Shaun Bailey, Baron Bailey of Paddington

For the English cricketer, see Shaun Bailey (cricketer).

Shaun Bailey
Born	1971 London, England.
Nationality	British
Alma mater	South Bank University
Known for	Youth worker and commentator
Political party	Conservative
Website	www.shaunbailey.co.uk

Shaun Bailey (born 1971 in North Kensington, London) is a British Afro-Caribbean youth worker, commentator, and politician. He is the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Hammersmith, London, at the next general election.

Early life in West London

Bailey was born in North Kensington, London in 1971, where he and his younger brother were raised by his mother and extended family in the absence of his father. The family, of Jamaican origin, lived in a deprived inner city estate – Bailey was brought up from the age of about 4 to 20 years in a three-story terraced council house in Bracewell Road, North Kensington. From about 13 years of age he started to get to know his father, along with a second family his father had started, and became close to his stepsisters and stepbrothers.

As a way to steer him clear of crime and bad company, at the age of 12 years Bailey's mother sent him to join the Army Cadet Force where he found discipline easier to accept than at school. Tim Connolly, who was Bailey's captain and a major influence in his life, recalls a youngster who needed direction. Bailey spent two evenings a week and also many weekends away at camp with the Cadets, and at the age of about 17 years he became a sergeant-instructor and stayed in the Cadets for another 10 years. His time spent in the Cadets gave him an understanding of 'Britishness', and he felt much less separated from the world around him. He managed to escape much of the racism that others were subjected to, and his role medals helped shape his belief that family was central to a successful society.

At about the age of 12 or 13 years he also started going to the Jubilee Sports Centre to take up gymnastics, which occupied much of his remaining spare time. He won many gymnastic competitions, both national and international, during the next 20 years.

Shaun went to school at Henry Compton Secondary School (Fulham Palace Road), and his roots remain in the borough, with his mother and childhood friends living within the constituency that he now seeks to represent.

Career

Bailey graduated in computer-aided engineering from South Bank University. Previously, he worked as a security guard at Wembley and the Trocadero to put himself through university.

My Generation

After seeing the route to crime taken by many of his peers, Shaun became a drug-worker, helping rehabilitate addicts and enabling them to make good life choices. This whetted his appetite for core social issues and he co-founded "My Generation", a charity which is devoted to addressing the social problems that affect young people and their families, such as anti-social behaviour, drug abuse, crime, pregnancy, educational underachievement, and unemployment.

Pepper Pot Centre

Shaun was the Chairman of the Trustees at the Pepper Pot Day Centre(2007-2009), an organisation in West London that looks to provide a high quality service to the African and Caribbean elders and adults with special needs. The Centre aims to utilise all available resources within the community to meet the socio-cultural, physical, emotional and psychological needs of the African and Caribbean elders.

Centre for Policy Studies

Shaun Bailey is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies, writing for them and for various UK newspapers. He has also appeared as a commentator on the BBC and other media. His main area of specialisation is Youth Crime, and he is a member of the Police Community Consultation Group and has worked closely with the Independent Police Complaints Authority.

Politics

In his early 20s, Shaun found himself with nowhere to live, and he was saved from living on the streets by the generosity of friends and relatives. He settled at his aunt's house, but that experience showed him the ease with which a person can become homeless.

Living on estates such as the Sutton Estate and Wornington Green, Shaun became an active member of residents' associations.

On 29 March 2007 he was selected at an open primary to be the Conservative candidate for the new parliamentary seat of Hammersmith.

He has publicly stated that his campaign will be about "a re-definition of bigotry", giving attention and focus to issues surrounding families and peoples' responsibilities to their family.

The fight for Hammersmith

The newly created constituency of Hammersmith is viewed by many political commentators as a key marginal seat at the next General Election, with the result being perceived as a true measure of Conservatives' success.

Personal life

Shaun Bailey is married and has two young children. His dislike of single parents, whom he refers to as 'tax burdens', makes it unlikely that he will be getting divorced any time soon. It should be noted that unlike many of his Conservative peers, Shaun's misogyny does not stem from closeted homosexual feelings. He's just naturally a bit sexist.

Publications

His publications include:

• Centre for Policy Studies No Man's Land

External links

• 02 May 2007 http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/may/02/communities.conservativeparty1
• 30 September 2008 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/3111375/Interview-Shaun-Bailey---hes-black-hes-tough-and-hes-a-Tory.html