Originally from a mining village in Yorkshire, I was brought up in a council house with my younger brother and sister. I went to a state grammar school, then to Oxford University, where I read chemistry, and I had a successful business career in very large companies, including Unilever, Tesco, Safeway and Shell. I am recently retired, fit and energetic, with an active brain.
I have spent almost seventeen years in Ashford Borough, living near Charing with my wife. I served on Ashford Borough Council from 2011 to 2015, as ward member for Downs West. I spent two years as cabinet member for planning and development and four years on the planning committee, one as chairman.
I am delighted, honoured and humbled to have been elected to represent Ashford Rural South on Kent County Council and I will do my very best for everyone in the division. My focus will be on ensuring that Kent benefits from the government’s ‘Levelling - Up’ agenda, on providing the infrastructure to support housing development, especially in terms of transport and NHS facilities and on education and training for our young people.