Jake Sumner

Co-Chair of SERA think tank and political advisor,

Jake has three decades in politics and public policy in national, regional and local government and private and voluntary sectors with a focus on transport, environment, housing, devolution and business policy. Jake is Co-Chair of SERA, an environmental think tank and campaign body linked to the Labour Party, is a fellow at UCL’s Institute of Innovation of Public Purpose, and an adviser to leading companies as well as a Policy Director for the Shadow Mayor of the West Midlands. He has previously chaired a leading community charity providing local services and oversaw setting up social enterprises expanding capacity and income for the organisation. He has written and spoken on mutual and co-op models including at Co-Ops UK conference 2018 and how these can be scaled up.



Previous roles include as Special Advisor to the Communities & Local Government Secretary in the Labour Government and Chief Adviser to the Shadow Business Secretary during the 2010-2015 Parliament which included setting up entrepreneurial networks. Other roles include as Associate Director of a think tank leading thought leadership on industrial strategy and writing reports work on workplace and place-based engagement. He has also served as an elected councillor and Cabinet Member, and at Transport for London including leading the Crossrail funding campaign and engagement programme for what was Europe’s largest project.