Shaun Bailey, a Christian who has devoted much of his life to working with young people affected by drugs and violence has been awarded a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list.
He receives one of seven peerages approved by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Shaun Bailey has served on the London Assembly since 2016 and was a former London mayoral candidate running against current mayor Sadiq Khan in the election in 2021.
He has over 20 years’ experience as a youth worker and has experienced homelessness and unemployment.
The 52-year-old is outspoken on the dangers of drugs and says he hopes more people come to know the love of Jesus rather than striving for man-made highs. Speaking to YCW earlier this year he said:
“Many young people’s lives go to waste using drugs. I think my first response would be to spread the gospel and find your identity in Jesus. If you know you’re valued by the one who created us all, it gives you a very different spin on the world, you have a protective factor there. Secondly, if you’re embedded in your community, spread the message, just say these things look innocent, they look attractive, but they are hugely dangerous.”
In 2021 Bailey resigned as chairman of the London Assembly’s police and crime committee after a photograph emerged of him breaking COVID rules at a party at Conservative Party headquarters.
He later apologised saying: “It was a serious error of judgement at a time when Londoners were making immense sacrifices to keep us all safe and I regret it wholeheartedly.”
