Alan Adams, Reform UK candidate for Telford

Alan Adams is the Reform UK Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Telford. We spoke with Alan about his decision to stand.

“I’m not a polished or practiced politician, nor am I motivated by dreams of a career in politics – I want to do this for Telford”

Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m Alan Adams – the Reform UK PPC for Telford. I’m a Telford native, with deep roots in our community. I was born and bred in Oakengates, I went to local schools, served in the Royal Navy as a Submariner from the age of 17, and then worked as an Engineer in factories across the borough. My grandad fed the kilns at Blockleys Bricks, my mum worked for the company building the M54, and I remember Telford town centre when it wasn’t much more than a Carrefour.

As a local business coach, I’ve assisted start-ups and SMEs to do business better. I’ve volunteered for the Princes Trust as a Mentor and supported the local community – not for personal gain, but because it’s the right thing to do.

I’m not a polished or practiced politician, nor am I motivated by dreams of a career in politics – I want to do this for Telford. I want to give the people of Telford a strong, viable alternative to the Conservative and Labour parties. A hard-working, decent MP who will really focus on our community. A real choice. Because this town is my home, and home to my family, and so Telford’s future matters deeply to me.

“Reform UK stands for freedom of speech and that matters hugely to me. The cancel-culture must not be allowed to censor the respectful sharing of views”

What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?

Reform UK is the only realistic alternative to the status quo. Telford’s other options are a replacement Conservative who doesn’t ‘get’ us, or a Labour Council Leader who’s offering more of the same, only worse. No thank you. Reform UK gives me the platform to fight for Telford, and make change happen.

I like that we’re small and lean and fighting hard to give people a voice. We’re becoming known as a party of common sense, and that appeals. As a party, we believe we need to get Brexit done properly and not just ‘done’, and I absolutely agree. We went to the people – they spoke – and it feels like very little has changed for the better.

I also believe that illegal immigration and abuse of the asylum system is out of control, and communities and local services cannot cope. As an island nation, we’ve always relied on positive immigration, but the system at the moment is broken for everyone. If we allow someone to stay, let them find work, find a home, and establish themselves in their community. Don’t sit them in two or three-year holding patterns, increasingly reliant on the state. And if they’re not entitled to be here, and are just abusing the system, then remove them from the country. Now.

I know first-hand that growing businesses are the best way to ‘grow us’ out of economic difficulty. If we can cut some of the stifling red tape, and support businesses to thrive and prosper, then we’ll all benefit. I’m not afraid of encouraging wealth creation, as long as business pays its dues. Success for businesses means more good jobs. It means more money in the public coffers. And that can only be a good thing.

More than anything, Reform UK stands for freedom of speech and that matters hugely to me. The cancel-culture must not be allowed to censor the respectful sharing of views.

“I served as a Submariner for six years, during the latter part of the Cold War. And it taught me service. To do what’s right and what’s necessary. To stand up and be counted”

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

I believe that the people of Telford deserve a choice other than ‘more of the same’. A real choice. And a candidate who wants to do the very best by them. That’s why I’m standing.

I’ve never had any ambition to be a politician. I was born in Oakengates and studied locally, before joining the Royal Navy at 17. I served as a Submariner for six years, during the latter part of the Cold War. And it taught me service. To do what’s right and what’s necessary. To stand up and be counted. And to do that whether anyone’s watching or not.

I see standing as an MP for Telford as a duty. We all deserve better than the options currently being presented to us.

Telford is a special place, and it has a DNA of its own. We’re proud, we’re hard-working, and we’re no-nonsense. We want common sense to be applied. And the only way that I can help make real change happen is to stand up and be counted, and to fight for Telford’s future.

“the abolition of IR35 rules which shackle those who choose the flexibility of self-employment, but who have one main client”

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

There are so many ways that Reform UK is the right choice for the people of Telford, but I’ve picked four core areas that I believe resound the most.

1.      Business | Business is an integral part of our town, and Reform UK’s commitment to reduce corporation tax from 25% down to 20% will be welcome indeed. As will the abolition of IR35 rules which shackle those who choose the flexibility of self-employment, but who have one main client. Business rates will be scrapped for all SMEs, the VAT threshold raised to £120,000, and a 3% online delivery tax will create a much more level playing field for businesses on our high streets. Less red tape, more common sense!

2.      Healthcare | Healthcare is hugely important to everyone in our town and the downgrading of our A&E to an Urgent Treatment Centre just defies all logic and sense for a thriving and growing community. I’m determined to do all I can to fight for the Princess Royal to regain its full status again. People here in Telford, and across the wider UK, are suffering deeply because of record waiting lists and that can’t ever be OK. Reform UK has a viable plan to clear these lists – combining tax incentives to retain and re-recruit staff, providing access to more private healthcare, and reviewing all NHS contracts to cut waste, bureaucracy, and unnecessary managers. And all of this will be funded by reorganising the Bank of England QE debt, ensuring it no longer has to pay interest on reserves for commercial banks, and saving us all £billions.

3.      Fairness | Fairness is another core driver for local people, who just want the chance to get themselves ahead. Reform UK is committed to removing stamp duty on properties below £750,000, which covers the vast majority of homes in our town as the average house price is £234,000 (according to Rightmove). Inheritance Tax would be abolished for all estates under £2million, and VAT on energy bills would also be scrapped. Again, all fair, and absolutely the right thing to do.

4.      Armed Forces Community | I’m passionate about supporting serving and veteran members of our Armed Forces community. Standing for Reform UK, we’re committed to increasing the basic pay of service personnel to make sure that they earn more in the Forces than as an Amazon worker. And we’ll house and equip them properly too. While they’re serving, and after they leave, they’ll be entitled to a free education. And we’ll upgrade the ‘Office’ for Veterans’ Affairs to a full Department and fund it to the tune of £1billion a year. Best of all, defence spending will increase from 2.25% to 2.5% by 2027, and 3% by 2030 to ensure that we can all fully protect ourselves against all rising threats.

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

For more information or to get in touch, please visit the website: www.alanadams.co.uk, or email: [email protected]. And, regular updates are posted on our social media platforms, too: