Why I’m Standing for Mayor

I never planned to go into politics.

After more than 30 years serving communities across Cumbria in policing, and later working in our NHS, I found myself increasingly frustrated watching decisions about our county being made by people hundreds of miles away in London. Like many of you, I would sit at home shouting at the television, convinced that Cumbria deserved a stronger voice and a fairer deal.

That’s why I stood to become your Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in 2024. Many people were sceptical about the role, and I understood why. People had seen too many politicians make promises and too few deliver results.

I hope I’ve shown that politics can make a difference when it’s focused on getting things done. Together, we’ve secured more police officers and PCSOs for our communities, invested hundreds of thousands of pounds into grassroots sports clubs and youth organisations, and started rebuilding neighbourhood policing after years of decline. We’ve shown that local leadership can deliver real results for local people.

Now Cumbria has another opportunity.

For the first time, major decisions and significant funding will be transferred out of Whitehall and into Cumbria. This isn’t about creating another politician or another layer of bureaucracy. It’s about making sure the decisions that affect our lives are taken here, by people who understand our communities, our economy and our way of life.

As Mayor, I will fight to bring more investment into Cumbria, improve public transport so people can get to work, education and healthcare more easily, fix our roads, build the homes local people need, and seize the once-in-a-generation opportunity to create thousands of skilled jobs through new nuclear development in West Cumbria.

I will also continue the work of rebuilding public services, including ensuring our police force remains strong, visible and rooted in the communities it serves.

I know many people remain sceptical about politics. Frankly, they have every right to be. Trust has to be earned, not demanded.

But if my time as your Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has proved anything, it’s that when Cumbria has a strong local voice fighting its corner, we can achieve great things.

That’s the kind of Mayor I want to be: practical, visible, ambitious for our county, and always putting Cumbria first.

Because nobody understands Cumbria better than the people who live here. And it’s time we had the powers, funding and leadership to shape our own future.