Andrew Pakes is your Labour & Co-operative Parliamentary Candidate for Peterborough at the next General Election.

A new town boy at heart, Andrew grew up in nearby Milton Keynes, and saw at first-hand the new town promise of good jobs, decent housing and a great place to live squandered by the Conservatives – just like here in Peterborough.

You can find out more about Andrew Pakes on his website www.andrewpakes.org.uk 

Improving skills and jobs is top of his priority for the city

Today, Andrew works for a trade union and knows the reality of insecure work and lack of respect that too many people face every day.

Andrew says his values come from his parents who taught him hard work matters and that there should be no barriers to working class families getting on in life.

During the pandemic he worked with government, business and unions to help keep people safe at work, including on forcing a u-turn over financial support to help self-employed workers.

Opportunities for the next generation

For too long, Peterborough has been losing out on skilled jobs, instead relying on the rise of low-paid work.

Growing up, Andrew saw the damage done when his brother’s skilled apprenticeship as a welder was replaced by a succession of short-term, zero hours contracts.

This is why education is his passion. The first of his family to go to university, Andrew has had a career based on fighting against unsafe, insecure work. And on delivering better opportunities for young people.

He has had a career working in national charities and trade unions, helping to lead the campaign to introduce universal free school meals in 2014, and has been a foodbank volunteer and campaigner.

Throughout it all, he has never forgotten who and what he is fighting for.