Here’s all about the contestants taking part in Channel 4’s new show Make Me Prime Minister.
The series will see twelve members of the public with views from across the political spectrum take part in a contest to see what it really takes to operate in the cutthroat world of politics.
The candidates will be followed on the campaign trail with weekly votes to decide who stays in the running and who is ultimately named Channel 4’s Alternative Prime Minister.
Make Me Prime Minister will start on Tuesday, 27 September at 9:15PM on Channel 4.
ADAM
Age: 61
Occupation: Marketing Consultant
From: Suffolk
Political leanings: “Progressive, left of centre. Any vote to keep the Tories out.”
Big Idea: To create more social mobility by depoliticising education. If he had £1 billion to spend, he would invest it in HMRC to stop tax evasion and reinvest the money into the country.
Stepfather to four children, Adam studied history at Bristol University and would describe himself as compassionate, realistic, patriotic and honest. He thinks he’d make a great leader as he has a lot of good ideas which aren’t ‘necessarily going to be popular but they’ll almost certainly be right.’
ALICE
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
From: London
Political leanings: “Socially very conservative but feels the current Conservative Party often prioritises profit and big business over the people.”
Big Idea: To abolish all green taxes and levies and promote ‘Trees Not Taxes’ — creating more green spaces in cities. Alice advocates for an end to the Caron net-zero agenda to reduce the skyrocketing prices of fuel and energy bills to help the poorest and most vulnerable British households.
A first year Classics student at Oxford, Alice is a staunch Brexiteer who feels that ‘politicians right now are a bit of a pantomime.’ She grew up in an agnostic family but converted to Catholicism when she was 18 years old and was subsequently baptised.
CAROLINE
Age: 55
Occupation: Hairdresser
From: Buckinghamshire
Political leanings: “I don’t actually identify with any party, but I guess if I was going to lean any way, it would be towards the Green Party.”
Big Idea: To put ‘Planet Before Profit’ as she believes the government aren’t paying attention to the environmental issues. Caroline would cut funding to all future non green projects starting with scrapping HS2 and use Citizens Assemblies to investigate, discuss and make recommendations on government policies.
Mum of three, former science teacher and Extinction Rebellion member, Caroline, was introduced to her first protest in 2019 by her eldest daughter. Having been arrested four times, she has made ‘a deal with herself’ to do her part in controlling climate change and finds it frustrating when people say it’s not as bad as we think.
CONALL
Age: 24
Occupation: Paralegal
From: Belfast
Political leanings: “I don’t identify with a particular party in England. I would just weigh up the policies as I see them.”
Big Idea: To open rehabilitation centres across the UK which would offer a safe space for people living on the streets who struggle with addiction.
Self-described ‘Ralph Lauren connoisseur’ and frequent TikTokker, Conall, believes the current UK government are a ‘shambles’ and as an Irishman, is fed up with people asking, ‘are you Labour or Tory?’ without mentioning any other parties.
DANNY
Age: 37
Occupation: Venue Operator
From: London
Political leanings: “Not really. I do call out the Conservative government a lot, but they are the government. I have also called out Labour and the Liberal Democrats as well, but I call out the Tories more. Labour aren’t in charge, so I’m not going to spend as much time talking about them. I’ll deal with them later.”
Big Idea: To return power to the people by making everyday people the government’s boss. He would like all big government spending to first be put through a public assembly who decide whether or not it’s a good use of the public purse.
Freely admitting he wasn’t into politics until the pandemic hit, Danny has since made a name for himself on Instagram with a series of candid and often personal videos. Describing himself as ‘a legend, joker and sensible,’ and using his platform to bring the outsider’s viewpoint to politics, he believes the political infrastructure in the UK is wrong, with only 35% of the country being truly represented.
DARIUS
Age: 23
From: London
Occupation: Entrepreneur & Charity Fundraiser
Political leanings: “I stood in the last council elections for Hounslow Council as a Conservative candidate.”
Big Idea: To provide more government funding to help young people set up their own businesses.
At the age of six months, Darius and his family fled from Afghanistan to escape the Taliban regime and were smuggled into the UK in the back of a refrigerated lorry. Later graduating from Kings College with a degree in Politics and Philosophy, Darius has supported the Conservatives since he was 18 and believes the Conservative Party embodies people with strong business acumen, innovation and creativity.
