I was born and raised in Ashford, and I know the area well.

Full statement

My parents worked on the local markets, including Ashford market, in their youth and my grandparents were born here. I grew up hearing stories about our community.

While Chairman of Kingsnorth Parish Council from 2020 to 2024, we made many positive changes. We brought residents together for events, improved the local environment, and managed to do so without raising our portion of the council tax for five years.

This experience taught me valuable lessons about what works and what doesn't in various areas of government. The closer you are involved, the less rosy things seem.

Encouraged by others who wanted to see change, I decided to run for Parliament. As independents are disadvantaged by the spending rules I registered a party ‘Consensus’ for this election.

Like many voters, I don't feel entirely at home with any major party. If I had to label myself, I'd say I'm closest to a small 'c' conservative. However, I also believe in the importance of protecting our environment for ourselves and our children.

Our community deserves an MP who will robustly advocate for local priorities and long-term sustainability, both financially and environmentally. We need someone who understands the urgent need to get our public services working again, has experienced financial struggles, and appreciates the importance of small businesses to our economy. I am that candidate.