ˈeɪmzbɛɹi dʒˈɔɪnd ðə lˈeɪbɚ pˈɑːɹɾi æz ɐ sˈɛvəntˌiːnjˈɪɹˈoʊld ˈæftɚ mˈuːvɪŋ wɪð hɪz fˈæmɪli tə jˈɔːɹkʃɚ, wˌɛɹ hiː sˈɛz hiː wʌz pəlˈɪɾɪsˌaɪzd baɪ ðɪ ˈɪmpækt ˌɔn lˈoʊkəl fˈæmɪliz ʌv mˈɑːɹɡɹət θˈætʃɚz pəlˈɪɾɪkəl pˈɑːlɪsiz ænd ðə sˈʌbsᵻkwənt mˈaɪnɚz stɹˈaɪk.
Amesbury joined the Labour Party as a 17-year-old after moving with his family to Yorkshire, where he says he was politicised by the impact on local families of Margaret Thatcher's political policies and the subsequent miners' strike.