Gary Stevens, Reform UK candidate for Dulwich and West Norwood

Gary Stevens is the Reform UK Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Dulwich and West Norwood. We spoke with Gary about his decision to stand.

“I became actively involved in 2017 and in 2018 I was elected as a local Councillor in Bromley. It was an incredibly rewarding time to be able to help out in the community”

Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I was born and raised on a sheep and cattle farm in Southland, New Zealand, and have since lived and worked in several major cities, including Sydney, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and London. Currently, I reside in Bromley with my wife and our two sons. I have had a long career in IT and Finance, first starting in Investment Banking in the early 90’s in London. I am currently a Director with an Investment Bank, working on high-profile projects as a Program Manager. This is a role which I enjoy immensely and is indeed a dream come true for me to be living and working in IT and finance in London.

The first time I voted it was for a Labour government, as at the time, they were more credible, organised and had a clear plan of delivery, rather than just empty promises. I would, however, first and foremost describe myself as a modern conservative – believing in your freedoms and liberties, low taxes, and small government. Over the last 4 years it is also clear to me that I am also a libertarian. I believe we should be able to live freely and enjoy our lives as much as possible, free from authoritarian government over-reach. I also consider myself to be an old-school liberal and old-school progressive, but with a strong conservative base, and a key part of this is the family unit and the closely connected, interdependent members of our communities and country. As a society, country and indeed human race, we must progress in an open-minded manner, delivering policy in a conservative structured way.

After years of following politics, I became actively involved in 2017 and in 2018 I was elected as a local Councillor in Bromley. It was an incredibly rewarding time to be able to help out in the community, and during my tenure, I worked diligently at both the ward and council levels, addressing issues such as housing, planning, traffic, and community projects.

Some extra info:

  • PADI qualified scuba diver.
  • International Rugby Board (IRB) qualified Rugby Coach.
  • First job out of university was for a bungy jump company in Queenstown NZ, driving a jetboat in Skippers Canyon, and I have done over 100 bungy jumps.
  • I have had two exhibitions of my own art.
  • Alongside my career in IT and finance I have worked as an actor appearing in numerous TV series, commercials and films.
  • I have backpacked around The Middle East (Syria, Jordan, The Sinai, Israel and Egypt), India, Nepal (Annapurna Base Camp) & Thailand.

“Labour called for harder lockdowns, sooner and far more extreme than they already were. It was an appalling state of affairs as the British people were used as playthings for politicians”

What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?

The old UK parties have failed us all. I am an ex-Conservative Councillor, but the Conservatives no longer stand for anything remotely C/conservative. Conservative members and indeed all British people have been ignored. Labour has become an elitist London centric club and no longer stands for the working class or indeed the ordinary British people, and the Liberal Democrats are largely irrelevant. It is time for change, it is time for Reform UK.

Whilst it is important to have unity at times of crisis, during Covid it was clear that we have one party in the UK, the “UniParty”. Labour may as well have crossed the floor and joined the Tories over the last few years. Elitist Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour (who values the WEF and Davos, over Westminster and the British people) provided no opposition or scrutiny whatsoever to the extremist legislation and policies forced on the British people. Indeed, Labour called for harder lockdowns, sooner and far more extreme than they already were. It was an appalling state of affairs as the British people were used as playthings for politicians across Wales, Scotland, NI, England, and internationally, to see who could out do the other in terms of how hard line they could be. This must never happen again.

I am not a career politician and I bring with me a large amount of real-world experience. I would take a more professional approach to the role as MP, and engage with and listen to people in Dulwich and West Norwood (DAWN), and indeed take their guidance.

You’re the Spokesman for Dulwich and West Norwood what’s made you decide to represent this area?

I have strong links to DAWN, having lived in various locations across the constituency since the early 90s. My first job in the UK was pulling pints at the Crown & Greyhound in Dulwich Village and I have been actively involved with a local Rugby Club in Dulwich for 9 years. I love this area and indeed I consider it my UK home.

Whilst there are a number of international events that have gained much needed attention and scrutiny, my primary focus will be the people of DAWN. I will work tirelessly to address local issues and support community organisations, particularly those relying on volunteers. My experience in sports club management will be instrumental in engaging with and supporting local clubs and organisations. These clubs and organisations are an under acknowledged part of our community and must be supported and encouraged.

“I stand firmly against Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which have proven to be detrimental to social cohesion and disproportionately affect the poorest in our communities”

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

Kids are getting mugged on their way to and from school in DAWN. Street-level crime and crime in general across London has rocketed under a Labour Mayor of London and without a doubt drugs and drug use are a major part of this, as well as being a major social issue. There is no one policy that can resolve this all-invasive issue. Stop and Search, reform of the justice system, Policing levels and funding, zero tolerance, stronger leadership, and community engagement are just part of a much larger set of policies that make up the overall approach on crime. I would work with the MET Police and local community groups to provide the level of safety that residents deserve.

I stand firmly against Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which have proven to be detrimental to social cohesion and disproportionately affect the poorest in our communities. These measures must be removed, and I fully support Reform’s policy to legislate their removal across DAWN and the UK.

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

Please see below links;