Author: croydonconstitutionalists

William Fotheringham-Bray is the Reform UK Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Sittingbourne and Sheppey.  We spoke with William about his decision to stand.

“I am a strong advocate for the concept of individual liberties such as the freedom of speech, the rights to own property, and the right to a fair trial”

Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I am a 23-year-old, fresh out of university, man working within my local communities here in Sittingbourne and Sheppey. I studied film at University and am now focusing on my independent film projects, my day-to day work, and providing a voluntary service for the local libraries whenever I can. I was too young to vote for Brexit but I would have most certainly have done so and I would do again! Unlike what keyboard warriors would have you believe, I am a strong advocate for the concept of individual liberties such as the freedom of speech, the rights to own property, and the right to a fair trial. My personal key political aspirations is the lowering of income tax, bringing down immigration figures, and the abolition of the undemocratic First-Past-the-Post voting system. That doesn’t sound far-right to me!

“I took the pledge to stand for Reform UK because I was betrayed! Boris Johnson failed to make the most of the Brexit opportunities we were given. On top of this, we shattered our economy by locking the nation down”

What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?

I took the pledge to stand for Reform UK because I was betrayed! Boris Johnson failed to make the most of the Brexit opportunities we were given. On top of this, we shattered our economy by locking the nation down which only saw mega-corporations make a decent profit whilst small to medium businesses were decimated. Then there’s the spending, end money pits of spending that haven’t improved the British standard of living in the slightest! The wasteful HS2 project, funding the endless suffering and conflict in Ukraine, and simply throwing BILLIONS away to nations that do not need our aid (India). I became politically homeless, until I discovered Reform UK in my last year of uni. I did my research, make some calls, and then decided that I wanted to be a part of of a REAL conservative party, something new, something filled with ordinary working to middle class people. I’ve stood for Reform in the 2023 local elections as well as a by-election, and I have every intention to fight against the Tories in my home constituency.

You’re the Spokesman for Sittingbourne and Sheppey what’s made you decide to represent this area?

Apart from my time away at university, I have known no other home then Sittingbourne and Sheppey. I live on both the Isle of Sheppey and Sittingbourne and have come to love the familiar highstreets, as well as seeing my home constituency develop and grow its amenities and local businesses. During COVID, the high street took a beating, but thankfully it still has that familiar feeling for me. In addition to this, the farming sector here is strong, and with food security becoming an every more prevalent problem, I would look to bolster the farming industry here as much as I can.     

“I would tackle head on the net zero lunacy that threatens our farmers from axing carbon taxes to making it easier to obtain licenses to remove badgers from infecting livestock with TB”

What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?

Being a Kent constituency, the issue of illegal immigration is a constant reminder. I’ve had calls from concerned citizens from neighbouring Faversham about illegal migrants being dropped into local communities without informing or having the consent of the locals. Under Reform UK, I would do my all to ensure that NO illegal migrants are settled in Sittingbourne or Sheppey. Another key focus, as mentioned prior, is the farming sector. Both me and Reform UK know that without Farmers, there is no food, and the growing globalist agenda is that of war against farmers. We’ve seen it in the Netherlands, France, Germany, and practically the entire EU. Under Reform UK administration, I would see to it at our British farmers are not driven out of their own markets by cheap imported food, and I would tackle head on the net zero lunacy that threatens our farmers from axing carbon taxes to making it easier to obtain licenses to remove badgers from infecting livestock with TB.

For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?

You can find out more about Reform at https://www.reformparty.uk/.  My Twitter account is @WillReformUK. For anyone eager to help in my campaign, please email [email protected]

Richard Barker is the Reform UK Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Woking.  We spoke with Richard about his decision to stand.

“While it is understood that a pandemic would challenge any government, many of the draconian measures deployed to achieve compliance, particularly the shutting-down of opposing views, were totally unacceptable”

Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

Born and schooled in Hastings, on the south coast of England, an interest in science and a passion for the natural world at an early age led me to study geology at university. This was followed by an enjoyable career of more than 30 years as a geoscientist in the global oil and gas industry, with significant focus on optimising production for the UK.

