I was elected to represent Dartford at the 2010 General Election with a majority of 10,628. I was re-elected in 2015 securing a majority of 12,345 and in June 2017 with an increased majority of 13,186. In December 2019 I was re-elected with a majority of 19,160, securing two-thirds of the popular vote.
I have always considered myself to have been Dartford’s representative in Westminster and not Westminster’s representative in Dartford. This is my home town and so I have a great deal of affection for Dartford. I spent my childhood living locally and attended Dartford Grammar School. I was a Councillor in a neighbouring borough and worked in Dartford and the surrounding villages as a solicitor.
I live in locally with my wife Wendy and our two children. My children attend grammar schools in the constituency and prior to this they attended our local state primary school.
When time allows I still like to play cricket in Kent and I host an annual Charity Cricket Event within the constituency. I am also proud to be the Honorary President of Dartford Valley Rugby Club and President of the Greenhithe and Swanscombe Branch of the Royal British Legion.
I have been a member of the Justice Select Committee and my first role as a Parliamentary Private Secretary was to the Home Office team as PPS to James Brokenshire MP and subsequently to Karen Bradley MP.
In 2014 the Prime Minister appointed me as PPS to the Treasury Minister, David Gauke MP and in the 2015 re-shuffle I was appointed as PPS to Minister for the Cabinet Office, Matthew Hancock MP, the Paymaster General. Following the General Election in 2017, I was appointed as PPS to David Davis, the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU.
Transport is an important issue for Dartford residents and I have tirelessly lobbied for improvements to the Dartford Crossing. I also fought a long, hard, campaign to prevent the new Lower Thames Crossing being located in Dartford. The decision to locate it at Option C, east of Gravesend has saved us from eight years of road works.
Whilst existing problems at the Dartford Crossing will not be fully relieved until the new Lower Thames Crossing is built, I will continue to lobby the Government and its agencies to ensure everything possible is done to reduce congestion.
Dartford is a commuter town and as such rail connections are vital to us. We are fortunate enough to have seen the benefits of HS1 at Ebbsfleet but the Metro and Mainline services cause a great deal of frustration to passengers. I want to see better services for Dartford commuters. Information on these issues and more is contained in the News section of this website.
I believe Dartford is an area to be proud of and one with huge economic potential. Unemployment has fallen significantly over the last few years and the number of apprenticeship places have doubled. We have an excellent range of schools in a mixture of rural and urban areas.
