About DeeI’m a Londoner through and through. I was born and raised in Hackney. My Dad was a print worker; my Mum worked in a dress shop in Dalston.
I’ve lived in 10 inner and outer London boroughs, north and south of river. My first Green action was at the age of 10 when I organised a petition against the proposed demolition of Clapton Pond to make way for the widening of Lower Clapton Road. The Pond is still there but I suspect it's not solely due to my campaign! The only times I haven’t lived in London was when I was based in Eastern Europe, as a foreign correspondent covering the overthrow of communism, and in New York when I worked at the United Nations. I live in Kentish Town. I have a husband, two stepchildren and a cat called Stanley (pictured left helping with some Green Party publications). |
Professional stuff |
I've spent much of my career helping others to be heard, initially as a journalist for national and international news organisations, including the Guardian, Observer, BBC World Service, US National Public Radio and Time Magazine. I reported on the overthrow of the communist regime in Bulgaria and the oppression of the country’s persecuted Turkish minority. I launched Red Pepper magazine and was Head of Programme Support for Channel 4 Television
I then moved to the charity sector where I held senior campaigning and communication roles in the UN children's fund Unicef, Amnesty International and Oxfam, among others. After four years working at University of the Arts London, I left in 2014 to set up The IF Project, a free arts and humanities university for young Londoners who can't afford education fees. |
Leadership and politics |
I'm active in Camden Green Party, where I stood as a paper
candidate in the 2014 local council elections. In addition to the Green Party London Assembly list, I am currently standing for the vacancy of Publications Coordinator on the Green Party Executive.
In January 2015 Haringey Green Party selected me as the General Election candidate for Tottenham - officially the most diverse constituency in Europe - after the former candidate stood down for personal reasons. We hit the ground running and built a dedicated campaign team from scratch, including both long-standing and new members. We made maximum use of our very limited resources and surpassed all expectations by achieving a strong third place - up from fifth in 2010 with 9.2 per cent share of the votes (four times more than 2010). I have held voluntary leadership positions over many years in a variety of organisations, including the National Union of Journalists, Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, Home-Start Camden, Weekend Arts College and World of Children Awards. |