I moved to the outskirts of Chobham village in 2007, just to the north of Woking, where I live happily with my wife, son, two spirited chihuahuas and a garden full of nature that consumes far too much of my time to maintain!

“Reform UK will thus protect what are often cited as the ‘Four Pillars of Civilisation’: Cheap Energy, Meritocracy, Law and Order, and Freedom of Speech.
All pillars are currently under attack!”

What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?

Passionate about my country and wanting to see it thrive, I will never forget the sense of relief and hope I felt as the Tories were swept to power on election night in December 2019. Yet this only made the subsequent betrayal by the Tories, on so many levels, even harder to bear.

While it is understood that a pandemic would challenge any government, many of the draconian measures deployed to achieve compliance, particularly the shutting-down of opposing views, were totally unacceptable. Such groupthink that pervaded Westminster was (and is) only paralleled by the eco-zealotry with which climate change fanaticism took root; championed by the Tories, ‘Net Zero’ policies now unleash havoc across British industry, the economy and the public, with the consequent shocking rise in energy bills and taxes to subsidise unreliable, intermittent energy sources. The same ‘Net Zero’ under which imports to the UK receive an emissions ‘free-pass’ under the Climate Change Act! This will impoverish the British people and we need to change direction fast.

The established parties have morphed into a single mindset. Uncontrolled mass immigration, high taxation, low growth with big state/state interference are now endorsed across the political spectrum. A total failure by the Tories to address the ‘woke’ agenda taking root across society, eroding freedom of speech, promoting anti-white racism, re-writing our history and threatening our culture, can only be interpreted as endorsement of its objectives. Furthermore, the total failure to implement Brexit simply raises suspicions as to the Tories’ belief in our country’s future as an independent sovereign nation.

Reform UK stands almost alone in promoting those values which made Britain a prosperous nation: Freedom (of speech, from tyranny or coercion), the Enterprise Economy (supporting entrepreneurs and businesses), Excellence in Public Services (education, health, police etc.) and Sovereignty (of the people legitimately transferred to parliament, Brexit, free trade). Reform UK will thus protect what are often cited as the ‘Four Pillars of Civilisation’: Cheap Energy, Meritocracy, Law and Order, and Freedom of Speech.

All pillars are currently under attack!

“ULEZ expansion is also a concern for many, with potential additional transport costs for private individuals and businesses alike. Reform would scrap ULEZ altogether.”

You’re the Spokesman for Woking. What’s made you decide to represent this area?

Woking is the main town and business centre close to where I have lived, on the outskirts of Chobham, for the past 17 years. I wanted to represent a constituency near home that had both its own strong business community, where I believe I could have a positive impact, but was also a significant London commuter hub, likely presenting both domestic and international commerce perspectives.

What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?

Many of Woking’s issues are caused by a failure of central government policy cascading down, causing local problems. For example, a report in the Woking News & Mail in January 2023 highlighted that of around 18,000 people living in poverty in the constituency, about 11% had a cardiovascular or respiratory condition. This is a concern because, as stated by the Office for National Statistics, people in poverty are more exposed to the cold, and so more likely to be hospitalised or die as a result of such conditions. The high cost of energy is literally putting lives at risk and needs addressing urgently.

ULEZ expansion is also a concern for many, with potential additional transport costs for private individuals and businesses alike. Reform would scrap ULEZ altogether.

“Perhaps of greatest concern was the effective declaration of Woking Borough Council’s bankruptcy in June 2023 which now threatens services and facilities within the borough, such as the much enjoyed ‘Pool in the Park’ recreational centre”

Another ‘Net Zero’ drive, the UK Energy Bill 2023 passed with little opposition and yet grants enforcement rights to enter private properties to ensure home owners meet energy performance regulations. Failure to comply could lead to fines of up to £15,000, or 12-months imprisonment. This is state over-reach to a level not before witnessed in Britain with such legislation heaping additional costs onto private individuals against the threat of a custodial sentence.

Local businesses I have spoken to comment on increased amounts of bureaucracy, particularly in regards to accounts reporting to HMRC. This is wasted time and effort, that could be better spent growing their business.

