I am a GP.

Full statement

I believe there are a lot of similarities between a good local MP and a good GP. You have to communicate clearly and effectively. You have to be able to deal with complex information and make decisions. You have to problem solve. But above all, you must care about the people you look after and work hard to earn their respect.

As for my background, my father is a GP and my mother was a nurse and then a school nurse. The oldest of three brothers, we all have gone into medicine, becoming doctors. I guess public service is in our blood!

I have spent over 15 years in the Midlands, starting my medical training in 2002. I trained at The University of Birmingham Medical School. On completing my medical degree in 2007, I worked in hospitals in Solihull, Sutton Coldfield and Heartlands. After completing my 2 years as a junior doctor, I went back to Birmingham University to teach anatomy to first- and second-year medical students. I completed my GP training in 2013 then worked across the Midlands: Leicester, Loughborough, Birmingham, Rugby, Coventry and Leamington Spa. In 2015 I stood for Birmingham Edgbaston for the Conservatives. That election taught me a lot.

In 2018 I moved to Oxford when my wife, also a GP, got a job there. The opportunity to come back to the Midlands was something we both relished. For me, the chance to return to an area that has been so good to me over the years is a privilege. For my wife, to come back to the region she grew up in and to have family close by as we continue to build our life here. Living here in Hinckley, we share all the challenges you and your family face: buying a house, getting to work, maternity services, educating children, caring for family and having a community to live a fulfilled life. This is my life. This is our life.