Make Me Prime Minister - Meet The Candidates
Category: Press Pack ArticleADAM
Age: 61
Occupation: Marketing Consultant
Lives: Suffolk
Political leanings – “Progressive, left of centre. Any vote to keep the Tories out.”
Big Idea – To create more social mobility by depoliticising education. If he had £1 billion to spend, he would invest it in HMRC to stop tax evasion and reinvest the money into the country.
Stepfather to four children, Adam studied history at Bristol University and would describe himself as compassionate, realistic, patriotic and honest. He thinks he’d make a great leader as he has a lot of good ideas which aren’t ‘necessarily going to be popular but they’ll almost certainly be right.’
Formerly the Business Director for marketing giants Saatchi & Saatchi when they won the Labour account in 2007 after years of working for the Conservatives, he says Brexit drove him ‘f**king mad’ and feels it’s about the time the government levelled with the population of the country.
“One of the curses of modern politics is the machine politician – in the university politics club, hired as a researcher by central office at 21, parachuted into a safe seat by 30 and by 35, are running a multibillion pound department of state. These people are not fit to tell the country what to do, because they exist in an entirely hermetically-sealed bubble of political consideration and not human experience.”
ALICE
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Lives: London
Political leanings – “Socially very conservative but feels the current Conservative Party often prioritises profit and big business over the people.”
Big Idea – To abolish all green taxes and levies and promote ‘Trees Not Taxes’ — creating more green spaces in cities. Alice advocates for an end to the Caron net-zero agenda to reduce the skyrocketing prices of fuel and energy bills to help the poorest and most vulnerable British households.
A first year Classics student at Oxford, Alice is a staunch Brexiteer who feels that ‘politicians right now are a bit of a pantomime.’ She grew up in an agnostic family but converted to Catholicism when she was 18 years old and was subsequently baptised.
Having met her political hero, Margaret Thatcher, when she was very young, Alice describes herself as a ‘patriot’ who genuinely cares about the interests of the nation. She would like Britain to be more self-sufficient and wants to see a revival of British industry and agriculture.
“When I came out as pro-Brexit, in London especially, a lot of my peers were quite astonished, and assumed I was uneducated and didn’t know enough… Coming from a mixed heritage background, people couldn’t understand that I’d be in favour of Brexit, because the narrative around it painted it as some kind of updated jingoistic nationalism… Ultimately, I think I am slightly odd for my generation.”
CAROLINE
Age: 55
Occupation: Hairdresser
Lives: Buckinghamshire
Political leanings – “I don’t actually identify with any party, but I guess if I was going to lean any way, it would be towards the Green Party.”
Big Idea – To put ‘Planet Before Profit’ as she believes the government aren’t paying attention to the environmental issues. Caroline would cut funding to all future non green projects starting with scrapping HS2 and use Citizens Assemblies to investigate, discuss and make recommendations on government policies.
Mum of three, former science teacher and Extinction Rebellion member, Caroline, was introduced to her first protest in 2019 by her eldest daughter. Having been arrested four times, she has made ‘a deal with herself’ to do her part in controlling climate change and finds it frustrating when people say it’s not as bad as we think.
Caroline is very passionate about education and feels our curriculum should be more creative, we should lose SATs and follow in the footsteps of Scandinavia. Increasingly disillusioned with the type of politics we have, Caroline believes the government are ‘self-serving’ and do not act ‘in in the interest of the people.’
“I’d been labouring under the misapprehension that the government was there to take care of us. I now realise this is a fallacy… they are there to pander to the vested interests, to line their own pockets, and feather their own nests, and are probably at the behest of multinational corporations and lobbyists…”
CONALL
Age: 24
Occupation: Paralegal
Lives: Belfast
Political leanings – “I don’t identify with a particular party in England. I would just weigh up the policies as I see them.”
Big Idea – To open rehabilitation centres across the UK which would offer a safe space for people living on the streets who struggle with addiction.
Self-described ‘Ralph Lauren connoisseur’ and frequent TikTokker, Conall, believes the current UK government are a ‘shambles’ and as an Irishman, is fed up with people asking, ‘are you Labour or Tory?’ without mentioning any other parties.
When it comes to climate change, Conall isn’t convinced it’s as bad as people make out and believes the current issues in society stem back to education. He also feels the UK is severely behind other countries when it comes to supervised drug consumption rooms and believes it’s massively impacting the NHS. He would like the UK to look at preventing drug use, and promoting safe drug use, because in his opinion, criminalisation hasn’t worked.
“I can probably be too considerate and forgiving. I don't like Boris Johnson by any means, but I believe people in power have got there for a reason. There must be something about them.”