Perhaps of greatest concern was the effective declaration of Woking Borough Council’s bankruptcy in June 2023 which now threatens services and facilities within the borough, such as the much enjoyed ‘Pool in the Park’ recreational centre. Government commissioners’ investigation into the (then Tory) council yielded serious concerns as to the ‘exceptional level of financial and commercial risk’ and ‘its approach to strategic financial decision-making’. My initial review of the causes of failure suggest the whole governance structure of local government needs reforming, to ensure decision-making at an appropriate level of competence, effective processes with appropriate checks and balances, peer review, and oversight.

For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?

If you are also disillusioned with the established parties and support a significant shift in politics, then join the Reform Party, volunteer and help us campaign.

I can be contacted on email: [email protected]

You can also follow me on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ReformUKWoking and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReformUKWoking/

Paul Skinner is the Reform UK Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Tonbridge.  We spoke with Paul about his decision to stand.

“After leaving the British Army I became a police officer in the Met where I learned a great deal about helping the community and serving the British public”

Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Paul-Shane Skinner I have lived in Kent all my life, my parents were working class citizens and worked locally in the area. I have lived in Tonbridge now for 6 years and always admired the people and community. Me and my partner still live with my mother in a council house and are expecting our first baby. 

I left school at 15 and pursued a career in the British Army as A Tank crewman, with a family background in the Armed Forces and my late grandad being in the Royal Marines during the Falklands war, I wanted nothing more than to make him proud. After leaving the British Army I became a police officer in the Met where I learned a great deal about helping the community and serving the British public, I sadly left for family reasons and headed for the private security sector where I was helping different types of people while doing this, I served in my local parish council as a Councillor for Staplehurst. 

What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?

The reason for standing for the Reform party is I agree with all its polices, now we have always been a working-class family and have always been a Labour supporter but in recent times neither them or the Conservatives are fit to run government, they have put us in debt, run the country and infrastructure down, not supporting out farmers after leaving the EU and I believe “if you want change you must vote for change” it’s the only way to reform our great United Kingdom again and make Britain GREAT.

My nan used to have a saying “the working man will always get shafted the most” meaning no matter how hard the working-class work they get so little back.

“People are sick of the Conservatives lying and partying and they can’t rely on Labour because they haven’t got a backbone or want to express the people’s voices, only their own. Which is why Reform is the only way”

You’re the Spokesman for Tonbridge what’s made you decide to represent this area?

I have always lived in Kent and always lived in the Maidstone area in little villages such as Headcorn etc. but since living under the Tonbridge area for the last 6 years I have come to love the place and the people within it, I believe that I can represent the people of Tonbridge and give them a voice and change to help everyone better than our current government. People are sick of the Conservatives lying and partying and they can’t rely on Labour because they haven’t got a backbone or want to express the people’s voices, only their own. Which is why Reform is the only way.

“I’m holding a local meet up on the Tuesday 13th February to speak with my current volunteers and people that support reform to listen to any current major issues in the area”

What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?

Now obviously any MP of any area won’t be able to presume to know every issue and the fact the job is a very demanding but rewarding, Any MP has a great privilege to help the people in the best way possible but in the Tonbridge area I’m 100% committed to helping everyone in the best way possible and identifying them issues that need fixing. I’m holding a local meet up on the Tuesday 13th February to speak with my current volunteers and people that support reform to listen to any current major issues in the area.

For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?

You can also find out more about Reform UK at https://www.reformparty.uk/.  For people wanting to help me please follow me and contact me on X (twitter) @paulsskinner or email me at [email protected].

Mayuran Senthilnathan is the Reform UK Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Runnymede and Weybridge.  We spoke with Mayuran about his decision to stand.

“Above all I am passionate patriot who wishes to serve this country and the people of Runnymede and Weybridge”

Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Mayuran Senthilnathan, and I have lived in Virginia Water for the past 12 years. I am a 41-year-old family man whose primary vocation is as a general dentist and clinical practice owner. As well as having a keen interest in news and current affairs, I have a keen interest in philosophy and comparative religion. I have travelled extensively giving lectures on these topics and have authored two books. Above all I am passionate patriot who wishes to serve this country and the people of Runnymede and Weybridge.

