Shaun Bailey, Baron Bailey of Paddington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Bailey of Paddington
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Bailey in 2019
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| Member of the House of Lords | |
| Life peerage 10 July 2023 |
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| Member of the London Assembly for Londonwide |
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| Assumed office 6 May 2016 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Shaun Sharif Bailey
30 May 1971 North Kensington, London, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Ellie Bailey |
| Children | 2 |
| Education |
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| Alma mater | London South Bank University |
| Signature |  |
Shaun Sharif Bailey, Baron Bailey of Paddington (born 30 May 1971) is a British politician and former journalist. He is a member of the Conservative Party. Bailey has been a member of the London Assembly since 2016. He also joined the House of Lords in July 2023.
Shaun Bailey was born in North Kensington, London. His family has roots in British Jamaican culture. He studied computer-aided engineering at London South Bank University. In 2006, he helped start a charity called MyGeneration. This charity worked to help young people. It closed in 2012 due to money problems.
Bailey also worked as a researcher. He wrote articles for British newspapers. From 2010 to 2013, he was a special adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron. He advised on topics like youth and crime. He tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for Hammersmith in 2010. He also ran for Lewisham West and Penge in 2017. He was not elected in either attempt.
In 2018, Bailey was chosen to run for Mayor of London. He came in second place in this election. Sadiq Khan won the election.
Bailey resigned from his role as chair of the London Assembly's police committee. This happened after a photo appeared from a gathering in December 2021. This gathering took place at the Conservative Party office. There were questions about whether it followed COVID-19 rules at the time. In November 2022, the police said they would not take action. They said there was not enough evidence. However, in July 2023, the police reopened their investigation. This was because new information came out.
Contents
Shaun Bailey's Early Life
Shaun Bailey was born on May 30, 1971, in North Kensington, London. His mother and other family members raised him and his younger brother. His father was a lorry driver. When Shaun was about 13, he met his father's second family. He became close with his stepsiblings. His grandfather came to the UK from Jamaica in 1947. Bailey has shared that his grandfather fought for Britain in the Second World War.
Bailey went to Henry Compton School in Fulham. He earned five CSEs. When he was 12, his mother encouraged him to join the Army Cadet Force. He became a Sergeant-Instructor at 19. He stayed with the Cadets for another 10 years. Around age 12 or 13, he started gymnastics. He joined the Childs Hill Gymnastics Display team. After secondary school, he attended Paddington College. There he earned two A-levels and a BTEC certificate.
Bailey was featured in a BBC Radio 4 series. It was called The House I Grew Up In. In this show, he spoke about challenges he faced in his younger years.
Career Before Politics
Shaun Bailey finished university at age 27. He earned a degree in computer-aided engineering. Before this, he worked as a Security guard to pay for his studies. He worked at Wembley Stadium and the London Trocadero. He was unemployed for two years at one point. Bailey said he did "bad, bad jobs" like sweeping factories. He also delivered beer and worked in security. He noted that many people he knew faced difficulties.
In May 2006, Bailey helped start MyGeneration. This charity aimed to help young people and families. It was set up just before he was chosen by the Conservative Party to run for Parliament. The charity closed in 2012 because of financial difficulties. Other charities, like Kids Company, took over its services.
Shaun Bailey's Political Journey
Running for Parliament
On March 29, 2007, Bailey was chosen as the Conservative candidate. He ran for the Hammersmith seat in West London. His campaign focused on families and social responsibility. He did not win the seat in the 2010 general election. He lost by 3,549 votes.
Before the 2015 general election, Bailey tried to be chosen as a candidate for other areas. These included Kensington and Uxbridge South and Ruislip. He was not successful. In the 2017 general election, Bailey ran for Lewisham West and Penge. He finished in second place with 12,249 votes.
Working as a Researcher
Bailey worked as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies. He wrote for the Centre and for various newspapers. These included the Evening Standard, the Times, and The Independent.
Advising the Government
In 2011, Bailey was named an "Ambassador for the Big Society" by David Cameron. In 2012, he became a special adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron. His role was to advise on youth and crime issues. Bailey earned a salary of £60,000 as an adviser. In 2013, his role became part-time. He moved to the Cabinet Office. Reports suggested he was moved out of Downing Street.
Joining the London Assembly
In October 2015, Bailey was chosen as a Conservative candidate for the London Assembly. He was the Deputy Leader of the Conservative Greater London Authority Group. Later, he was selected as the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London.
NHS Trust Board Member
In 2018, Bailey joined the Havering NHS Trust's board. This was part of a program to increase diversity. He joined as a trainee.
Becoming a Member of the House of Lords
Boris Johnson suggested Shaun Bailey for a life peerage. This means he would become a member of the House of Lords for life. On July 10, 2023, he became Baron Bailey of Paddington. He was officially introduced to the House of Lords on July 18. He represents the Conservative Party there.
