Greg Hands, the MP for the current Hamersmith & Fulham seat, talks to Shaun Bailey, 36 year old father of one, and the Conservatives' prospective MP for the new Hammersmith constituency.
Greg Hands Interviews Shaun Bailey
- Shaun, tell us what you do for a living.
- When did you first become interested in politics?
- Did your upbringing influence your political views?
- What did you do differently to those around you who slipped into crime?
- And what next?
- So why did you join the Conservatives?
- How would you summarise your beliefs?
- Why do you want to be an MP?
- And why Hammersmith?
- What issues will you champion if elected?
- Shaun, you clearly work extremely hard, but what do you do to relax?
- Lastly, are you looking forward to the election?
Greg Hands Interviews Shaun Bailey
Q. Shaun, tell us what you do for a living.
I am the director of a charity called MyGeneration which is involved in youth and family work. The charity runs a job club, football club and other special projects like organising educational trips. The aim of all our activities is to teach young people to be independent and take personal responsibility. I also do drug outreach work with young people; am Chairman of The Pepper Pot, a 60+ day care centre; and have recently been appointed as a local school governor.
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Q. When did you first become interested in politics?
I first got into politics listening to the rap group Public Enemy – who sang about the malign influence of popular culture on black communities. That spurred me into wanting to do something to restore traditional values and self-reliance to our communities.
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Q. Did your upbringing influence your political views?
Yes. I was brought up by my single-parent Jamaican mum on a tough, drug-ridden area. I also spent two years unemployed and remember watching as some of my friends slipped into crime – which left two of them dead and others behind bars. That really focused my mind – not just on what I wanted, but on what was wrong with society.
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Q. What did you do differently to those around you who slipped into crime?
My mother made it her mission to shield me from the crime and disorder around us. With an iron will, she kept me away from troublemakers and kept me busy. I did karate for a week, I did football for a week, then she found me a gymnastics place. In particular, I managed to stay out of trouble because of a decision made to enroll me into the Army Cadet Force where I had role models who introduced me to a British outlook on life, like the value put on family. I learnt there were so many things about being British that are positive. I realised then that those values have been eroded in the poorer classes.
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Q. And what next?
I went to South Bank University where I got a degree in computer aided technology. To pay for university I worked as a security guard at Wembley and the Trocadero Centre.
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Q. So why did you join the Conservatives?
When you do a job like mine and the community work I do, you see lots of people in pain and living badly. You see well meaning people around them trying to help, but they make them dependent. I believe in the politics of personal responsibility and self-determination. All the strong communities that I know attained their strength though personal responsibility and not government dependency. These are conservative beliefs and that is why I am a Conservative.
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Q. How would you summarise your beliefs?
That's easy; I believe in families, communities, personal responsibility and respect for each other. Most of all, I reject the idea that things must stay the same. By working together we can make things better. I often say to the boys I work with, "I'll do nothing for you, but anything to help you."
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Q. Why do you want to be an MP?
I've been successfully involved in community work for 19 years and I would like a platform to affect the wider community. I would also like to challenge political correctness and liberal attitudes to drugs and crime. I have a means of communicating with the youth and I believe people from my background should be represented in the House of Commons.
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Q. And why Hammersmith?
I grew up in and around Hammersmith. I was educated locally, at Henry Compton School. It is my community – and I am passionate about doing something to make it an even better place to live and work.
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Q. What issues will you champion if elected?
Crime, housing, community regeneration, education and provision for the elderly. I believe too many people are being set free before they serve their sentences. I would scrap or drastically cut inheritance tax, stamp duty should be reduced and shared ownership schemes expanded.
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Q. Shaun, you clearly work extremely hard, but what do you do to relax?
I've been a dedicated gymnast for over 20 years. I'm a keen cyclist, although I am also enthusiastic about cars. Most of all, I enjoy spending time with my wife and six month old daughter.
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Q. Lastly, are you looking forward to the election?
My Labour opponent has abused people for being Conservatives; he goes on about tweed jackets and offshore bank accounts. When I was asked if I had anything in my past that might embarrass the Party, I said, "I'd love to be able to tell you about offshore accounts, a powerboat, and dodgy dealings. But I'm sorry, I haven't done any of that. I've been living on an estate."
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