Overview
Away from politics, Craig is an accomplished business-person and philanthropist. Having been brought up by Irish immigrant parents on a south London council estate, Kevin went on to found PLMR, one of the country’s most successful communications agencies. In addition to his ongoing role at PLMR, he is also an investor and shareholder in innovative start-ups, as well as being (2017 to 2021) a Non-Executive Director for AIM-listed tech business, Eleco PLC and Director at ATR Investments. He was a proud early stage Angel Investor in The Big Deal, owning 2.5% of the company that subsequently saw the biggest cash for equity investment in the history of BBC’s Dragon’s Den before being sold for over £12 million. From 2015 until 2021 he was a Non-Executive Director of the £40 million turnover Company Shop Group and then Community Shop, its social enterprise that uses surplus food to improve lives and tackle food waste.
Charity and philanthropy
Kevin’s work is underpinned by a strong sense of philanthropy and giving. Since PLMR was founded in 2006, Kevin committed it to giving 5% of annual profits each year to charity. He is a former trustee of Elizabeth’s Legacy of Hope (ELOH), a charity supporting child amputees across the world and to which Kevin has contributed over £50,000 of support since its inception. In 2012, Kevin was nominated to carry the Olympic Torch through London, in recognition of his work with ELOH. Kevin has also raised thousands of pounds for Trinity Hospice, the hospice that cared for his mother before her passing in 2012.
Labour Party campaigner
Alongside his business career, Kevin has given a lifetime of service and activism to the Labour Party. He has served at every level as a volunteer officer at CLP level, volunteered in the media team at Millbank Tower in the 2001 General Election, stood for Parliament in South Suffolk in 2005 and served 17 years as an elected Councillor in Lambeth Council in London, including three years as Chair of the Planning Committee overseeing major infrastructure developments in the Borough as part of a strong Labour team.
Kevin has also financially supported the Labour Party, the campaign for Britain to remain in the European Union and for Scotland to remain as part of the United Kingdom. He has stood for public office for the Labour Party on eight occasions, being successfully elected five times.
For decades, Kevin has campaigned on a number of key issues that are close to his heart. From fighting for equality as far back as 1994, highlighting the flawed housing market, championing social mobility, to advocating for the NHS during General Election campaigns as a Parliamentary Candidate. He is passionate about the role of business and commerce in creating a better society.
Media voice
Kevin is an established media commentator and appears regularly on BBC News, Sky News, Al Jazeera and many other domestic and international news outlets. Kevin’s writing has been published by The Telegraph, New Statesman, The Independent and others.
