I’ve lived in the Wokingham area for over 40 years and actually met my wife while playing for the Henley hockey club in the 80s and 90s. Our two children were born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital and, like me, attended local schools. I've had a great career in the UK and European toy industry before taking early retirement.
It’s really important to me to give something back to the community. As well as being a councillor and leader of Wokingham Borough Council, I've helped raise over £800,000 for cancer charities. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2008, and having a daughter who is a physio, I understand how much we all need and rely on our NHS, and how hard healthcare professionals work. I’ve made fixing the NHS my top priority, and have been campaigning to ensure funding for the promised new Royal Berkshire Hospital is delivered.
From my campaigning and speaking to thousands of residents I also know how hard people are finding this cost-of-living crisis. As leader of Wokingham Borough Council I made sure we delivered real action to those in need, including providing free school meals during holidays, and ringfencing £250,000 to help those most in need.
People are furious about the continuous dumping of sewage into our rivers whilst water company executives receive huge bonuses. I’ve been campaigning for water companies to clean up their own mess and to stop the sewage scandal.
I stepped down from the council in May 2024 to spend even more time talking to residents and understanding their concerns in the run up to the general election. I want to represent the people of Wokingham directly, I know the people and I know their concerns. I intend to be a hard-working, local MP for Wokingham. I will fight for a fair deal for our community and prioritise the issues that residents have told me matter most.