1. Andrew Josef Feinstein was born on 16 March 1964 and is a South African former politician, activist, filmmaker, campaigner and author, now based in London, who specialises in the investigation of the arms trade and the corruption that accompanies it.
Andrew Feinstein is Executive Director of a small non-profit, Shadow World Investigations, and serves on the board of Declassified UK.
The son of a Holocaust survivor, Feinstein was the first MP to introduce a motion on the Holocaust in the South African parliament.
Andrew Feinstein was elected in South Africa's first democratic elections following the abolition of Apartheid, serving as a member of parliament from 1994 to 2001 as a member of the ruling ANC party.
Andrew Feinstein has lived in Starmer's constituency of Holborn and St Pancras since 2001, has criticised Starmer for being "terrible on Gaza", and stood against Starmer in the 2024 general election, coming second with 7,312 votes.
Andrew Feinstein was born in Cape Town to Viennese Holocaust survivor Erika and Ralph Josef Feinstein.
Andrew Feinstein completed his secondary education at Wynberg Boys' High School in Cape Town in 1981; four years later he graduated with a BA degree from the University of Cape Town.
Andrew Feinstein was elected an ANC member of parliament under Nelson Mandela in the first democratic election in 1994.
Andrew Feinstein served as a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and an advisor to Gauteng's then-MEC of Finance, Jabu Moleketi, from 1994 to 1996.
Andrew Feinstein was elected as a member of the South African Parliament's lower house in 1997.
Andrew Feinstein introduced the first ever motion on the Holocaust in South African parliamentary history.
Andrew Feinstein was at the time referred to as "one of its most vocal and talented MPs", who argued that a thorough investigation into the South African Arms Deal had to be done.
Andrew Feinstein resigned in 2001 when the ANC refused to launch an unfettered investigation into the matter.
Andrew Feinstein was succeeded by Geoff Doidge in both positions.
Andrew Feinstein has since lived in London, where he is Executive Director of not-for-profit Shadow World Investigations and chaired the Aids charity Friends of the Treatment Action Campaign, and lectures and writes on South Africa and the global arms trade.
Andrew Feinstein is considered an ANC dissident and critic, with his memoirs, After the Party, being severely critical of the political culture of the ANC.
Andrew Feinstein describes the ill-fated arms deal as the "point at which the ANC lost its moral compass".
Andrew Feinstein argued that the strategy that helped end South Africa's crime of apartheid must be mobilized against Israeli apartheid.
Andrew Feinstein joined British Labour Party shortly before Jeremy Corbyn became leader.
In December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, Andrew Feinstein signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party under Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 general election.
In February 2024, it was announced that Andrew Feinstein was preparing to stand against Starmer in his constituency of Holborn and St Pancras as an independent at the next general election, endorsed by two grassroots organisations.
Andrew Feinstein's interests include crime fiction, football, music and film.