Nickie Aiken

Nickie Aiken is a comprehensive-educated former media and public relations manager, who credits in part Jacob Rees-Mogg with her entrance into politics when he chaired her selection committee to become a Westminster City Council candidate in 2006. Aiken’s previous professional experience included presenting for BBC Wales, serving as press secretary for William Hague, and as head of PR at Bradford and Bingley. More recently, she has worked as a crisis management trainer. Aiken became the Conservative group leader late of Westminster City Council in 2016, and the council leader in 2017. Perhaps her greatest achievement on the local council was as the cabinet member for children’s services, when her reforms led to Ofsted’s first ever outstanding rating in the country. She is married to the executive director of government communications, Alex Aiken. In 2019, she briefly left Twitter following online abuse and describing the platform as “toxic”. Aiken has sat on the backbench business and women and equalities committees. In 2020, she argued for further support for theatres in the West End. Aiken was one of a minority of MPs advocating for a lighter lockdown in London during winter 2020.