Swindon is my home. I grew up here in a typical family - my dad was a self-employed electrician and my mum spent much of her time looking after me and my brother. 

I was born at the old Princess Margaret Hospital, went to school at what was then Churchfields, learnt to swim at Dorcan pool and learnt to drive on the Magic Roundabout!

Whilst work took me elsewhere for a while, I returned home a few years ago and now live in a small house in the heart of Old Town. 

I was the first person in my family to go to university and it was there where my political views were shaped. My encounters with the sons and daughters of our privileged classes made me determined to be a voice for those less fortunate.

I was a councillor in South East London for 6 years and subsequently became the Member of Parliament for Lewisham East (2010-2018). I was privileged to serve as the Shadow Health Secretary during this time, holding Jeremy Hunt to account on his approach to reforming the junior doctors’ contract and his axing of student nurse bursaries. I led a campaign to keep the UK in the single market and a customs union, believing that irrespective of how people voted in the referendum, no-one voted for higher prices in our shops, the loss of jobs at places like Honda, instability in Northern Ireland or turning Kent into a lorry park.

I stepped down from Parliament in 2018 when the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan asked me to become his Deputy Mayor for Transport. As someone who went into politics to effect change, it was an offer I couldn't refuse.

I am tremendously proud of the work I did to help bring the new Elizabeth Line into service and to keep London's public transport network running during COVID. With the help of a brilliant team of people, we succeeded despite a cynical Conservative Government playing party politics.

It was time to come home though. I want to represent my home town.

I can't sit on the sidelines and do nothing about the vacuum of honesty, integrity and decency at the heart of Government. I can't bear to watch the short term, piecemeal response of the Chancellor to the soaring bills and ever-increasing costs faced by families.

We need a proper plan for a high wage, high skill economy, with good jobs and opportunities spread across the UK. We need urgent action to tackle climate change and build the genuinely affordable homes the country needs. And the time has come for a truly integrated and world class health and care service.

Swindon instilled in me a belief that with hard work and determination I could achieve anything in life. I want young people growing up here today to feel the same. I want them to have the very best opportunities and I know we need a Labour MP in Swindon South and a Labour Government in Westminster to make that a reality.