I have lived in Greater Manchester for the past three years, putting down roots after buying my first home locally.

Full statement

Working as a teacher in Manchester, I quickly became active in community life, helping to launch the Tameside LGBT Forum and previously serving as a trustee and later Chair of Salford Pride, the organisers of the annual Pink Picnic event. I led the charity through a difficult period of transition and renewal.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I founded our local mutual aid group, coordinating support for thousands of vulnerable residents. A lifelong trade unionist, I have consistently stood up for working people, leading hundreds of fellow staff on strike as a union branch chair to oppose a real-terms pay cut.

A champion of community cohesion as someone whose family is of migrant descent, I believe strongly in equality, inclusion and the value everyone brings to our communities, particularly at a time when some seek to divide and scapegoat.

I joined the Green Party, a Party grounded in social justice, grassroots democracy and environmental responsibility as it offers a positive, values-led alternative and real hope for local residents at a time when politics all too often feels hostile and divisive.