“The Conservative government have failed us. They have no vision, no soul and no conviction. We can no longer vote for them as the least worst option”

What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?

I believe Britain is on a cliff edge in so many ways. Unless we are able to get back to the fundamental principles of centre right politics, we could fast be exiting the developed world. At so many levels the country appears to be broken from NHS waiting lists, to housing shortages, to net zero extremism, woke ideology and unbridled immigration; this country appears to have lost its way. The Conservative government have failed us. They have no vision, no soul and no conviction. We can no longer vote for them as the least worst option, the public and the people of Runnymede and Weybridge need to have the opportunity to cast their vote for policies they actually believe in. 

Reform UK is the only party offering a radically different manifesto which in the current climate appears revolutionary, but in actual fact is just common sense. We offer practical policies that the vast majority of this country would immediately subscribe to. The six point plan to stop illegal migration, an end to the net zero madness that is suffocating our economy, an introduction of a net zero immigration policy where we can stop the huge increase in our population, deregulation, raising tax thresholds to free up income for the lowest paid, an end to diversity quotas and other woke ideological impositions; are just some of the obvious implementations the country is yearning for. 

“if I can shine a light on what this area and indeed the country desperately needs then together, we can make real progress”

You’re the Spokesman for Runnymede and Weybridge what’s made you decide to represent this area?

Fundamentally it is where I have lived since 2011. My children go to school in this constituency, I know it well and it is where I wish to plant my flag. If I can win hearts and minds here, if I can shine a light on what this area and indeed the country desperately needs then together, we can make real progress.

For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?

For those who would like to help me and the Reform Party spread the word they can email me at [email protected].

Mark Peart is the Reform UK Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Blyth & Ashington.  Mark writes about why he is standing.

“We offer a viable alternative to the main parties, with a central aim of putting the country and the population on a stable and manageable programme of growth”

I am the spokesperson for Reform UK in the newly created constituency of Blyth and Ashington.

Reform UK is a fully fledged political party with strong leadership and an ambitious list of common sense policies. We offer a viable alternative to the main parties, with a central aim of putting the country and the population on a stable and manageable programme of growth.

As an independent country, we are faced with many challenges. Here are three which I believe are particularly concerning to the people of Blyth and Ashington.

“By raising the tax threshold from £12,500 to £20,000, this would take six million people on the lowest pay out of Income Tax altogether”

Cost of living. It is clear to us at Reform UK, that high taxes are particularly damaging to those trying to make ends meet on low incomes. By raising the tax threshold from £12,500 to £20,000, this would take six million people on the lowest pay out of Income Tax altogether. We believe this would be a compassionate and sensible move towards making work pay.

Public Services – NHS We currently have over seven million people sitting on NHS waiting lists, unable to speedily access necessary treatment. Reform UK has a practical and sensible plan to ease the strain on the NHS by delivering much needed medical care in a timely and compassionate manner. We believe it’s time to be ambitious and innovative. We would aim for zero waiting lists. By putting patients in control of their own treatment, waiting lists would be eradicated. . Of course, healthcare must always remain free at the point of delivery. However, if unable to get a GP appointment within three days, you would be given a voucher to see a private doctor. If no NHS consultant is available to see you within three weeks, you would receive a voucher to access private healthcare. If your operation is not available from the NHS within nine weeks from your initial assessment, once again, you would be given a voucher to go private.

“police walking the streets and engaging with communities, is a highly effective way to combat violence, robbery and petty vandalism”

Public Services – Crime There are high levels of crime and antisocial behaviour in Blyth and Ashington. Reform UK would adopt a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of illegal activity and vandalism. This would be achieved at the ground level, by introducing more police on the streets. Although fast response police in cars are important, a visual presence helps to prevent crime and leads to the detection and conviction of criminals. It has been proven that police walking the streets and engaging with communities, is a highly effective way to combat violence, robbery and petty vandalism, while generating a positive atmosphere in the community.

You can follow Mark on Twitter and find him on Facebook. 

There is more information on the Reform site at https://www.reformparty.uk/blyth-and-ashington-constituency and he can be contacted at [email protected].