About Me

I am a campaigner, writer and local politician, with extensive experience of media relations / communications. I have been Editor of New Nation, the African and Caribbean weekly newspaper, and was also News Editor at The Voice. I have also written for the London Evening Standard, and freelanced at BBC London.

I won the ‘Minority Editor of the Year’ Windrush award in 2004, while Editor of the Black Information Link campaigning news website run by The 1990 Trust. Aged just 17 I was voted ‘Best of British Youth’ by Radio 4 Today listeners, for a leading a campaign to protect a natural sanctuary. The story inspired an opera and a record!

A keen environmentalist, I travelled with the World Development Movement to the “Earth Summit” in 1992. Elected a Labour councillor in 1994 I was appointed a governor of two schools.

I was also a founder member / secretary of the all-party BAME Councillors Association. As an equality expert, I have also appeared on numerous TV and radio shows.

I was elected to Sutton Council in 2010 as a Liberal Democrat, and I  am a governor of an adult education college. Last year I also wrote and moved a motion at the Lib Dem’s annual conference calling for changes to the way the party selects candidates, to improve the diversity of the party’s MPs.

I am a birdwatcher and a lifelong Manchester City supporter.