Welcome to my journal.
Get an insight into my day-to-day work and my perspective on key issues.
‘Hope starts young. How Labour should use the power of play to tell its story of opportunity’
This article was first published on Labour List on 4th February 2026. HERE
Play is not just “nice to have”, it is fundamental to children’s health, happiness, learning and life chances. This was the simple message of my year-long Raising the Nation Play Commission, and in its final report Everything to Play For – England needs to get its children playing again.
Reflections on Hosting the IPCC at the University of Reading
Last night I had the privilege of joining colleagues from the University of Reading and guests from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for a dinner held alongside a two-day series of international workshops on our campus. Around 150 people gathered — including academics, scientists, policymakers and practitioners — united by a shared seriousness of purpose: strengthening the global evidence base on climate change, and ensuring it continues to inform action in every corner of the world.
Bridging ideas, building futures: Knowledge exchange matters
As Chancellor of the University of Reading, I’ve always believed that curiosity is the spark that drives progress.
It’s what led me from a career in television to founding Ella’s Kitchen, and ultimately to this role, where I have the privilege of connecting with our University community and championing the power of knowledge exchange.
My journey with the University began not in a boardroom or a lecture theatre, but with a Google search: “baby food regulation”. That search, when I was beginning to think about the business I went on to create, led me to Dr David Jukes and Professor Orla Kennedy, whose expertise helped shape my early ideas into a viable business.
Welcoming a New Generation of Change-Makers to the University of Reading
As Chancellor of the University of Reading, I could not be prouder as I reflect on an evening last week when we welcomed the very first cohort of the Global Sustainability Leaders (GSL) Scholars to the University and their scholarship. The event was more than a reception; it was a declaration of purpose — of the kind of university we aspire to be, and of the role each of our scholars will play in shaping a more sustainable future.
Hope Starts Young: Why Labour must tell the story of a better tomorrow
First published on Labour List on 13th July 2025. HERE.
In politics, as in business, ideas only stick when they tell a story. A government can have the right policies, but without a unifying narrative, those actions risk landing as fragments—not a future.
Labour has already taken bold steps: a New Deal for Working People, GB Energy, rail renationalisation, planning reform. But it hasn’t yet clearly answered the bigger question: why is it doing all this? Indeed, some suggest it doesn’t really know why.
I believe the answer is simple and powerful: Labour should be the party that helps young people and young families believe—deep down—that tomorrow can be better than yesterday. We don’t just need a programme or a series of policies. We need a purpose. Hope Starts Young.
Investing in Play: Why Every Pound Spent on Childhood Play Pays Economic Dividends
As the UK grapples with sluggish productivity, rising healthcare costs, and widening inequalities, we should ask a fundamental question: are we giving our children – the very people who will drive tomorrow’s economy – the right start in life?
One of the simplest, yet most overlooked levers we have to improve our future prosperity is play.
Yes, play.
The Raising The Nation Play Commission - Six Months in….
First published on the Raising the Nation Play Commission website 3 February 2025. HERE
Incredibly, we are already into the second half of our year-long Raising the Nation Play Commission. Time is flying by, but we’ve already packed so much in, including…
A National Youth Strategy is very welcome news
Yesterday, the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced that the government would create a new National Youth Strategy to break down barriers to opportunity for young people.
Her statement mattered but it came as no surprise. The life chances of young people are crucially important for the nation and the government’s strategy will bring both funding and focus. Improving those life chances is vital to success in the Government delivering on its mission to break down barriers to opportunity, but I also know that it has long been a personal mission for this particular Secretary of State.
Where have all the childhoods gone?
Anne Longfield CBE and I wrote this article about how play has disappeared from childhoods, and why it is critical to reverse the trend - citing the Raising the Nation Play Commission that we launched in June 2024 as our commitment to see the change we demand is delivered.
How our next government can deliver a manifesto for children
In this article -written during the 2024 General Election campaign, I reflect on what an incoming government could do for children over 10 weeks, 10 months and 10 years.
