Andrew Pakes is a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 Labour Party politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

, and a former President of the National Union of Students (NUS).

Pakes grew up in Newport Pagnell

Newport Pagnell

Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area...

, Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes (borough)

The Borough of Milton Keynes is a unitary authority and borough in south central England, at the northern tip of the South East England Region. For ceremonial purposes, it is in the county of Buckinghamshire...

, Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....

. He was educated at Ousedale School

Ousedale School

Ousedale School, based in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England was opened in 1963 to serve the community of Newport Pagnell and its surrounding villages. A second campus in Olney opened in 2007 to serve students from the north of the Borough of Milton Keynes.-Admissions:Ousedale serves a...

, before going on to the University of Hull

University of Hull

The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...

 where he completed a Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

 in Politics and a Master's degree

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 in Environmental Management. He was the first person from his family to enter higher education

Higher education

Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

. An active member of Labour Students

Labour Students

Labour Students is a student organisation affiliated to the British Labour Party.Membership comprises affiliated college and university clubs . Membership of Labour Students is through membership of a university or college Labour Club. Affiliation is open to any Labour Club generally supportive of...

, he was on the national executive of the National Union of Students from 1996-2000 and was twice elected the National President of NUS, serving in the role from 1998-2000. He had previously served as the organisation's National Treasurer from 1997-1998. Pakes was the second openly gay

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...

 individual to be elected NUS President after Stephen Twigg

Stephen Twigg

Stephen Twigg is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby since 2010. He previously served as the Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate from 1997 to 2005, when he lost his seat. He came to national prominence in 1997...

 (who was President from 1990-92).

After his term as NUS President, Pakes worked for the Association of University Teachers

Association of University Teachers

The Association of University Teachers was the trade union and professional association that represented academic and academic-related staff at pre-1992 universities in the United Kingdom...

 (AUT, now part of the University and College Union

University and College Union

The University and College Union is a British trade union formed by the merger in 2006 of the Association of University Teachers and the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education ....

), and for the then-Deputy Mayor of London

Deputy Mayor of London

The Deputy Mayor of London is a member of the London Assembly appointed by the Mayor of London in accordance with the Greater London Authority Act 1999. No particular duties are specified by the Act, except to be available as temporary Mayor during a vacancy or temporary incapacity of the Mayor...

 Nicky Gavron

Nicky Gavron

Felicia Nicolette C. "Nicky" Gavron, née Coates is a British politician, former Deputy Mayor of London, a member of the London Assembly and the former Labour candidate for the 2004 Mayor of London elections.- Biography :...

. He currently works as a consultant on environmental and transport policy, and is Chair of the Socialist Environment and Resources Association

Socialist Environment and Resources Association

The Socialist Environment and Resources Association , founded in 1973, is an independent environmental association affiliated to the UK Labour Party as a socialist society. More recently it has used the name 'SERA - the Labour Environment Campaign', rather than its full name.SERA campaigns to...

 (SERA, a Labour-linked environmental campaign). He is also a member of the Labour Party's National Policy Forum

National Policy Forum

The National Policy Forum of the British Labour Party is part of the policy-making system of the Party, set up by Leader Tony Blair as part of the Partnership in Power process....

, representing the affiliated socialist societies. He was a Councillor

Councillor

A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...

 in the London Borough of Southwark

London Borough of Southwark

The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...

 from 2006 to 2010, standing down in that year to contest the Milton Keynes North parliamentary seat.

Pakes stood as the Labour and Co-operative

Co-operative Party

The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...

 parliamentary candidate in the constituency of Milton Keynes North at the 2010 general election, where he was defeated by the Conservative Party

Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

 candidate Mark Lancaster

Mark Lancaster

John Mark Lancaster TD is a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected as Member of Parliament for the North East Milton Keynes constituency at the 2005 general election and held its successor seat, Milton Keynes North, at the 2010 general election...

.

External links

• www.andrewpakes.org.uk - Official Website