My background
I live and work in Kent and it is where I have spent the last 20 years serving my local community. I have been a school governor, Councillor and Deputy Leader of Sevenoaks District Council. I spearheaded the Council’s award-winning housing and health work and built a local Conservative reputation strong enough to withstand the difficult local elections in 2019. In February 2019 I went back to work full time for the Shaw Trust and later in August 2019 I joined Helen Whately's Parliamentary Team.
I was born and brought up in North West London and I was the first member of my family to go to university. After graduating, I trained and qualified as a Conservative Party Agent working in challenging parts of South London during the height of New Labour. I played a critical role in uniting the new Dulwich and West Norwood Association (formerly two separate constituencies covering two London boroughs) and building a strong campaign team. In 1997 the new Association achieved the highest share of the Conservative vote in the history of the seat and a year later made gains in the council elections.
In 1999 I moved into marketing communications, working first for the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) before moving to the Institute of Public Finance (IPF). In 2003 my husband and I moved to Kent and started a family. We have two children: our son who is at university and our duaghter who is in 6th form. I was elected to Sevenoaks District Council in 2007, and in 2013 as my children grew older I joined the cabinet as Deputy Leader.
Wellbeing Starts at Home - award winning public health strategy
I was appointed Sevenoaks Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety in 2013. I realised how closely housing and health were linked and was given the Housing and Health portfolio after the 2015 elections. In this role I led the development of innovative policies to tackle the causes of ill health such as damp housing, debt and unsuitable housing for older and disabled people.
My work involved taking a holistic approach to tackling housing and health and breaking down the silo working within the council and between us and Kent County Council, the NHS and charities. Practical examples included speeding up hospital discharges by providing discharge packs to local residents that included slippers and clothes; working with West Kent Mind to tackle the causes of hoarding so when Environmental Health clear a property it remained clear; providing older people with slippers to avoid falls and supporting falls prevention classes and dementia-friendly towns and villages so people can live independendly as long as possible. Dementia-friendly towns and villages are assessible to most people from parents with young children, to wheelchair-users to older people who need dropped curbs and regular seating in order to get around independently.
We worked with charities to support people to down-size providing practical hand-holding support to clear the attic and garage. This not only helped them move into more suitable accommodation free from slips and falls and cheaper to heat, but freed up a chain of housing to home more people. We also developed the HERO social prescribing team which tackled homelessness and debt while there was still time to turn things around, and later devloped Super-HEROs with some health signposting training as we learned more about the huge overlap between mental health and debt. Our Super-HEROs helped free up GP appointments by working in GP Practices offering practical advice to tackle the root-causes of their medical ailments. Examples include anxiety caused by debt, or asthma caused by damp housing.
Parliamentary candidate in 2015 and 2017
As the Parliamentary Candidate for Coventry North East in 2015 and Coventry South in 2017 I regularly took on sitting Labour MPs including a former cabinet minister and Dave Nellist, former hard left Labour MP, in challenging hustings. I also took part in media interviews - including television, radio and print. I connected with local groups, including students at both Warwick and Coventry universities and the Sikh community who have kept their links to the Association to this day. Many have stood as council candidates. One of my articles analysing the 2017 General Election result was quoted extensively in Tim Shipman's book: 'Fall Out'. In 2019 I campaigned in Canterbury, Sevenoaks and Faversham & Mid Kent.
Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Disability Group (CDG)
It was at the Shaw Trust where I linked up with the Conservative Disability Group (CDG) and I am currently their Deputy Chairman. I lead meetings with speakers, help develop the skills of our members and mentor and support them to find voluntary and paid work. One fifth of people in the UK have a disability and they often face barriers into work. As an MP I would continue to work with the CDG and other disability charities to create as many opportunities for disabled people as possible. I passionately believe that everyone should have every chance to reach their full potential.
If you want to know more about me check out my campaigns and the articles I have had published about my work.
