I have been a member of the Conservative Party since 1983 and have worked in every Local, European and Parliamentary election campaign since. I have been a deputy Chairman of Stourbridge Constituency, an Area deputy Chairman for the Black Country and a member of the Party’s National Convention. I am also a member of the Approved list of Conservative Parliamentary candidates.
In 1999 I was elected as a Councillor on Dudley MBC representing Pedmore and Stourbridge East Ward. My wife, Karen (Shakespeare), is also a councillor and represents the ward of Halesowen North where her father lives and she was born. I have been re-elected three times in 2003 and 2004 (following a boundary change, where I achieved the highest vote in the borough) and 2008.
From May 2003 to June 2006 I served as one of the Councils Cabinet Members with responsibility for Regeneration and Community Safety. In that capacity, I worked vigorously to defend manufacturing businesses from overseas competition and red tape, encouraging inward investment and seeking grant aid for local employers. In community safety, I introduced extra community support officers to help fight anti-social behaviour and negotiated private sector sponsorship for two community support vehicles to transport them to their beats. As well as my Council duties, I am a school governor at Redhill School, a Director of Mary Stevens Hospice, and a member of the Kingswinford and Stourbridge Lions.
I have also been a representative on the West Midlands Local Government Association, West Midlands Regional Assembly, Regional Planning Partnership and Executive and a Director of a number of Black Country Boards connected with the regeneration of deprived areasand a member of the West Midlands Police Authority (Chairing the Audit, Standards and Finance & Resources committees at various times. In addition to these activities, I also stood as the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Halesowen & Rowley Regis in the 2001 and 2005 General Elections and still hold a place on the Conservative Party list of approved candidates.
The various bodies I have served on over the years have given me a unique insight into how our lives are governed by these largely unknown groups and within this web site I will be explaining this in more detail and giving my opinion on the relative merits or otherwise of QUANGO’s and regional Government.
UPDATE:
On 21st May 2009, I was elected Deputy Leader of Dudley Council and Cabinet member for Regeneration. I lost my position on the West Midlands Police Authority but joined various other outside bodies as follows:
21/05/2009 Local Government Association - General Assembly
21/05/2009 West Midlands Local Government Association - Council/Regional Assembly
21/05/2009 West Midlands Local Government Association alternate Member.
21/05/2009 West Midlands Local Government Association - Regional Planning Partnership and Regional Housing Partnership
21/05/2009 West Midlands Joint Committee
21/05/2009 West Midlands Joint Planning and Transportation Sub-Committee
17/06/2009 Black Country Consortium - Strategic Investment Group (Chairman)
17/06/2009 West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority (ITA)
17/06/2009 Black Country Living Museum Board
Only the ITA is a paid position.
Should keep me reasonably busy!