If you were to ask me about myself, I would say that I am lucky to have lived a big, varied life in my 39 years.

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I grew up in a village in Lincolnshire, but have lived in large cities all over Europe; Birmingham, London, Copenhagen, Milan and Sheffield; it’s a wonderful kind of insight to learn how other people do things, as well as live in both inner cities and rural areas.

Then there’s my parents’ sense of public duty – as a police officer and health & social care worker – which instilled in me values based on fairness and community care. My work first as an independent theatre-maker, then in academia, and now in the videogames sector running a small business means I understand what it means to be precarious as well as to have the responsibility of others’ livelihoods in my stewardship.

A common thread through it all though has been activism. After being involved in student and environmental protests in my 20s and working in communities, the arts, and the tech sector trying to advocate for better worlds since, I have been disheartened to see Keir Starmer’s Labour Party give up on workers, the NHS, and the climate emergency. Watering down policies one by one. The refusal to value the lives of Palestinians alongside those of Israeli hostages in November 2023 was a last straw. That’s what brought me to the Green Party.

Both Labour and the Conservatives tell us they see the problems we face, but neither are brave or honest about the solutions. The Green Party is. The Green Party puts people and workers at its heart. Sets out real possibilities to increase wages; lower bills; stimulate the economy through green jobs; and build walkable cities, connecting towns and villages with public transport and infrastructure which improves our lives, our health, and our wellbeing. We need an NHS which is not on its knees, a state which supports us, and success which is shared by all.

I have always believed in worker’s rights, the need for justice for all, to build a society that lifts us all up, and an NHS and state that pick us up when we stumble. I also believe that the most urgent threat to our ability to improve our lives is the climate emergency. This starts with us, at a local level, making changes that work for us, and help us build a better world, together.

If I were elected as MP for Sheffield South East, it would be a privilege to listen to you. To not just advocate for change, but to make it.