Hello and welcome to my Reform UK page and the local issues my General Election campaign will focus on.

Full statement

Plymouth Independence Day

Vote Reform UK on the 4th July so Sutton and Devonport get an MP who is independent of the Labour Party, the Labour Council and the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner.

Someone who will hold them to account and get things done. No more excuses, just action.

1. Safer streets for everyone.

2. Stop polluting our sea and rivers.

3. A centrally funded toll-free Tamar.

4. Military pay and housing they deserve.

5. Transform empty offices into affordable homes.

6. Uncover the facts about the Armada Way budget.

Why vote for me?

To help answer that I’d like to ask you to imagine you telling your friends and family that you're going to stand in the General Election to become an MP.

If you did tell them, I'm sure you'd get a similar response to what I did (although there were other responses!).

"Wow, that's great, we need more “normal” people like you as an MP".

It's funny though isn’t it, how Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak are both working so hard to reclaim their working-class roots, toning down their parent's work and showing the public how "normal" they are.

I can't tone down my first job at the council as an apprentice vehicle mechanic fixing anything from lawnmowers to gritters. I can't even claim I was any good at it either which is why I was planning to get into sales as soon as I'd qualified. My Dad was in sales and he played golf every Friday so it looked like an easy option. But my Mum was a crazy artist and she encouraged me to go off travelling to "see the world". So I did. And survived. But there were some times when survival was looking a little less likely (I can bore you with my survival stories in the pub sometime.)

But I've done OK for a normal person. I did eventually get into sales, then fell into recruitment, then got wowed by the Internet in 1998, built a software business, sold it, lost it, started again with nothing, and managed to survive as a self-appointed Internet Recruitment Guru (I'd be known as an Influencer today!).

In between all of my jobs, I did what Mum said and travelled. Australia, South America, North America, North Africa and more. I also somehow managed to find myself a wife and she even convinced me to settle down and have kids. But though my travel had been curtailed, I still managed to fit in numerous crazy ultra marathons in great places such as the Sahara desert, Amazon jungle, and the Yukon.

But it's not all about me

My wife and two daughters have all worked in the care sector; a community physio, a nurse and a Navy medic (although our daughters have picked up the wanderlust now). Having seen them all do work that has a real purpose (unlike selling software), and working throughout the pandemic, when we moved to Sparkwell in 2021 I decided to start working as a volunteer at the Plymouth Soup Run. To do something with purpose, to have a positive impact on those less fortunate.

Why homelessness?

It all stems back to a travelling incident in Cusco, Peru in 1994 where I fed some homeless kids for a few days. It's another story for the pub but that experience left me regretting not being able to do more and since then I've always stopped and talked to street homeless people no matter where I am.

Plymouth Soup Run

Life on the streets of Plymouth has got progressively worse since COVID and we have massively increased the number of meals we serve on a Sunday night to over 125. As the numbers increase it becomes far more tense for both volunteers and clients, and the streets feel less safe, so it’s vital that the police can provide a rapid response when (rarely) needed.

Do more

My first-hand experience on the streets of Plymouth made me realise to be able to do more, I had to do more. So I joined Labour in 2022 hoping I could do more, but that was not to be. So after almost 2 years with Labour, I resigned, thwarted at every step by party politics. Not the party or the people for me. All too angry with the Tories and no focus on the important issues.

But I’m not someone who gives up easily or makes excuses so I researched Reform UK and realised they have policies I support. Common sense ideas that will make a difference. Not more wishy-washy flip-flop Labour twaddle or delusional Conservative cons.

Which is why I am standing for Reform UK in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport.

Let’s be honest though; we've all lost trust in politicians who spend more time on political point-scoring and less time on real work. We need business people to fix the country, to hold the councils and the police to account, and to make sure our essential services such as water and housing are at a high standard to ensure the health and well-being of the community. This is why if I am elected I’ll be making LOCAL issues my priority, working with people, regardless of party, to get things done. No lame excuses, just hard work and focus.

You can find out more about my campaign plans by connecting with me on any of the social media channels below. You can also invite me to your pub for a beer and a few stories any time, and maybe even get a few people together to get more voters on our side.

July 4th is Plymouth Independence Day

Vote Reform UK on the 4th July so Sutton and Devonport get an MP who is independent of the Labour Party, the Labour Council and the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner.

Someone who will hold them to account and get things done. No more excuses, just action.

1. Safer streets for everyone.

2. Stop polluting our sea and rivers.

3. A centrally funded toll-free Tamar.

4. Military pay and housing they deserve.

5. Transform empty offices into affordable homes.

6. Uncover the facts about the Armada Way budget.

If you want results not excuses, vote for Peter Gold, Reform UK on July 4th.