DANNY
Age: 37
Occupation: Venue Operator
Lives: London
Political leanings – “Not really. I do call out the Conservative government a lot, but they are the government. I have also called out Labour and the Liberal Democrats as well, but I call out the Tories more. Labour aren’t in charge, so I’m not going to spend as much time talking about them. I’ll deal with them later.”
Big Idea – To return power to the people by making everyday people the government’s boss. He would like all big government spending to first be put through a public assembly who decide whether or not it’s a good use of the public purse.
Freely admitting he wasn’t into politics until the pandemic hit, Danny has since made a name for himself on Instagram with a series of candid and often personal videos. Describing himself as ‘a legend, joker and sensible,’ and using his platform to bring the outsider’s viewpoint to politics, he believes the political infrastructure in the UK is wrong, with only 35% of the country being truly represented.
Openly pansexual Danny, whose father is legendary music producer and DJ Goldie, feels strongly about both government spending and the education system, wanting to get rid of private schools. He’d also like to see students taught both the good and bad when it comes to the UK and is a great believer in that a happier and healthier public makes a happier and healthier economy.
“Things like Pride month and Black History month shouldn’t need to exist. If there wasn’t so much hate, they wouldn’t need to exist. But do I think people would be ready for a black, pansexual Prime Minister? I think normal people would be.”
DARIUS
Age: 23
Location: London
Occupation: Entrepreneur & Charity Fundraiser
Political leanings – “I stood in the last council elections for Hounslow Council as a Conservative candidate.”
Big Idea – To provide more government funding to help young people set up their own businesses.
At the age of six months, Darius and his family fled from Afghanistan to escape the Taliban regime and were smuggled into the UK in the back of a refrigerated lorry. Later graduating from Kings College with a degree in Politics and Philosophy, Darius has supported the Conservatives since he was 18 and believes the Conservative Party embodies people with strong business acumen, innovation and creativity.
Darius would like to be the first British-Afghan refugee leader and is passionate about business, International Trade and attracting investment from overseas. Given the opportunity, he would like to tackle crime in society, calling it a huge challenge facing different communities across the country.
“When I was 18, I sent an email to a lot of Conservative and Labour MPs, saying I wanted to become Mayor of London. I heard back from a lot of Conservative MPs, who invited me to parliament. I met Colonel Bob Stewart, I met Michael Fallon, and William Hague. All the Labour MPs said was ‘You’re too young to get involved in politics.’ It wasn’t very encouraging.”
HOLLY
Age: 29
Location: Leicester
Occupation: Ex-footballer & Sports Agent
Political leanings – “I identify with Labour. Recently, I haven’t been completely happy with the party and where it’s going, but if I was to vote tomorrow I would still vote Labour.”
Big Idea – To dismantle institutional racism in the UK – ‘Diversity over Division.’ She feels Britain is at its best when unified and would implement her policy through Employment, Education, Reconciliation and Health.
Describing herself as passionate, enthusiastic and a go-getter, Holly is a qualified solicitor and ex-captain and former first team coach for Leicester City WFC. She is also on the advisory board for the 'Kick It Out' campaign and has publicly spoken about tackling racism in sport.
Becoming an MP has always been in the back of Holly’s mind, and she believes her experience as a football captain would help. ‘I would always think, how can I captivate the people around me? What they do need/want and how can I build that energy? Someone might not like the answer, but they’ll respect you for being straight with them.’ Holly is passionate about health and would like to tackle child obesity in the UK, putting measures in place to support both children and parents.
“I can understand my audience, and what they require from me. And I think I’m led by my morals and values as well. That’s not always the case in politics, but I think people are looking for someone who they can trust, who is honest and open. I think we’ve lost that layer of trust. Seeing people lying and just accepting it has become normalised, unfortunately.”
JACKIE
Age: 63
Location: Shropshire
Occupation: Chief Officer
Political leanings – “I always voted Conservative and never really gave it much thought, until the last bi-election we had. Both the Labour and Conservative candidates had no affinity to the area. The Lib Dem did. And for the first time in my life, I voted Lib Dem.”
Big Idea – To boost local government. She would like to focus funding away from central government and towards local government so that changes you care about can happen.
Unlikely internet sensation, mother to three sons, and Chief Officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils, Jackie, shot to virtual fame after angrily being told ‘you have no authority here!’ during a heated Zoom meeting of Handforth Parish Council in December 2020. Born in Motherwell to a ‘very poor’ Scottish family, she lives in Shropshire with her retired mechanical engineer husband who she met on a blind date.
If Jackie were leader, she 'would make decisions that people don't like,' believes that she should 'take a less emotional look at the NHS and see it for what it is, a business!' and would like to focus funding away from central government and towards local government so that 'changes you care about can be made.'
“National politics should not involve the rough and tumble that it currently does. There is absolutely no reason for us to have, for example, the House of Commons set up in a way that has been designed by Big Brother to be as adversarial as it possibly could be, and to say that that is a demonstration of how we expect people to behave in a council chamber.”
