Jackie Schneider, a local primary school teacher and long-term community campaigner, is Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Wimbledon for the next General Election.

Jackie has lived, taught and campaigned in Merton for more than 30 years. She grew up in Mitcham and has lived in Wimbledon for 23 years, where she’s spent her teaching career working in local primary schools. She has brought up her family here, and been involved in all aspects of community life. She knows how life is getting tougher and tougher for local people – whether that’s accessing public services, running local businesses, or getting a fair wage. Now, she wants to be your MP to fight for a better Wimbledon and a better Britain.

She is perhaps best known for setting up and leading ‘Merton Parents for Better food in School”. The nationally acclaimed campaign was successful in winning new kitchens for every primary school in the borough, replacing an under-performing catering firm and introducing new contracts with higher nutritional standards. She won the Shelia McKecknie award for Consumer Action and was appointed to the Board of the School Food Trust.

Jackie also led the campaign to keep Morden Park Playing Fields public in the face of deeply unpopular development plans that would have seen part of the park handed over to private developers. Jackie has also stood up for refugees for many decades and is the founder of Merton Welcomes Refugees. Locally, she’s brought people together by doing everything from organising community choirs to setting up women’s football tournaments.

With her own 3 children now grown up, she is particularly aware of the problems facing young people, often saddled with student debt, hit by rising transport costs and unable to live in the area where they grew up.

Jackie said: ‘I’ve become increasingly exasperated by career politicians who fail to listen to the needs of their constituents and are unaffected by the decisions they take. It’s not good enough. With your backing I will be the voice of Wimbledon in Westminster.’