Biography

About Luke Pollard

Luke Pollard was born in Plymouth in April 1980. He spent his early years growing up in Devon. Along with his younger sister, Hannah, he went to primary school in Buckland Monachorum before starting secondary school in Tavistock. In 1992 he moved with his family to Chester in North West England where he studied for his GCSEs and A-Levels but returned to Devon in 1998 to go to University in Exeter where he read Politics. Luke graduated in 2001 with a First in Politics and left Exeter in 2002 after completing a year as President of Exeter’s students union (Guild of Students). Immediately after University Luke worked in children’s television for Carlton (now ITV) in Plympton on the Birthday People programme.

ITV's Birthday People

Working in Politics

In 2002 Luke started work for David Jamieson who was at that time the Labour Member of Parliament for Plymouth Devonport. After spending a short time working in his constituency office Luke moved to work for the Minister in the House of Commons. After a period working with David Luke accepted an offer to work for Rt Hon George Foulkes, the then Labour MP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, and a member of the UK delegation to the Council of Europe and European defence organisation, the Western European Union. This gave Luke the opportunity to work in Strasbourg and Paris assisting the MP in his duties. Both MPs stood down at the 2005 General Election. During the 2005 election campaign Luke was seconded to replace the Head of Labour’s International Unit at Labour Party HQ dealing with all aspects of the party’s international work.

Working in Labour's International Unit during the 2005 General Election

Work life

After the election Luke began work for Edelman, an international communications company, specialising in advising charities and companies how to run political campaigns. Luke has worked for some of the UK’s most successful companies and also helped advise many of the nation’s most popular charities in the areas of cancer treatment, supermarkets, energy, planning to higher education, unemployment policy and care for premature babies . Luke specialised in designing online campaigns for household names on a variety of political issues. In 2009 Luke moved to work for ABTA – the Travel Association which is the trade association that represents travel agents and tour operators.

Helping Labour win

Luke first stood for election in May 2006 when he was selected as one of the Labour candidates for the Churchill Ward of Westminster. A local campaign that focussed on local housing issues helped increase the Labour vote by a third. The national swing was against Labour.

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In early 2007 he was seconded to help in the Scottish Parliament elections working on the successful campaign to re-elect Sarah Boyack MSP in Edinburgh Central, Labour’s most marginal seat in Scotland. He has also travelled to help with by-elections across the country helping Labour hold seats at recent crucial by-elections.

Luke speaking at Labour's 2007 Party Conference

South West Devon

Luke was selected to fight South West Devon for the Labour Party in September 2007. In 2007 Luke spoke at Labour’s national conference in Bournemouth on the future of Devonport Dockyard (pictured). Luke’s campaign focuses heavily on local issues ranging from Saving Chaddlewood Fields, stopping the Tory Council from selling Plymouth CityBus and fighting the cuts in services from the new owner, opposing Tory Council Tax rises to fighting the new incinerator in Lee Mill, asking why the Tories still haven’t delivered a swimming pool in Plymstock to calling for more investment in affordable homes locally.

Luke prides himself that his campaign is fought not just on the doorsteps but also online. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube or become a supporter here.

In his spare time Luke is a keen footballer, hockey player and 10k runner. He supports Plymouth Argyle and Plymouth Albion. He is a member of the Unite trade union, the Co-Operative Party and the Fabian Society. Luke also admits an addiction to his iPhone. He lives in Plymouth, works in London and spends a lot of time on First Great Western trains!