I’m tired of empty promises from the incumbent parties.

Full statement

We need to focus on getting to work, not political point scoring.

We have a strong, vibrant, diverse community whose priorities have been ignored for too long. We keep being told about how great things actually are, while we watch our roads crumble and our high street become vacant.

The local Tories keep telling us that they’ve kept the council tax frozen, but don’t tell us how they’ve managed that with spiraling prices, and greater need than ever. Ten years without raising their rates means ten years of cuts or offloading the services to the City or County Council.

We’re seeing a huge expansion in Food Banks, Warm Banks, and so many other short-term solutions to long-term problems. What about removing the need for these emergency fixes by working hand-in-hand with the City, Council, and Combined Authorities?

I’d make a good councilor because I’ve spent my career fixing problems, taking responsibility, and not trying to assign blame. While success comes from hard work, it’s also comes from luck. Not everyone has had the same opportunity — that’s something I want to change.