York Outer Labour MP Luke Charters sets out agenda

York Outer's new Labour MP Luke Charters has come a long way since he first appeared in The Press as a talented teenager back in 2013 aged 17.

Back then the Huntington School pupil wanted to become a politician and had just introduced Ed Miliband on stage after he was elected as Labour leader.

He was brought up by a single-mum in Heworth in his teenage years and says the hardships they faced attracted him to the Labour Party, beginning campaigning at just 14.

Mr Charters went on to graduate from Oxford University with a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics, and later gained a master's degree in political science at the University of Chicago.

Flashback to then Huntington School pupil Luke, 17, when he got a scholarship to the University of Chicago (Image: Supplied)

"Huntington was a wonderful school with wonderful teachers," said Mr Charters.

"A lot of the teachers who taught me are still there, and Robin Parmiter who taught me philosophy and religious studies A-level was a really stabilising and inspiring figure. 

"So much so that when my wife and I had a baby we named him Robin after him.

"Huntington School set me up for life, and I'm a massive advocate for a good state education.

"I remember the day that a new school building was opened. To the students it instilled a sense of worth that we were being invested in and it was a physical manifestation of optimism and belief in us and it stayed with me. I think it's very important to invest in education."

Mr Charters is married to Lord Deramore's School teacher, Bethany Charters and their son, Robin, is now one.

"It's dad first for me, closely followed by being an MP," he said.

Mr Charters was born in York and has lived in Haxby, Strensall and Osbaldwick.

And at the age of 21, he was one of Labour's youngest candidates in the General Election called by Theresa May back in 2017.

He then polled second with 21,067 votes, more than 8,000 behind the Conservatives' Julian Sturdy.

At the last election in 2019, Mr Sturdy held the seat with a 10,000 majority, securing nearly half the vote. The Labour candidate that year was Anna Perrett.

But on Friday morning the former fraud investigator swept to victory in York Outer – a constituency that he won with ease, receiving 23,161 or 45.3 per cent of the total votes cast, allowing for a majority of 9,391 over Mr Sturdy.

"To be honest I was shocked, it was a large majority, but it wasn't out of kilter with the growing warmth from people in the last six weeks, " he said.

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‘I am deeply proud of him – it’s a dream come true really!’

Luke out and about in his new constituency (Image: Supplied)

The 28-year-old said he is leaving his job as head of fraud and compliance for Remote - "I'm all in on this - on being MP for York Outer", he said.

But he said he wants to bring the knowledge from his counter fraud career both at Remote, and before that The Bank of England, to bear on his life as an MP.

As well as bringing banking back to the community in York Outer - a constituency which now has no high street banks - Mr Charters said he is passionate about the NHS.

"I have got a close family member on a neuro surgery waiting list and it's vital to bring the NHS waiting lists down in York," he said.

Looking ahead he said: "I hope people will get a small sense of how I worked in the campaign and about how hard I want to work for them as an MP.

"So far my team has spoken to more than 20,000 people in York Outer and I will be holding regular surgeries in due course."