From a council estate to the boardroom

I grew up on a council estate. I didn’t inherit a business, a network or a safety net. Everything I’ve built since has come from graft, and I bring that same plain-spoken, no-nonsense approach to business and to public office.

Business background

I’ve spent over 35 years in business, across every seat at the table: CEO, non-executive director, investor and founder.

• Kick Sportswear – grew the business with a great team from £350k to £8m turnover before exiting.
• Business Shaper Group – founded the group, which has supported more than 1,000 businesses and helped raise millions of pounds in funding.
• Innovate UK EDGE – served as National Lead, training 300 growth specialists. One cohort I trained went on to raise over £17m in five months.
• Agritech – active in the sector through AGpeer.
• Fashion – I run Pilson and Green with my 17-year-old daughter, a tweed cape brand, and I’m developing a new high-end plus-size women’s fashion label rooted in Norfolk heritage.

Before business, I served as a police constable with West Yorkshire Police, an experience that still shapes how I think about accountability, evidence and public service.

Norfolk County Councillor for Hingham

In May 2026 I was elected as the Reform UK Norfolk County Councillor for the Hingham Division. I now serve as:

• Vice-Chair of the Strategic and Corporate Select Committee (SCSC)
• Member of the Constitution Task & Finish Working Group

What I’m working on at NCC

Scrutiny and financial accountability. I’ve dug into NCC’s finances and its council-owned companies, including Norse Group, Hethel Innovation and Scottow Enterprise Park, and raised concerns over Hethel Innovation’s net liabilities and the Norse Care sale process. I’ve also scrutinised the SEND High Needs Block deficit (forecast to reach £400m by March 2028), the true cost of Local Government Reorganisation (£33.86m per the Budget Book), and the disclaimed audit opinion on the 2023-24 accounts.

Constitutional reform. On the Constitution Task & Finish Working Group, I’ve been pressing to close loopholes in the council’s constitution that put members’ free expression rights (Article 10 ECHR) at risk, including an undefined “spirit” test and a unilateral Monitoring Officer amendment power.

Frontline services. I attended Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service’s HMICFRS pre-assessment, pressing on operational performance measures like on-call pump availability rather than letting scrutiny drift into box-ticking.

Casework for Hingham Division. From the Wymondham station subway works to local planning objections, I work on the issues that directly affect residents across the division’s parishes.

My approach

I believe in facts and figures over rhetoric. Whether I’m scrutinising a council budget or running a business, I ask the direct questions, follow the evidence, and say what I actually think. No spin, no jargon, just straight talking on behalf of the people who elected me.