PPC Profile: Jeremy Miles

Full Name: Jeremy Miles

Age: 38

From: Swansea

PPC For: Beaconsfield

Web: www.miles4beaconsfield.com

Member of the Labour Party since: 1988

CV:
I was raised in a working class family in South Wales. I went to a local comprehensive school and from there to New College, Oxford, where I studied law.

I have been a lawyer ever since, working as an advisor to social housing providers and then in business. I am a charity trustee and am involved in mentoring through a scheme for young people in East London.

I am a member of Progress and the Fabian Society and also a member of the Co-operative Party.

I was inspired to go into politics because:
My grandfather was prominent in local Labour politics in South Wales and as a family we were tribal Labour, so that was part of my upbringing. There was a strong emphasis on the importance of education and on community life. The brutality of the Thatcher years – devastating communities and entrenching inequality – was also a major influence on me as I was growing up in South Wales.

Despite 12 years of progressive government which in many ways has transformed Britain, there is still a huge amount left to do to tackle fundamental inequalities in our society.

My main policy interests are:
Educational opportunity, affordable housing and community engagement – policy areas which are at the heart of the solutions of many of the problems we still face.

Three things I think should be in the next Labour manifesto:
1. A large-scale programme to encourage bright graduates to spend time as organisers in disadvantaged communities in return for student debt write-offs and tax breaks. We have seen successful initiatives in education and we should expand this to other areas of community life.

2. A fundamental transformation of social housing – with local authorities free – and incentivised – to build more stock with mixed communities as the norm, using housing management to provide employment advice and skills training and introducing greater regulation of the private rented sector, in particular housing in multiple occupation.

3. A commitment to genuine devolution to local government, including of broader financial powers and a programme to pro-actively work with communities to develop local co-operative and mutual organisations as partners for service delivery.

I think people should vote for me because:
I have first hand experience of the transformative effects of Labour policies. I was able to go to a decent school, in a supportive community and I was the first in my family to go to university. I believe passionately that all children should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

As a lawyer, I’ve been an advocate for individuals, business and the public sector. I know the value of representation with integrity – and I want to make good use of those skills now on behalf of the people who most need a Labour government.