Nikki da Costa, who lives in Ashwell village with her husband Martin and daughter Freya, will be fighting to win the seat vacated by the previous Conservative MP, Rt Hon Sir Oliver Heald KC.
She is an associate school governor for the local school and has twice fought for her ward in the North Herts District election.
The majority of Nikki’s career has been helping businesses to grow and challenging government when well-meaning policies have created unintended consequences.
For seven years she supported AQA - the charity and largest examination board in England - maintain trust and high standards in the examination system, and for five years worked with housing associations in the East of England on new housing models to put home ownership in reach of more hard-working families.
Nikki has also run her own business and has first-hand experience of the pressures small business owners face in the constituency and why government needs to get it right.
TRACK RECORD
Nikki is a fierce champion of her local area and has a successful track-record of delivery in Westminster. As a North Herts District Council candidate she helped secure a change in law to better protect chalk streams from development, and successfully helped challenge inappropriate development which would have meant the loss of a heritage site.
She also believes in standing up for those that are not being heard. Last year she worked pro bono for Kemi Badenoch, helping the Conservative government to fight back against Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish Gender Recognition Bill. Her work gave the government confidence to take on the SNP and ensure the safety of women and girls north of the border.
As the former Director of Legislative Affairs for 2 Prime Ministers – Theresa May and Boris Johnson – she is a recognised authority on the UK’s legislative and parliamentary processes. She helped end three years of parliamentary paralysis and move our country forward.
She has championed and helped deliver critical legislation which has made a difference to residents. She is particularly proud of helping secure:
- The Lifelong Learning Entitlement, so residents have the financial support to retrain throughout their lives to get the jobs they want.
- The Environment Act which is helping to improve air and water quality, protect wildlife, and increase recycling and reduce plastic waste
- The Agriculture Act – an enabling act, which used well can make a huge difference – and this year will help dairy farmers challenge prices and raise concerns with supply contracts more easily.
VALUES
Nikki will be fighting not just for what the area needs, but for local values: that you – and not the government - should have the greatest say over how your money is spent; backing our entrepreneurs, small businesses and farmers who energise our towns and countryside and create jobs; for new homes but in the right place and with the necessary infrastructure; the importance of community initiative and the spirit of public service; and that there are good things passed down from each generation that we must strive to keep - whether it’s our environment or common sense.