I’m seeking selection for Guildford South West because I believe the Green Party can offer something increasingly important locally: credible, values-led politics delivered with care, and consistency.

Full statement

I’ve lived in this part of Surrey for the past ten years and know it as a place of strong communities alongside real pressures. Families here are navigating stretched public services, rising living costs, and growing anxiety about the future. Too often, politics feels distant from these everyday realities. I want to help change that by building trust through visible, practical, and reliable local representation.
For much of my adult life, formal political activity wasn’t an option. While serving in the RAF, political neutrality was expected. Even after leaving service, it took time to find a political home that aligned with both my values and my belief in evidence-based, constructive public service. As the Green Party has grown in credibility, professionalism, and local impact, that alignment has become real. I’m standing now because I believe I can contribute meaningfully.
Professionally, I work in complex organisations delivering large-scale change. That means balancing competing priorities, working constructively with people who hold different views, and turning principles into outcomes that actually land. I bring a calm, analytical approach, strong organisational skills, and a deep respect for accountability. As a candidate, that translates into disciplined campaigning, clear communication, and a willingness to do the unglamorous work consistently.
My primary policy focus is education, particularly Special Educational Needs provision. This is not abstract for me. I am the step-parent of two teenage children who have been through the SEN system, including the tribunal process. I have seen first-hand how complex, adversarial, and exhausting the system can be. It is painful, expensive, and deeply unfair for families who lack the time, resources, or specialist knowledge to navigate it successfully.
That experience has given me a detailed understanding of how SEN provision actually works on the ground, where it breaks down, and how power imbalances affect outcomes. I believe councils have a crucial role in improving commissioning, transparency, and early intervention, and in advocating consistently for families rather than forcing them into conflict. This is an area where informed, persistent, and practical leadership matters enormously.
I am also deeply concerned about the growth of far-right narratives, including at local level. These movements thrive where people feel ignored, insecure, or unheard. The most effective response is not performative outrage, but steady, visible politics that listens, counters misinformation, and offers credible alternatives rooted in fairness, inclusion, and shared responsibility.
If elected, I would be a reliable and collaborative councillor. I’m ready to put my experience, values, and energy into serving both the party and the community seriously and well.