Luke Pollard was born in Plymouth in April 1980. He spent his early years growing up in Devon. Along with his younger sister, Hannah, he went to primary school in Buckland Monachorum before starting secondary school in Tavistock. In 1992 he moved with his family to Chester in North West England where he studied for his GCSEs and A-Levels but returned to Devon in 1998 to go to University in Exeter where he read Politics. Luke graduated in 2001 with a First in Politics and left Exeter in 2002 after completing a year as President of Exeter's students union. Immediately after University Luke worked in children's television for Carlton (now ITV Westcountry) in Plympton on the Birthday People programme.

Captain Flotsam and Jetsam from ITV Westcountry's Birthday People

In 2002 Luke started work for David Jamieson who was at that time the Labour Member of Parliament for Plymouth Devonport. After spending a short time working in his constituency office Luke moved to work for the Minister in the House of Commons. After a period working with David Luke accepted an offer to work for Rt Hon George Foulkes, the Labour MP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, and a member of the UK delegation to the Council of Europe and European defence organisation, the Western European Union. This gave Luke the opportunity to work in Strasbourg and Paris assisting the MP in his duties. Both MPs stood down at the 2005 General Election. During the 2005 election campaign Luke was seconded to replace the Head of Labour's International Unit at Labour Party HQ dealing with all aspects of the party's international work.

Working in Labour's International Unit during the 2005 General Election

After the election Luke began work for Edelman, an international communications company, specialising in advising charities and companies how to run political campaigns. Luke has worked for some of the UK's most successful companies and also helped advise many of the nation's most popular charities in the areas of cancer treatment and care for premature babies . Luke now specialises in online campaigning working for household names on their political campaigns.

Leaflet folding in Edinburgh Central, Easter 2007

In May 2006 Luke stood in London's local elections increasing the Labour vote in his ward by a third. In early 2007 he was seconded to help in the Scottish Parliament elections working on the successful campaign to re-elect Sarah Boyack MSP in Edinburgh Central, Labour's most marginal seat in Scotland.

Speaking at Labour's Annual Conference, September 2007

Luke was selected to fight South West Devon for the Labour Party in September 2007. In 2007 Luke spoke at Labour's national conference in Bournemouth on the future of Devonport Dockyard. Luke spearheads Labour's campaign to save ITV Westcountry and also to Save Chaddlewood Fields in Plympton from being sold off by the Tory Council.

.
Playing Hockey, Spring 2007

In his spare time Luke is a keen footballer, hockey player and 10k runner. He supports Plymouth Argyle and Plymouth Albion. He is a member of Unite (TGWU section), the Co-Operative Party, SERA - Labour's Environment Campaign and the Fabian Society. He lives in Plymouth and London.