Local Government Policy Officer
Andrew was elected to North Tyneside Council in 2015 and has been a committed Labour campaigner for more than a decade. As a councillor, he has focused on strengthening communities, protecting public services, and ensuring that the values he learned in the Armed Forces – service, discipline, teamwork and fairness – are reflected in the way he campaigns and represents residents.
As North Tyneside’s Armed Forces Champion, Andrew has worked to turn Labour’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant into practical support for veterans and their families. He has helped develop and champion policies such as guaranteed interview schemes, strengthened the authority’s dedicated Armed Forces outreach officer role, and improved access to advice and support for those transitioning from service to civilian life. His approach has always been rooted in Labour values: dignity at work, opportunity for all, and a belief that no one who has served should be left behind.
Andrew grew up in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland before moving to Newcastle at the age of ten. In 2001, at just 17, he joined the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards. A week after his eighteenth birthday he deployed to Northern Ireland, followed by tours in Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2007–08. He was injured on a training exercise in 2010, an injury that eventually led to his discharge in 2014. The sense of duty, solidarity and public service forged during his military career continues to shape his politics and his campaigning.
Since entering public office, Andrew has brought that same commitment to teamwork and perseverance to Labour’s local campaigning efforts – knocking doors, organising community events, and working with members to build trust and deliver change. He is driven by a belief that politics should be about service, not status, and that Labour’s mission is to improve life for working people across North Tyneside and throughout the United Kingdom.
