A former postman of 37 years, I am married and live in Garlinge.

Full statement

I have worked and lived my whole life in Kent. I have extensive experience in local government, having formerly been a member of Sevenoaks District Council for 17 years. There I was Labour group leader and chair of a scrutiny committee. I also served on Swanley Town Council for 12 years and I was the first Labour Mayor of Swanley, as well as leader of the council.

I believe the following are important issues which affect the area.

More needs to be spent on Kent’s roads, so that the potholes which plague us are properly dealt with in a timely manner.

One of the most annoying things when trying to get around the area is road works, which seem to be there for ages without work taking place. The county council should be employing more staff to make sure that street works are completed quickly, and not just leave them there without people working on them.

KCC have had a policy of using large firms when procuring contracts. I believe that we should use local firms to carry out local contracts, to boost the local economy.

As I previously lived in a rural area, which had only one bus out and one back, a week, I know how important a better local bus service is for rural communities. A properly funded bus service, that serves all communities, should be a priority.