John came to the East End about 30 years ago and got increasingly involved in local community affairs and politics.

A resident of Stepney, now in his third term as Assembly Member for City and East London, he is a former leader of Tower Hamlets Council.

A Graduate of Chemistry, Computer Science and of Law, John previously worked as an analyst in the City and as Director of a political pressure group. He is Labour's Deputy Leader and leads currently on Budget and Health for the Labour Group on the London Assembly.

He has a keen interest in regeneration and has played a major role in the Thames Gateway project. He was previously Vice Chair of the London Development Agency and Deputy Chairman of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

In July 2009 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Queen Mary University and in October 2009 was made an independent Governor of Birkbeck University of London.