ABOUT TOM

Tom Copley is the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire. He was selected by local party members in September 2007.

Tom was born in Stockport in 1985 and grew up first in Buxton, Derbyshire and then Salisbury, Wiltshire. His background is in public service. He worked as an IT Technician for the Health Protection Agency at Porton Down before attending the University of Nottingham from where he graduated with a degree in politics. He has also worked at the Department of Health.

Tom has been privileged to work for two Labour MPs. He began working in Graham Allen's Nottingham North constituency office whilst at university, and went on to become his Parliamentary Assistant in Westminster. Tom worked closely with Graham on issues of mutual concern such as constitutional reform, early years education and the environment. During his final year at university Tom worked part-time for Vernon Coaker, MP for Gedling and Home Office Minister.

During the 2008 London elections Tom worked for the former Deputy Mayor of London, Nicky Gavron, on her election campaign.

Since joining the Labour Party aged 19, Tom has been a committed campaigner and activist. His main political concerns are education, the environment and local government. Outside of politics Tom is a keen actor, and spent August 2007 in a critically acclaimed production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He is currently an actor and producer within a London-based theatre company, and is working on a new show for the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe - "Vivien" - about the life of British actress Vivien Leigh.

Tom is a proud member of the Unite Union (T&G Section), the Fabian Society, Compass, the Co-operative Party and SERA (the Labour Environment Campaign).