Hello

I grew up in Doncaster and it’s where my heart remains. I love my hometown, and am beyond proud of it. I know the contribution we can make to the British, and global, economies if we have strong advocates supporting and championing our people. That's why, despite moving south for university, I've continued campaigning whenever I can at home. I've supported Caroline Flint, councillors in Austerfield, Thorne, and Rossington, Yetunde's by-election campaign in Wheatley Hills & Intake, and Oliver Coppard's South Yorkshire Mayor campaign. 

As your parliamentary candidate I will bring experience of having built a strong Labour story in a place Labour traditionally does not win. I am the Leader of North Herts Council, and since 2015 have worked there to grow our presence, winning key marginal seats, growing our vote in aspirational target wards, so that we took control of the council in 2019, forming a joint administration with the Lib Dems. This year I led us to victory in the local elections holding all our seats and winning two wards we haven't held for over 25 years. 

I know how to win, not just as an individual, but as part of a team. The road to Westminster flows through no one seat, but through them all. Just as I planned a strategy in North Herts to deploy our resource where it was needed most so we could achieve our best local election result since 1995, we must also work together as one Labour, supporting comrades across constituency boundaries as a team to deliver the next Labour government. 

The biggest mistake we often make as activists, living inside our bubble, is that we think we know what people want - after all, who couldn't agree with our Labour values and well thought through policies? To go blindly into the next election led by this assumption will lead us to defeat. My first action as your parliamentary candidate will be to get out on the streets and listen to our people. I will hold surgeries, knock doors, and work with our fantastic Labour councillors to hear what the people of Doncaster want, promote our policies which resonate most with our communities, and feedback the issues we need to work harder to address. 

I will not just listen to our people, but hear them, and prove to them they have been heard, building the foundation of a strong contract with our electorate. 

My personal priorities for Doncaster are to continue building a strong skills based economy for our city. I will campaign to put a stop to the Conservative's disastrous levelling down agenda which pits councils against one another in wasteful funding bidding rounds. Local government delivers locally for local people and should be funded fairly to achieve this. I will prioritise green jobs for a green Doncaster, and work to make us a destination for the arts. I've performed at the Doncaster Little Theatre, and as a creative the industry is very important to me. Doncaster has amazing talent and potential, and becoming a destination for culture will provide our economy with a much needed boost. This is why I'm supporting the regeneration of the Doncaster Grand and will work with DMBC and community stakeholders to find solutions, and bid for funding which will make this happen. 
 

I'm always happy to chat and answer any questions, so please do get in touch.