Personal Statement – Richard Jacques

Introduction

I have been a proud member of the Labour Party for twenty three years, guided by the conviction that collective action allows us to achieve more than we could ever accomplish alone. My ongoing commitment to Labour principles and community engagement has shaped my contributions at local and broader levels.

I am immensely proud to have been selected as Labour Candidate for Rainford, a village I have known and loved my entire life. My grandfather, Richard Jacques, was born here. My parents danced in the Village Hall every week before they married. My family roots in the area go back hundreds of years. I have lived in Rainford. I am often in the village.

With a strong Labour Government, City Region Mayor, and Borough Council now all working together, now is the time to have faith and trust Labour.

Forget Farage and his farrago of lies! Reform are not your friends! Rainford matters! I want to be a powerful voice in St Helens Town Hall for this wonderful local community.

Labour Party Involvement

I am the Chair of the Windle Branch of St Helens North Constituency Labour Party (CLP), a position I have held for over ten years. I previously held the roles of Vice-Chair and Treasurer in this branch. Prior to moving to Windle, I was a member of the Rainford branch for four years.

I joined the Labour Party in 2003 in Watford, Hertfordshire, in order to support my then MP Claire Ward at a time when there was conflict in the local party just before the second Iraq war. Claire is now the elected Mayor of the East Midlands.

Throughout my membership, I have always been an active and campaigning member, dedicated to advancing the values and aims of the Party.

Personal and Family Background

Although not originally from St Helens, I have chosen to make it my home, drawn by strong family ties to the area. My great-grandfather was born in Windle and passed away in the workhouse at Whiston. My grandfather Richard Jacques was born in Rainford, while my maternal grandfather, Thomas Mercer, spent his entire working life at the Clock Face and Sutton Manor collieries. Both my grandfathers were coal miners and both my grandmothers worked in cotton mills, reflecting the region’s proud industrial heritage.

My grandfather Richard also served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery during the First World War. My father, Joseph, served as a Guardsman in the Grenadier Guards for six years during the Second World War, surviving numerous tank battles and the loss of many comrades as he fought through Normandy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.

Both my parents were born in Skelmersdale but left for the Isle of Man on their wedding day. I was born there nine months later and grew up as the eldest of seven children. I was educated at Douglas High School for Boys and University College London.

Professional Experience

My professional career has been in the computer software industry, where I have worked internationally as a Software Engineer, Systems Architect, and Project Manager. I contributed to the design and implementation of large-scale, high-performance, fault-tolerant card payment and telecommunications systems that millions of people rely on daily around the world. My clients in this country included Barclaycard, HSBC, Santander, Nationwide, LINK, BACS and O2 among others.

My work has taken me across the UK and internationally to the USA, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, and Switzerland. I spent three years living in Stuttgart, which is twinned with St Helens.

Community and Voluntary Work

I am currently the Coordinator for Liverpool and the City Region for Humanists UK, the national charity supporting the non-religious. In my local community, I serve as a committee member of the Friends of Victoria Park and am a former Chair of the South Windle Residents Association. I am also a founding shareholder in the Book Stop, an independent book shop in St Helens.

I have participated in various artistic projects with Heart of Glass in St Helens. I have worked alongside organisations such as CGL, Footsteps, and the Andy Reid Standing Tall Foundation to support individuals and families affected by substance abuse.

For four and a half years, I volunteered as a listener with the Warrington, Halton and St Helens branch of Samaritans, serving as an elected committee member and trustee of the charity for three of those years.

Commitment to St Helens and Labour Values

In St Helens Borough, we are now in the middle of an all-out council election, with polling day on May 7^th. During a period marked by rising anger, hatred, and division in our nation, it is understandable that many people feel overwhelmed and disheartened. The pressing question remains: how can we heal our communities?

Echoing the words of Jo Cox, I firmly believe that we have far more in common than that which divides us. As a Humanist, my aspiration is to help create a fair and tolerant world where reason and kindness prevail. St Helens Borough must be a place free from hate.

I stand shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues in St Helens Labour and other local community groups who continue to demonstrate empathy, compassion, and understanding, and who are committed to countering misinformation and disinformation with honesty and integrity.

I commend the strong leadership shown by David Baines MP, Councillor Anthony Burns as Leader of the Council, and the entire Labour Group. I am proud to work alongside my Labour colleagues and friends in St Helens, and I am eager to continue serving our community.

Personal Interests

Outside of my political and community commitments, I enjoy singing and translating German poetry. I sing with Haydock Male Voice Choir in St Helens, The Ancoats Community Choir and the Hallé Choral Academy in Manchester, and the Choir with No Name in Liverpool. I sing music of all genres, but particularly love singing German Lieder, especially those of Franz Schubert.