HOLLY
Age: 29
From: Leicester
Occupation: Ex-footballer & Sports Agent
Political leanings: “I identify with Labour. Recently, I haven’t been completely happy with the party and where it’s going, but if I was to vote tomorrow I would still vote Labour.”
Big Idea: To dismantle institutional racism in the UK – ‘Diversity over Division.’ She feels Britain is at its best when unified and would implement her policy through Employment, Education, Reconciliation and Health.
Describing herself as passionate, enthusiastic and a go-getter, Holly is a qualified solicitor and ex-captain and former first team coach for Leicester City WFC. She is also on the advisory board for the ‘Kick It Out’ campaign and has publicly spoken about tackling racism in sport.
JACKIE
Age: 63
From: Shropshire
Occupation: Chief Officer
Political leanings: “I always voted Conservative and never really gave it much thought, until the last bi-election we had. Both the Labour and Conservative candidates had no affinity to the area. The Lib Dem did. And for the first time in my life, I voted Lib Dem.”
Big Idea: To boost local government. She would like to focus funding away from central government and towards local government so that changes you care about can happen.
Unlikely internet sensation, mother to three sons, and Chief Officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils, Jackie, shot to virtual fame after angrily being told ‘you have no authority here!’ during a heated Zoom meeting of Handforth Parish Council in December 2020. Born in Motherwell to a ‘very poor’ Scottish family, she lives in Shropshire with her retired mechanical engineer husband who she met on a blind date.
KELLY
Age: 25
From: Edinburgh
Occupation: Equality & Diversity Inclusion Manager
“Very much to the left.”
Big Idea: Housing security for everyone and abolishing homelessness with Housing First. Kelly would like to implement a 20 min neighbourhood where everyone has a community within 20 mins of their home.
Former Miss Universe Great Britain 2020 finalist, Kelly, is passionate about disability rights, inclusion and equality having been late diagnosed with autism and ADHD last year. She has been campaigning for the SNP since the age of 16, became an elected member of the Scottish Youth Parliament at 17 and in 2018, was selected to be Nicola Sturgeon’s official support at the end of year celebration for Scotland’s Year of Young People.
NATALIE
Age: 36
From: Manchester
Occupation: Medical Communications Director
Political leanings: “Independent but left leaning.”
Big Idea: To impose legislation to prevent multinational corporations from using debt shifting practises to avoid paying taxes. With the money raised, she would propose spending this on improving community infrastructure and facilities.
Healthcare professional Natalie, who has Type 1 diabetes, recently launched a clothing range in 2017 for people who wear insulin pumps or take daily injections. If she were leader, Natalie would love to put ‘a cap on capitalism’ as it would ‘solve not just economic problems, but problems of corruption, problems of careerists’ adding ‘I would want to see my cabinet act with their heart and not their pocket.’
RICO
Age: 30
From: London
Occupation: Diversity Consultant
Political leanings: “Labour but more about a cause and fighting for minority groups.”
Big Idea: To raise awareness of issues that impact the trans and nonbinary community, starting with access to the Gender Recognition Certificate
Diversity consultant and Trans Man Rico is extremely passionate about campaigning for Black and LGBTQ+ rights and has previously spoken in both Parliament and at the Mayor of London’s office. Having been featured in the NYC Journal’s 50 Under 50 Class of 2022, he is also part of the United Nation’s Unite 2030 Youth Delegate programme.
VERITY
Age: 22
From: Brighton
Occupation: Restaurant Supervisor
Political leanings: “I do identify with a certain political party, but I was brought up with the fact that your political view is your own. My political views don’t define who I am.”
Big Idea: To “Set The Bar” to ensure politics is about the people and ensuring that Parliament has an equal percentage of all different communities within the UK
Growing up in a family that loved to debate politics, Verity is infuriated by the lack of female voices in politics and feels there ‘still isn’t a platform for women to be heard.’ She is passionate about voting and encourages other women to vote in her local town.
Make Me Prime Minister will start on Tuesday, 27 September at 9:15PM on Channel 4.
More on: Channel 4
