Nancy Platts was selected to stand as the Labour candidate for the parliamentary seat of Brighton Pavilion in June 2007.

After being chosen by local members, she moved to live in the Hanover area of Brighton with her partner Steve. Nancy is a member of Unite the Union who actively support her as a candidate.

Born in London in 1965, Nancy went to Bexley Technical High School for Girls and left school at 18.  She has worked practically all her life in the public and charity sectors.  Nancy spent 11 years in public relations and personnel and training for the London Fire Brigade.  She went to college after work to study for professional qualifications and in the summer used to volunteer with the Children’s Country Holiday Fund taking 32 disadvantaged children on holiday!

Nancy then moved to become Head of Policy at TSSA, a railway trades union, campaigning for better employment rights and publicly owned, publicly accountable transport services. For nearly ten years’ she was a trustee of Transport 2000, the environmental transport campaign (now the Campaign for Better Transport) and continues to be a member.

She moved to the Greater London Authority to become a senior project manager before transferring to the voluntary sector.  In 2003, she became Head of Policy at the Daycare Trust campaigning for quality, affordable childcare, became a trustee of End Child Poverty and joined the Executive of the Fawcett Society.  Nancy went on to become Director of Maternity Alliance lobbying Ministers for improved parental leave and better maternity services for all, especially disadvantaged groups.

Nancy went on to act as a campaigns and communications consultant to various charities including the National Childbirth Trust and Child Poverty Action Group.  Currently Nancy is a Senior Public Affairs Advocate at Consumer Focus working in their Disadvantage Team and campaigning on behalf of people living in fuel poverty, in debt or fear of repossession.

Nancy’s policy and campaigning priorities for Brighton are informed by feedback received from local residents and businesses. She wants to tackle poverty and disadvantage, will campaign for better public transport, including more cycle lanes, call for more affordable housing, and support an equal national minimum wage for young people and seek to protect the unique culture of Brighton, especially independent shops and small businesses.

David Lepper MP will be standing down at this election.  He says:

"I know that Nancy Platts will be an excellent MP for Brighton Pavilion. She has a great record as a campaigner on important national issues such as transport policy, employment rights, women, health and equality, childcare and child poverty.

"She understands the problems and the strengths of our Brighton community and will make sure the concerns of local people are heard in parliament. I am pleased to have the chance to work with her to help ensure a Labour victory under Gordon Brown's leadership at the next election."