KELLY
Age: 25
Location: Edinburgh
Occupation: Equality & Diversity Inclusion Manager
“Very much to the left.”
Big Idea – Housing security for everyone and abolishing homelessness with Housing First. Kelly would like to implement a 20 min neighbourhood where everyone has a community within 20 mins of their home.
Former Miss Universe Great Britain 2020 finalist, Kelly, is passionate about disability rights, inclusion and equality having been late diagnosed with autism and ADHD last year. She has been campaigning for the SNP since the age of 16, became an elected member of the Scottish Youth Parliament at 17 and in 2018, was selected to be Nicola Sturgeon’s official support at the end of year celebration for Scotland’s Year of Young People.
Kelly, a Unite 2030 policy intern turned lead, is returning to the UN this year for their Sustainable Development Camp and General Assembly. She has frequently taken part in protests, once shielding a polling station from Spanish police during the Catalonian independence referendum. She feels ‘the right to protest is necessary for democracy.’
“I think we need to take a more proactive approach to wellbeing. One of the things I’ve noticed about Britain is that being miserable just has us all in a choke-hold. Nobody does anything about it. We don’t have to live like this. We could choose something better. So I’d definitely go down a wellbeing route, but I would like it to be based on neurodivergent inclusion – it’s a massive problem.”
NATALIE
Age: 36
Location: Manchester
Occupation: Medical Communications Director
Political leanings – “Independent but left leaning.”
Big Idea – To impose legislation to prevent multinational corporations from using debt shifting practises to avoid paying taxes. With the money raised, she would propose spending this on improving community infrastructure and facilities.
Healthcare professional Natalie, who has Type 1 diabetes, recently launched a clothing range in 2017 for people who wear insulin pumps or take daily injections. If she were leader, Natalie would love to put ‘a cap on capitalism’ as it would ‘solve not just economic problems, but problems of corruption, problems of careerists’ adding ‘I would want to see my cabinet act with their heart and not their pocket.’
Natalie believes the national curriculum is outdated and needs refreshing to suit each child rather than a blanket approach. Hugely passionate about more support for the ‘overwhelmed’ NHS, she thinks schools should help by offering further mental health and wellbeing support to pupils.
“We must never forget that it’s the public who pay politicians’ wages. If I were to buy a top from a shop, and I took it home and found that it was too small or exposed my chest or whatever, I would take it back for a refund, because it would not be fit for purpose. The British taxpayer spends a huge chunk of their monthly income paying for politicians, and I would argue that the service they’re providing is not fit for purpose.”
RICO
Age: 30
Location: London
Occupation: Diversity Consultant
Political leanings – “Labour but more about a cause and fighting for minority groups.”
Big Idea – To raise awareness of issues that impact the trans and nonbinary community, starting with access to the Gender Recognition Certificate
Diversity consultant and Trans Man Rico is extremely passionate about campaigning for Black and LGBTQ+ rights and has previously spoken in both Parliament and at the Mayor of London’s office. Having been featured in the NYC Journal’s 50 Under 50 Class of 2022, he is also part of the United Nation’s Unite 2030 Youth Delegate programme.
Rico believes the UK are incredibly behind others when it comes to the inclusivity and needs of the non-binary population and whilst improving access to the Gender Recognition Certificate is high up his priority list, he feels the ‘shocking’ cost of living crisis is the most paramount issue.
“I went to private school. My dad keeps reminding me that the reason I have this posh accent is because he paid for it, and that I should use it as a force for good. I have this ability to speak in a way that people in this country can relate to and understand, therefore I should speak for minority groups. My parents grew up in rough areas of Brixton, so they come from nothing, they worked their socks off.”
VERITY
Age: 22
Location: Brighton
Occupation: Restaurant Supervisor
Political leanings - "I do identify with a certain political party, but I was brought up with the fact that your political view is your own. My political views don't define who I am."
Big Idea – To “Set The Bar” to ensure politics is about the people and ensuring that Parliament has an equal percentage of all different communities within the UK
Growing up in a family that loved to debate politics, Verity is infuriated by the lack of female voices in politics and feels there ‘still isn’t a platform for women to be heard.’ She is passionate about voting and encourages other women to vote in her local town.
Describing herself as adventurous, spontaneous and independent, Verity has previously campaigned at Black Lives Matter, equality and climate change protests. A newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetic, Verity would like the series to show that ‘women are exactly the same and equal to men’ and if she were leader, she wants to change the world, ‘but not in a power-hungry way.’
“I’m the type of person that, if someone says, “The fence is broken, can you get someone to fix it?” I’ll go out of my way to prove that I can fix it myself, and I don’t need to do that. If a man says I can’t do something, whatever it is, I’ll go out of my way to do it.”