I came to Norfolk in 2001, married here, raised two daughters who attended Wymondham College, and have lived in Wicklewood for more than 15 yrs.

Full statement

Like you, I’ve become increasing frustrated by career politicians, and after 30 years in business, I felt I couldn’t stand by and watch our great country and county be driven into the ground.

For the last 15 years I have supported young innovators and start-ups to access over £50 million in equity investment and grant funding, and have served as a Non-Executive Director for multiple companies, applying common sense, commercial discipline and tough negotiating skills to make every penny count.

I’ve also worked inside a government quango - and what I witnessed there, in terms of poor management, waste and lack of accountability, strengthened my resolve that the public sector must be held to the same standards as any business.

That experience matters - because Norfolk County Council's record demands scrutiny. Council tax has risen by nearly 5% for three consecutive years, yet services are being cut.

The council spent £41.9 million on taxis for children with special needs - more than half its entire roads budget - because it failed for a decade to build enough local SEN school places.

It wrote off £36 million on an abandoned road scheme after ignoring four years of warnings.

It spent three years negotiating a devolution deal worth £600 million, built it around the wrong government, and lost the entire thing overnight.

Controversially, it’s currently selling off Norse Care just to pay off Norse’s £28m debt it owes to NCC. This will leave Norfolk at the mercy of private care homes.

And when residents told the council in its own consultation to manage more efficiently before asking for more money, the council raised taxes anyway.

Norfolk County Council is £900+ MILLION in DEBT and pays £627,000 in interest every week. That’s appalling and poor fiscal managment.

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