Buckinghamshire County Council

Photo:

Steve Adams

Favourite Thing: Living near London but not in London…oh, and the Thursday night pub quiz with my wife and in-laws is always fun.

Me and my council work

I’m a councillor in Bucks, political advisor in London, ex-graphic and web designer and I have responsibility for youth and education services.

My Typical Day

Get up at 5.45am and pack my wife’s car with her market stuff (she runs a bread stall). Drive to one of her markets and help setup before getting a train to City Hall on the Southbank in London. After a morning of speechwriting, briefings and meetings, I catch a train from London to County Hall in Aylesbury where I go over some correspondence with my PA and receiving a number of briefings from officers (with sympathy…having spent the morning giving them). Once I’m up to speed, I start the rounds. In the afternoon I visit the first anniversary of the Bucks Family Information Service where I major at cutting chocolate cake for kids (to the parents distress) before giving some press interviews. I go on from here to a school prize-giving ceremony where I’m asked – surprisingly – to give a speech. Arrive home at 9.30pm when I eat and help my wife ‘pack down’ her market gear. Busy day, but plenty of fun.

What I'd do as "Youth Champion"

Young people don’t want to be told what to do, think or believe – they want to be listened to, have influence and be given a platform to air their views. If I win, I will help champion your priorities, I will work to get a major politician in front of you to hear your views and I will make sure that my services and my decisions are always mindful of your opinions and needs.

My Interview

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Happy, lucky and busy.

Who is your favourite singer or band?

Hmmm. Probably Pearl Jam (‘Ten’ being the best album).

What is the most fun thing you've done?

White water rafting in the French Alps, before climbing up the inside of a water fall to a plateau 50 feet above the river (a melted glacier…so very very cold) and diving back in. Amazing.

If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

To be successful, happy and respected.

What did you want to be after you left school?

A designer and writer. Spent a year freelancing designing magazines, web sites, doing branding work and some writing – loved it all, but in the end the lure of politics was too much.

Were you ever in trouble in at school?

All the blummin time. I was the kid who wouldn’t shut up … I think I was kicked off of my GCSE Art and History courses because I was too much of a disruption. Seemed fun at the time, but I regret it looking back.

What's the best thing you've done as a councillor?

Probably helping a family who were being pelted by rocks from local kids everyday walking back from infant school. The police weren’t providing a solution, so I intervened to make sure they did.

Tell us a joke.

Erm … maybe I’ll show you my university dissertation someday. That was a bit of a joke.

My CV

Councillor for:

Amersham and Chesham Bois

Party:

Conservative

Council job:

Cabinet Member for Education

Profession:

Political Advisor