went to Denbigh High School. I studied at Luton Sixth Form College, before going to Leicester University. My first Saturday job was in Littlewoods in the Arndale (now Primark) and my first full-time job was at the TSB bank customer service centre that used to be on Cardiff Road. Later on in life, as part of my 20+ year career working in the public sector and wider civil service, I studied part-time for a Masters degree at the University of Bedfordshire in Luton.

I live in High Town with my partner Iain and, like you, I use our local services – I take the train from Luton Station, I shop locally (on High Town Road or Bury Park Sainsbury’s) and have gone to Woodland Avenue GP surgery since I was a baby! I’m active in supporting our Luton community, I’ve been a governor at Luton Sixth Form College and I’m a regular volunteer at Luton Foodbank.

Having spent my life in Luton, with family and friends across the constituency, I know Luton South like the back of my hand.

Since childhood, I’ve always stood up for fairness and equality for all. This developed into a deep sense of social justice, which I have held all my life, and that is why I joined the Labour Party as a teenager. As a trade unionist, I have stood up for people’s rights at work and against attacks on pay and pensions.

It is time for real change. We must tackle the inequalities between the very rich and the rest of us. I have opposed Tory austerity and cuts. With real change under Labour, our economy will work for the many. Our policies will deliver decent jobs and secure homes, better pay and fairer rents.

I will be an MP who has real-life experience, a strong track record, a common sense approach and who you can rely on. In representing everyone across Luton South, I will be accessible, available and active in all our communities.

I will work hard for all the people of Luton South – for the many not the few.