Outside politics

I grew up on the outskirts of London where I attended a local comprehensive school.  My dad and most of my family worked at a printing factory in Watford, and my mum worked in administration before becoming a trade union official for UNISON at Watford Council.

I was the first member of my family to get a degree, studying English Language and Literature at Sheffield University.  After graduating, I worked in educational publishing for 18 years for several companies including Routledge, Chapman & Hall,  and Thomson where I published new books and on-line services for students and teachers.

In my spare time I enjoy cycling, camping, walking and cookery.  I have taken part in the 60-mile London-to-Brighton bike ride several times to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.  I live in Croydon with my partner and two cats we rescued as kittens after their owners abandoned them.