About

My story

I am a Public Health Doctor and my training and experience has taught me that people do better in more equal societies. That injustice and inequity lead to human beings not realising their full potential and breeds an environment that is destructive to us and to the planet. Labour principles of fairness and social justice align with my understanding of the world and I am therefore proud to stand as a Labour Party member to work and fight for better for all.

When I was a Junior Doctor, I developed a passion for keeping people well. When my colleagues were interested in mending a broken bone, I wanted more and more to know how we could stop it breaking in the first place. So I followed my passion in to Public Health and learned how to help people to stay well. But the more I learned, the more I realized that my efforts were limited and even thwarted by a Political and Economic System that actually makes people sick. Unfairness and injustice translate into poor nutrition, poor education, poor employment and a lack of hope. So I decided to become a Politician. Not to follow in the footsteps of Churchill, but to stand on the shoulders of Beveridge and Attlee, to fix a broken system and to make our people well again.

Why I became your Member of Parliament

My Public Health work was focused on helping people to live well and healthily, yet I was thwarted time and again by poor Political decision-making. Decisions that put profit above our health and the health of our planet, decisions that were based less on evidence or even common sense, but rather the strength of a lobby or the depth of Company pockets. As a mum of two children who go to school in the local area, I know how important it is for our young people to have the best start in life. So rather than being a Public Health Doctor frustrated in a short sighted, broken system, I have decided to stand to try and change the system for the better.

My approach to politics

I am both passionate and pragmatic. I understand the value of a rousing, emotive representation to stand up for community change alongside the hours of hard work needed to deliver policy change.

I have a wealth of experience from working in the NHS, local authorities, NGOs and private companies. As well as working in the UK, I have been fortunate enough to work in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Southeast Asia. I am empathetic and future focused, whilst able to learn from the past. My combination of skills is not unique, but it is not common enough in Politics.