I live and work in Brightlingsea. I am married, have a teenage daughter, and like many families here I care deeply about what kind of area we are handing over to the next generation.
Professionally, I have spent more than twenty years in senior commercial roles in media and advertising. I have led teams, built challenger brands, negotiated at board level and operated in environments where performance and accountability were not optional.
In my earlier career I held senior positions in national media businesses, responsible for revenue, strategy and delivery. Over the last decade I have built and grown my own company from scratch, competing against much larger organisations with far greater resources.
When you build challenger businesses, you learn quickly how to operate efficiently, scrutinise systems properly and challenge bigger players when necessary. You cannot afford complacency. You cannot hide behind process. You either deliver or you fail.
That mindset carries directly into public life.
Public Service
As a Brightlingsea Town Councillor I focused heavily on practical issues. Roads, pavements, drainage, signage, and service standards from TDC and ECC. I have always preferred steady persistence over noise.
Where something was not working, I would raise it.
Where systems were slow, I would follow up.
Where communication was lacking, I would push for improvement.
I have never been particularly interested in party politics. My focus has always been on outcomes.
Why I Resigned from Brightlingsea Town Council
Resigning from the Town Council was not a decision I took lightly.
However, I believe my skills and experience are better deployed at county level, particularly over the next two to three years and I needed to be able to spend the time necessary to run this campaign. That would have meant neglecting my role when someone else could be doing it.
Essex County Council is expected to be replaced by a new unitary authority as part of local government restructuring. That transition period is significant. The standards, culture and service performance we establish now will influence how that handover takes place.
If we enter that transition with unresolved infrastructure issues, inconsistent service delivery or weak scrutiny, those problems do not simply disappear. They carry forward.
This election is therefore more than routine.
It is an opportunity to ensure that this division enters the next phase of local government from a position of strength rather than drift.
If I am going to stand for county council, I believe it deserves full focus.
Why Experience Matters Now
County government involves large budgets, complex systems and long term infrastructure decisions.
The role requires:
- Understanding how organisations operate
- Reading financial and performance data
- Challenging assumptions calmly
- Negotiating effectively
- Staying steady under pressure
- Being persistent without being reckless
In business, I have spent years running departments in, and then competing with, large organisations and holding my own. In public life, I have no hesitation in scrutinising delivery when it affects residents.
I am not interested in grandstanding.
I am interested in fixing the basics.
I will stand up for our area.
Questions Voters May Wish to Ask
When comparing candidates, these are reasonable questions to raise:
• What senior level professional experience do you bring to a role overseeing large public budgets and complex services?
• Have you led teams or organisations where performance and accountability were central?
• How will you approach the transition to a new unitary authority, and what experience do you have managing change at scale?
• If service standards are slipping, how will you ensure they improve?
• Are you able to challenge your own party leadership if local priorities require it?
These are not confrontational questions. They are practical ones.
The next few years will shape how this area enters a new phase of local government. Experience and judgement matter.
Looking Ahead
If elected, my focus would be straightforward:
- Ensure this area receives fair treatment.
- Improve standards of service delivery.
- Push for transparency and accountability.
- Protect infrastructure and quality of life.
- Stand up for this area.
- Fix the basics.
I believe experience, independence and steady scrutiny will be particularly important over the coming years.
That is what I intend to offer.