Running for London Mayor in 2021
The Campaign for Mayor
In 2018, Bailey was chosen as the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London. The election was first planned for 2020 but moved to 2021. The Evening Standard newspaper supported Bailey. They saw him as a symbol of modern Conservative politics.
During his campaign, Bailey faced some criticism. He was criticized for things he had written or shared online. For example, he shared a tweet with a picture that had a controversial caption about Sadiq Khan. Bailey's team said he would not have shared it if he had seen the caption.
In October 2018, Bailey was criticized for comments in a 2005 pamphlet. The pamphlet was called No Man's Land. In it, Bailey discussed how different cultures affect Britain. He later clarified his views.
In March 2021, Bailey was accused of making political comments. This happened during a police investigation into a missing woman. Other politicians called his comments "utterly grotesque" and "shameless." Bailey defended his statements.
Reports in March 2021 suggested the Conservative Party had reduced campaign funding for Bailey. His campaign team denied these reports. They called them "fictional" and "hearsay."
Mayoral Plans and Ideas
During his campaign, Shaun Bailey shared several plans for London:
- He wanted to increase the number of Metropolitan Police officers to 40,000. He also proposed new technology to detect knives.
- He planned to reverse the increase in the Congestion Charge. He also wanted to stop the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone.
- He proposed a new organization to build homes. It would be controlled by the Mayor. This organization would fund 100,000 shared ownership homes. These homes would be sold for £100,000.
- He suggested a London Infrastructure Bank. This bank would fund projects like Crossrail 2 and Tube upgrades.
- He aimed to make every London bus electric by the end of a second term.
- He planned to install CCTV on some London Underground lines. This was to improve women's safety.
- He wanted to hire 4,000 new youth workers. He also planned to open 32 new youth centers. Each London borough would get one.
In September 2020, Bailey suggested that companies could pay to rename Tube lines and stations. He said the money could help fund free travel for under-18s and over-60s.
In November 2020, Bailey promised 100,000 affordable homes for young buyers. These homes would be sold for £100,000. First-time buyers under 40 could pay a deposit of just £5,000. In January 2021, he was criticized for suggesting that homeless people could save for this deposit.
Election Results
Bailey received 893,051 first preference votes. This was 35% of the total. After second preferences were counted, he had 977,601 votes (45%). Sadiq Khan was re-elected as Mayor of London. The final result was closer than many had expected.
Shaun Bailey's Political Beliefs
Bailey has shared his concerns about liberalism. He believes that more liberal policies can sometimes harm communities. He has also suggested that the BBC's content is biased. He thinks it promotes liberal values. He has proposed that the TV licence fee should be shared with other broadcasters.
Bailey supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 EU Referendum.
In a 2006 article, Bailey discussed welfare benefits. He argued that some single mothers might become pregnant to receive benefits.
Bailey supports giving the police more power to use stop and search. He believes this can help fight crime.
He has also spoken in favor of greater equality for black people.
In 2021, Bailey opposed a review of statues and street names in London. This review was proposed by Mayor Sadiq Khan. Bailey argued that removing statues does not change history. He suggested that controversial statues could be moved to museums. Or they could have plaques explaining their history.
Public Questions and Concerns
Gathering During COVID-19 Rules
In December 2021, reports said that Bailey attended a gathering. This happened on December 14, 2020, at the Conservative Party office. This was during a time of strict COVID-19 rules. A photo of the gathering was published. It showed people wearing party hats and having drinks. After the photo came out, Bailey resigned from his role. He was chair of the London Assembly's police and crime committee.
On January 11, 2022, Bailey resigned from another committee. This was the economy committee. On November 11, 2022, the police decided not to take action. They said there was not enough evidence. However, on July 4, 2023, the police reopened their investigation. This was due to new video evidence.
Comments on Culture and Society
Bailey has faced criticism for comments he made in a 2005 pamphlet. The pamphlet was called No Man's Land. In it, he discussed how different cultures affect British society. He later clarified his views.
Comments on Women
Bailey has also faced criticism for comments about women. He suggested on a TV channel that a woman could not be a serious political commentator if she posted certain photos online.
Shaun Bailey's Personal Life
Shaun Bailey grew up in social housing. He lived with his Jamaican mother, grandparents, and aunts and uncles. His extended family lived on the same estate in Ladbroke Grove. In 2007, Bailey and his immediate family moved out of social housing. He said the living conditions had become difficult. He now lives in a house that he owns jointly with a housing association. He and his wife, Ellie, have two children.
Bailey attends an Anglican church. He has also appeared regularly on GB News, a television channel.
Images for kids
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Shaun Bailey in 2019
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Signature of Shaun Bailey
