I am extremely proud to have been chosen to represent my hometown of Darlington.

Full statement

I worked closely with the previous Reform UK spokesman for Darlington and am well aware of the issues facing people in our great town. I was born and raised in Darlington. I spent my childhood living on Clifton Road and then moved to Geneva Drive. I now live in the Hundens Lane area of Darlington with my wife. I am an English teacher who has spent over ten years helping children achieve their potential. I have worked at a school in Bishop Auckland and several other schools in the North of England. I have also been fortunate to have taught in other countries, including the USA, Kazakhstan, and South Korea. I volunteered in orphanages, helping some of the most impoverished children take their first steps to a better life. My work is extremely rewarding, and it would take a lot for me to even think about leaving my job, but I can no longer sit in silence and watch our country be torn apart. I have been an active campaigner in Darlington for many years, knocking on doors and organising community events. The majority of people tell me the same thing; “We must stop illegal immigration. They are laughing at us.” “Why are we spending money keeping foreign criminals in this country? Why aren’t we deporting them?” “Why are we giving foreign aid to China and India when people in our country are homeless?” “Why is my tax going up and the level of services going down?” I’ve decided to stand in this election because the country we love needs us. At this election, you finally have a choice. If Labour gets in, our borders will be wide open. The Conservatives have failed us. Only Reform UK has the policies to save our country. Only Reform UK will deliver the change this country needs. But this election isn't about me. It is about you, the voter. Your vote is precious; vote for something you believe in rather than the lesser of two evils. This town and you, the people, have masses of potential. What we need is a politician who believes in the people of this town, who will put Darlington first, and who has not been parachuted in by their party's Head Office. We have a Labour leader who believes a woman can have a penis; if he can lie about that, he will lie about everything, and a Conservative government who have proved time after time that they are incapable of governing. I want to give a voice to the tens of thousands of people in Darlington who feel all politicians are the same. Politicians have stopped listening to the people. I will listen and act upon your concerns. Your views are not wrong. They are held by the majority of people. You know this because you have daily conversations with your friends and neighbours who agree with you. If you demand a better country with politicians who feel exactly the same way you do, please vote REFORM UK on 4th July, and let's change this country for the better. Remember: Your vote is precious. Labour and Conservatives will try and scare you into thinking a vote for Reform UK is a wasted vote, but it isn’t. If enough people vote Reform UK, then we will win in Darlington. Always best wishes Michael