Dear Resident I am standing for Exmouth and Exeter East as a truly independent candidate, with no affiliation or leaning to any party.

Full statement

My loyalty is to the residents of this constituency.

Housing numbers.

The major national parties repeatedly claim to be able to deliver grand unachievable numbers of houses across the nation.

Conservative Party – 300 000 houses per year.

Labour Party – 300 000 houses per year (reduced from 450 000 hpy).

Liberal Democrat Party – 380 000 houses per year.

These targets have little relevance in the real world.

From the Office for National Statistics, the houses built across the UK to year ending:-

March 2023 – 210 320 houses UK

March 2022 – 205 530 houses UK

I will fight to reduce the housing target to 200 000 houses per year. This is a real and achievable target that councils can work with, ensuring that houses are built in the right places with the right infrastructure. I will also campaign to stop developers automatically connecting to the sewage system. At present, developers can connect to the sewage system, regardless of the loading on the system. We should not be having developments where there is not enough capacity in the sewage system. There are long-term plans to provide 20000 houses near Woodbury.

Affordable homes in Rural communities.

Many young families have been forced out of the communities they were brought up in, due to a lack of affordable homes in rural communities. I will work to support affordable homes in our rural communities.

About me.

Born in Canada, I have lived in East Devon since 1967. After living for a short time in Lympstone, I was brought up on Rockbeare Hill, going to Rockbeare Primary School, followed by The Kings School, Ottery St Mary. I then went on to the East Devon College of Further Education at Tiverton, studying Agricultural Engineering. More recently I have a BA Hons degree in Photography, in which my final major project involved teaching photography in the slums of Nairobi.

After a short time in the Royal Artillery, I worked in our family tool and catering hire business in Honiton, supplying to a wide range of customers, including farming and the construction industry.

Over the years I have been a member of Whimple Scouts, Whimple and Broadclyst Young Farmers Club, Exeter and District Ski Club, Exe Sailing Club, Exeter and District Riding Club and the Western Counties Heavy Horses Society.