Local campaigner and policy expert
I’m a local campaigner with a history of fighting climate change, working for young people’s rights & education, and pushing for equal opportunities.
Meet Tommy
Hi, my name’s Tommy Peto and I live with my wife and baby in north London. I grew up off the Archway Road, attended state schools in Highgate and Barnet, and then rented in Crouch End/Hillrise for 5 years.
I'm a local campaigner with a history of fighting climate change, working for young people’s rights & education, and pushing for equal opportunities.
I currently work as a strategy consultant, advising government and NGOs to drive real change in areas I’m passionate about including public health, trade, national security, education, AI, and climate change. I was also part of the UK Cabinet Office’s strategy team for the COP26 Climate Conference.
Previously, I worked in macroeconomic research and in academia, teaching and researching politics at Oxford University and holding shared responsibility for the welfare of around 600 students. My doctorate, academic research, and much of my charity work has been focused on the rights of children and young people.
Local campaigning
Save the Whittington Maternity and Baby Units
When my daughter was born in the Whittington Hospital last year, she required a lengthy stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU). So I have first-hand experience of the incredible work that the medical staff at the Whittington do and understand just how stretched they are for resources.
Since the Whittington maternity and baby services have been threatened with closure, I have been fighting to keep them open, gathering signatures and helping with campaign events.
I also volunteer with the Whittington Babies Charity which supports the families of sick and premature babies at the Whittington and have worked with the Whittington Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership to improve care in NICU and SCBU.
The NHS requires proper resourcing, and an end to extortionate private outsourcing, to remain a world class service serving the public.
My campaigns and priorities
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Empowering children and young people
I care passionately about the rights of children and young people, and aim to be a champion for them elevating their experiences and voices.
My PhD and academic work were on the rights of children and young people. In addition to other academic publications, I have written articles for the Children's Rights Alliance England and Our Future Our Choice (a pro-European youth movement) on how to include young people in political decision-making and on the economic impact of Brexit on young people.
I used to work in education, teaching politics to undergraduates at the University of Oxford and have volunteered for education charities including the Sutton Trust and London Youth Rowing. I have also taught debating in schools. More recently, I have advised a major global education NGO on its world-wide operations.
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Tackling climate change
Tackling climate change and fighting for climate justice is one of my top priorities professionally and personally: I work on climate change, advising government departments on climate policy.
I worked for the Cabinet Office on the strategy team for the COP26 Climate Conference, working to define and deliver the UK COP Presidency goals. I was at Glasgow for the Conference helping to coordinate UK government activities.
I have also campaigned to improve youth voices in climate activism. You can see some of my work on intergenerational climate justice and youth activism here
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Solving the housing crisis
Housing is one of the top concerns I hear on the doorstep in Islington. Rents are too high, the dream of owning a home is receding, and young families are being forced to leave London, putting the future of local schools in jeopardy.
I will fight for better housing opportunities in Islington. I have advised real estate and housing organisations on ways to increase housing supply. I want to see much more housebuilding, especially on brownfield land owned by public bodies (e.g. TfL and Network Rail), and a programme for the building of council homes.
A radical plan of housebuilding will ease the housing crisis, bring down prices and rents, and redistribute power and opportunity to renters and first-time buyers.
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Fighting antisemitism, islamophobia and racism
I am the grandson of Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe. We know where racism can lead.
I am an active member of the Jewish Labour Movement and am one of their trained Antisemitism Awareness Educators. I am also a trained conscious inclusion facilitator and have run many antiracism sessions in the workplace.
My family history teaches me that refugees are not problems to be managed: they are human beings deserving of care and compassion. I have campaigned extensively against the government's cruel Rwanda policy and would fight instead for a humane asylum policy.
