I was born in Essex but I’ve lived in Yorkshire for 20 years.
I was Regional Chairman for the Conservative Party in Yorkshire from 2020 to 2023, leading our response to the parliamentary boundaries review and in three Westminster by-elections (as well as countless local government by-elections).
I was the Party’s Parliamentary Candidate for Leeds North West in 2019 where I took us from third to second for the first time in nearly 20 years, and took our vote share up by 7 points.
I worked in the Higher Education sector for most of his career, and having been a School Governor and now a non-executive director of a Multi Academy Trust. A major passion of mine is education, and its ability to transform lives. I’ve seen first-hand the positive effect that education can have on the lives of young people. I’ve seen students who came to university having had very difficult upbringings, who were able to use education as a ‘springboard’ and then go on to have really successful careers. So I am absolutely committed that every young person can have the best possible opportunity to build themselves a future that allows them to use their talents, and go as far as they can.
Another focus is in foreign policy and in ensuring that Britain plays its part on the world stage, as a force for good and in ensuring we use our soft power properly. I was selected as a ‘Future Leader’ by the Coalition for Global Prosperity in 2023. https://www.coalitionforglobalprosperity.com/future-leaders
I set up my own business in 2019 and now work in education, the NHS and in the private sector - with expertise in governance and compliance.
I have a teenage son at a local state school, something that has increased my passion for education and for building the chances of young people. In my spare time, I am a sports fan – England (cricket) and West Ham (football) in particular, and enjoy watching my son playing sport of any kind. I enjoy reading too, when I have the time!