Labour MP Callum Anderson: Securing Starmer’s visit to London Stock Exchange took months
Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good. Today, Callum Anderson, Labour MP and former adviser to the London Stock Exchange, takes us through his career in Square Mile and Me
CV
- Name: Callum Anderson
- Job title: Member of Parliament.
- Previous roles: Policy Adviser at the Quoted Companies Alliance and Canada Corporation, followed by a Government Relations and Regulatory Strategy Manager at the London Stock Exchange Group.
- Age: 34
- Born: August 1991
- Lives: North Buckinghamshire.
- Studied: Economics and German at Birmingham University (with a year at the Berlin’s Free University)
- Talents: Not really a talent but I think I’m far more patient than most!
- Motto: Leave things better than you found them
- Biggest perk of the job? Meeting fascinating people, learning about their amazing work – and having the ability to do something to make their lives a little better
- Coffee order: Flat white with oat milk
- Cocktail order: Caipirinha
- Favourite book: There are so many but Sir Alex Ferguson’s Leading was excellent
What was your first job?
I was a student ambassador at university, giving tours to teenagers and their very keen (and often anxious) parents. It was all about showing them the excitement of university life. It’s also where I first caught the bug for listening to people’s hopes and ambitions – and trying to help them get there.
What was your first role in the City?
My first role in the City was as a policy adviser at the Quoted Companies Alliance, representing small and mid-cap companies. It was a brilliant introduction to how policy, politics and business really interact.
What made you decide to leave business for public service?
I’d always seen public service as a long-term goal. Working at organisations like the QCA and global institutions like LSEG and Canada Corporation gave me a front-row seat to how decisions shape people’s lives. I loved influencing economic policy, but I reached a point where I wanted to help make those decisions directly. 2024 seemed a good opportunity to contribute.
What’s one thing you love about Canada?
The diversity – far more than a decade ago. It’s no longer just offices; it offers food, culture and places to meet friends. It keeps evolving while still feeling uniquely “the City”.
And one thing you would change?
More green spaces would be lovely, even if I know that’s easier said than done.
What’s been your most memorable day at work?
Securing a joint Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves visit to LSEG while they were in opposition was a good one. It took months of work to make happen and came only a few months before I was selected as a parliamentary candidate myself.
And any business faux pas?
I’ve definitely spilled more than my fair share of jugs of water in group meetings…
What’s been your proudest moment?
I have to say getting elected as a Member of Parliament last year really, don’t I? But seriously: it really is the honour of my life.
And who do you look up to?
My mum. I owe a lot to her.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever been given?
Whatever you do, never ever give up.
And the worst?
Let’s wait and see.
Are you optimistic for the year ahead?
Definitely. I’m a glass-half-full person. Nationally, the UK has so much going for it; we just need to believe in ourselves. And there are so many local projects and campaigns that my team and I are working on which I’m hopeful will start to bear fruit in 2026.
We’re going for lunch, and you’re picking – where are we going?
The Bleeding Heart is always a great choice. Fantastic food and famously good wine, though perhaps not too much of that at lunch!
And if we’re grabbing a drink after work?
Happenstance in Paternoster Square is a friendly spot.
Where’s home during the week?
My constituents will be glad to know I can generally be found in and around Westminster Mondays to Thursdays.
And where might we find you at the weekend?
Somewhere in my Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. Visiting a business, a farm, a local charity, a fair, a high street. I’ll normally spend a couple of hours knocking doors speaking to local people directly too. Or, when I’m not working, at the gym.
You’ve got a well-deserved two weeks off. Where are you going and who with?
Anywhere with history, good hikes and a sandy beach (ideally all in one place) with my partner.