West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner Candidate
My Record
- Borough Councillor from 2001 until present.
- Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council from 2011 – 2016.
- Served on the Board of Governors of the University of Wolverhampton from 2006 – 2015. Where I was the Chair of the Audit Committee.
- Chair of the Telford & Wrekin Policing Board and on the West Mercia Police Authority from 2007 – 2011.
Telford is the place I call home, however, my work covers the wider West Mercia region. I’ve lived in Telford with my wife and family for over 55 years. Being involved in our local community has been so important to me. Working for GKN Sankey I realised how important industry was to this town and as a trade unionist, we stood side by side with workers through difficult times.
That’s why I chose to join the Labour Party over 25 years ago and help improve and represent my local town. In 2001, I stood as councillor for Malinslee and Dawley Bank and I relish every day supporting local residents and watching business thrive In our town.
In 2011 I was elected as leader of Telford and Wrekin Council and most recently in 2017 stood as Telford’s Parliamentary candidate.
Today I’m a local business owner in Wellington running a cafe with my wife and son. The importance of sticking together as a family and building something is comparable to the community spirit here in Telford. Together despite this Tory Governments spiteful politics, Labour’s politics of hope has ensured this Borough, our town thrives.
Labour in power: as a leader of the Council I delivered real change for our community:
- Southwater was developed in 2014 bringing jobs, restaurants, leisure services and a sense of place to Telford’s centre.
- Helped lead the fight to stop the closure of the local MOD site by negotiating with the government to expand the current site – not only saving hundreds of local jobs but also creating hundreds more.
- Every secondary school in the Borough was rebuilt or refurbished.
- Initiated policy to build new houses on the council-owned brownfield sites.
- Constructed a solar farm on council-owned land which generated revenue to combat budget cuts by Tory Government.
- Halved youth unemployment rate in Telford & Wrekin
My background and hobbies
I have spent most my life in Telford and it is firmly my home. I have raised a wonderful family here and have been lucky enough to see my children finish their schooling here. I am now getting to enjoy my free time seeing my grandchild being raised in our town – and nothing beats spending time with her in the park.
I worked in a local engineering company, GKN Sankey, for 15 years before going into business and politics. I enjoy going for walks and swimming in the local leisure centre. I am also a keen historian and take a great interest in reading political books, magazines and poetry. I have penned a book of poetry in Punjabi.
I regularly visit India and sometimes called upon by colleges to give a talk to the students on British politics and its system which I enjoy immensely –especially answering questions. I am also a member of Amnesty International and firmly believe in human rights and egalitarian justice.
That is what most of us want for our families, opportunity, that is what Labour puts first for the many, not the few.
