I was born and raised here; this is my home.

I grew up in Brotton in East Cleveland – my dad worked for a foodbank, and my mam worked in a local library. He proposed to her over the tannoy at Ayresome Park; I’m proud to be Teesside to the core.

I believe our home is the best place in the world – full of brilliant people and proud heritage. It’s where I married my wife, Beth, and where I still live today. I love our communities, and that’s why I first got into politics: to serve our area as a Labour councillor. I won my seat from the Tories in one of their strongest parts of East Cleveland, and led the council’s children’s services department, delivering action on child poverty and better help for families.

But I saw firsthand how our area was getting battered by fourteen years of a Tory government in London who didn’t understand the damage they were doing. That’s why I got on the pitch and ran to be our MP. It was a long shot: running against a former minister with a nearly 12,000 majority. But I grafted hard, brought people together, and set out a bold plan for change – and we won.

Now, I’m working to bring change for our people. Teesside built the world, and just like our steel, our communities were forged under tough pressure too. I’m working to restore that sense of common purpose, give our young people the best start in life, and get our economy moving again with the big ideas of the future. A new generation of leadership, and a different style of politics. With your support, we can deliver that change.

Thank you.