It is a great privilege and responsibility to be your prospective parliamentary candidate.
Thank you for putting your trust in me to represent you. I promise I will always behave with dignity and integrity. Trust has to be earned and I have strived to deliver on every promise I made to you. This website will give an account of what I have delivered for you, and what I am still working on.
I became interested in active politics when my daughter, then a teenager, encouraged me to stand as an MP because she was frustrated with the lack of women MPs. At the time I was a mother of four school age children and building our business Packt Publishing (now the UK's largest publisher of IT and technical content). She inspired me to put my Conservative values and beliefs into action, and that was the start of the path to Parliament.
I'm a local woman, and have lived all my life within a few miles of this constituency, mostly in Birmingham and Solihull. Since my election in 2017 I have lived in the Redditch constituency with my husband Dave and our two rescue dogs Phoebe and Herbie. My four children are all grown up now and I have two lovely grandchildren.
In my rare free time, I prioritise spending time with my family who have given me their unstinting support even though family life has changed out of all recognition since I was elected. I find that a long walk in the Worcestershire countryside or the Welsh mountains with my husband Dave always makes everything better.
I am a traditional Conservative with strong values. I have had 30 years starting up and running my own businesses before coming into politics, so my worldview is entirely informed by the experience of being an entrepreneur and having to make a profit to pay employees and put a roof over our head and feed our family.
I believe in the bonds of local community. Over the years I have volunteered in numerous local organisations including Sunday School, the NCT and the Scouts, where I was a Scout Leader for 20 years.
I am a practising Christian and my faith supports and guides me in everything I do.
I am proud to be British and I believe in defending the nation state and protecting British culture and values of the rule of law and personal responsibility.
My values:
- Strong family as the foundation for everyone to achieve their potential.
- Manage immigration, everyone who comes here must contribute to our country, live by our values and respect our way of life.
- Hard work must be rewarded and those who cannot work must be supported. Those who will not work must be incentivised to work because it is the best form of therapy.
- Back business, allow people who have made money to keep more of it because the profit motive is a force for good.
- Freedom and responsibility to make choices, learn from consequences and own the outcome.
- Every child, no matter where they live, deserves the best education.
- People cannot change their biological sex.
- Our democracy must be defended by elected representatives, not courts, judges, or regulators. Parliament is sovereign, not the EU, the ECHR or other supra national bodies and institutions.
During my time in Parliament I'm proud of my achievements, most importantly my fight to return services to the Alexandra Hospital, and deliver more investment to enhance capacity at our local hospital.
I've also secured the multi-million pound Town Deal investment - one of the largest investments in Redditch since it became a New Town. I believe in levelling up and have put it into action for the benefit of people across the area.
There is always a lot more to do and I constantly listen to constituents and strive to deliver for them on their priorities.
I have helped many thousands of people and supported numerous community groups and local charities. I have held surgeries and events in every part of the constituency, including different areas of the town and the villages. I'm always inspired and heartened by the fierce love and pride people have for each other and their own neighbourhood. Redditch is a special place, it has challenges, like anywhere else, but is full of good people doing their bit for the common good.
Parliamentary Career
I've been honoured to serve as a government minister and work on legislation and strengthening vital public services that make a difference across the United Kingdom and in our area.
As a Home Office Minister:
- Worked with the police to strengthen protections for victims of domestic abuse, stalking and spiking.
- Implemented laws to protect and strengthen our borders against illegal immigration.
- Delivered more police on our streets to make our town safer and to reduce violence against women and girls.
As Transport Minister:
- Ensured trade and transport flowed freely after our exit from the EU.
- Delivered additional funding for bus, rail and road services.
- Backed the technologies and industries that create jobs in the green economy and decarbonisation of transport.
As Justice Minister:
- Improved the experience of the court system for victims of appalling crimes including rape, domestic abuse and stalking.
As Housing Minister:
- Supported and funded councils and housing associations to build affordable homes.
- Backed builders to enable them to build the homes our country needs.
- Stood up for leaseholders who are being ripped off by the freehold scandal.
- Created planning policies and legislation that ensures the right homes are built in the right places, protecting our green belt and environment.
Currently I serve as Conservative Party Deputy Chair - Women. My role is to encourage more women to stand for public office, just as my daughter once did for me!
My office and team is here to serve you, so please contact me if I can help you.
I look forward to seeing you on my travels soon!