Independent by Design—Not by Mistake
Over the past few days, several people have asked me the same thing:
“Is it a mistake that there’s no party next to your name on the ballot?”
It’s a fair question—and the answer is no. That blank space isn’t a mistake. It’s a statement.
I’m standing in Kingswood Ward as an independent—the only candidate across the entire town of Corby doing so. That means I’m not backed by a political party, and I’m not here to represent one. I’m here to represent us.
This week alone, I’ve been leafleting before dawn and after dusk, in the rain and in the quiet, trying to meet people where they are. I’ve also been working full-time, just like many of you. That’s meant long days supporting our executive team to identify critical services that must keep running in a crisis, helping lead a major cyber resilience exercise, and improving our emergency response capability to better serve communities—across the UK, from London to Inverness.
But here in Kingswood, 10,000 of us need that kind of foresight too. That kind of preparedness. That kind of listening. And that’s why I’m doing this.
What democracy looks like without a party machine.
You’ll only find one name on the ballot paper without a party next to it—mine. And only one flyer being hand-delivered, street by street, often by the same person you’ll find on your doorstep or walking the ward.
In this election, 75% of Corby residents won’t be able to vote for an independent voice. But Kingswood can. And in doing so, you’ll be sending a message—not just about who you want to represent you, but about the kind of local politics we deserve both here in our ward - but also across our whole town:
Independent. Grounded. Visible. Accountable.
If you missed it, the Northants Telegraph ran my latest piece yesterday:
🔗 What the Streets Are Telling Me: Rethinking Local Democracy
And if you believe we can do local democracy differently, please share this with your neighbours—especially those who might be unsure or unaware that there’s an independent on the ballot this year. With no party resources behind us, word of mouth helps us share this message.
Back out with leaflets tonight.
Back to work after a morning in the ward—serving communities from Corby to Inverness. Like many of you, I work long hours. This is what representing you really looks like.
