My first campaign was the ‘92 General Election, and I remember the immense feeling of pride I felt in representing the Labour Party in public and working together with people equally committed to changing the country.

I’ve campaigned for the party every year since. A particular highlight came in the ‘97 campaign – knowing that by electing a Labour Government we would be changing millions of lives for the better.

“The miners’ strikes got me properly involved in politics”

My first political memory was watching Boys from the Black Stuff with my mum and dad and asking them questions about what the characters were going through – unemployment, desperation – and why it was happening.

As is the case for a lot of people at that time, the miners’ strikes got me properly involved in politics. I went to school close to Parkside Colliery, and images of the strikes on the news suddenly brought it very close to home. That drove me to get active and join the Labour Party.