I moved to Harrietsham 25 years ago with my partner who works in the village and our son who attended schools in Harrietsham and Lenham and now works locally in agriculture and forestry.

Full statement

I recently retired from a successful career in Telecommunications, working with the Home Office, OFCOM, and various international Governments on mobile licence applications, network launches and regulatory changes where I gained a reputation for 'thinking out of the box' and carrying out detailed analysis. I also represented a UK network operator at a global standards body, where I was appointed Chairperson of the Steering Group and was selected to speak at an international conference at London Olympia.

On behalf of all the residents, I must of course pay tribute and extend a hearty vote of thanks to Tom and Janetta Sams who I know served the Ward for many years in the capacity of Councillors. I know they battled hard and put massive energy into fighting for the Ward, particularly in regard to the Heathlands Garden Settlement. My son went to school with Tom and Janetta's children and I have over the last five years been working with Tom over some planning issues in Harrietsham so we have known them for many years. I am sure all the residents of the Ward will join me in sincerely thanking them and wishing them all the best for the future.

As far as the Heathlands Garden Settlement is concerned, should I be elected, I will make it top priority to meet with the Save Our Heathlands initiative to assist their cause and if not stop the development, at least work to alleviate the principal concerns such as due diligence, traffic management, carbon footprint, sewage, the railway station and provision of infrastructure.

I have already opened my ears to local residents and asked what they consider to be the other main concerns for the Ward. Some of these, such as traffic management and street lighting, are outside MBC's remit and fall under KCC. Of course, Reform UK now being in control of KCC will provide scope for better communication should the Ward place its faith in Reform UK candidates.

Tackling crime, particularly catapult use on property and animals, is a matter that local residents are very concerned about, as is burglary. I have already discussed this with local police offers and as a Councillor I will do everything I can to reduce occurrences through communication and raising awareness.

Another big concern for residents is clearly the lack of capacity at the Doctor's Surgeries as the Ward has grown. Although this is not something over which a District Councillor has direct control, I do believe that a Councillor needs to be 'part of the solution' so anything I can do to raise the profile of the issue will constantly be on my mind. This is a national problem which is certainly high on the agenda for Reform UK.

I am also aware of the debt escalation at MBC under the current Leader of the Council and his Green Independent Alliance. According to data from the BBC's Shared Data Unit, from 2024 to 2025, MBC debt has risen from £45m to £65m. That is a rise of over 44% in a single year and is clearly unsustainable. Understanding the reasons for this and how MBC plans to bring the matter under control will be high on my agenda.

With the resignation of Tom and Janetta and of course Kathy Cox, we as residents need to select three new Councillors. I believe the most important attributes that a Councillor can have are to have an open door, to be available, and to be willing to listen to their fellow residents. Living in Harrietsham and being recently retired looking for a new challenge, I believe I am perfectly positioned to do this.

My interests include motorcycling, fishing, travel, music (I play guitar and saxophone) and languages.

A few months ago, I had absolutely no idea that I would be standing as a Councillor. Quite frankly I struggled to see the point in voting because it didn't seem to matter who I voted for, no party seemed to listen to its voters. One day however, some friends said 'if you want to change things in your life, you have to change things in your life' and suggested that I stand. After some deliberation, I decided that many in the Ward must be feeling similarly to me, and somebody has to stand up and be counted. A few short weeks later, I joined Reform UK and here I am.

Reform UK is rapidly rising in the polls for good reason, it is the party that listens to the public and puts the people it represents first. The advice I have received is to listen to the residents and act in their best interests. This is contrary to what has been claimed by another party in their leaflet. I believe that I and my fellow Reform UK candidates, supported by the UK's most rapidly growing party that already has control of KCC can make a real difference to life in this Ward and right across Kent, but we are dependent on YOU the voters to actively voice your opinion, firstly at the ballot box then subsequently in our inboxes.

My pledges to the residents of Harrietsham, Lenham and North Downs Ward are as follows:

⦁ I will fight for the best outcome on the Heathlands Development and work with Save Our Heathlands and other Councillors. It is NOT a done deal!
⦁ I will fight against over development of the area
⦁ I will work to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime
⦁ I will work to stop the pollution of our waterways caused by increased housing developments and farm waste
⦁ I will lobby MBC, KCC and our MP to improve local infrastructure such as traffic management, schools, GP services and sewage management
⦁ I will act as a voice for our rural and farming communities and fight to protect our wildlife and open spaces
⦁ I will monitor MBC spending and debt and hold MBC to account
⦁ I will always be available and prepared to listen to the people that elected me

I want to be one of your next Borough Councillors for the following reasons:

⦁ I am recently retired after a successful career, and I am looking for a new challenge
⦁ I have seen massive change in the local area since I moved to Harrietsham in 2000 and want to be instrumental in making sure the local community have a voice
⦁ I am concerned about the direction the country has been heading in and the future for our young people. I want to see real change.
⦁ Having dealt with MBC personally over the last 5 years, I sincerely believe it can do better, and I want to be at the forefront of making that happen
⦁ I believe MBC needs better leadership and am excited to form part of a bridgehead to work towards that.