I entered active politics in 1991 when I was invited to stand as the Conservative candidate in the Woodborough Ward of the District Council.
During the first four years I served on the Housing Committee, the Policy and Resources Committee and the I.T. sub-committee.
It was during that time that I played a leading role in the formation of the Sarsen Housing Association and the transfer of the Council's housing stock to it, having first persuaded our tenants that such a move was in their best interests. I remain a Founder Member of the Association today.
In 1999, the new Council was returned with a Conservative majority for the first time in its history. I was elected to be vice-Chairman of the Housing Committee and Chairman of the increasingly important I.T. sub-Committee.
I played also a leading role steering Kennet into a completely restructured organisation under the new Local Government Act, 2000. Under a newly adopted Constitution I was elected to serve on the Resources Policy Executive Committee in the role of E-Government Champion. I was elected also as the first Chairman of a new Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Following a review of the Constitution in 2002, I moved from Overview & Scrutiny and was elected Chairman of a new Planning Policy Executive Committee. In that role I represented Kennet on the North Wessex Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (A.O.N.B.) Council of Partners, the Joint Strategic Transport Group and the Swindon and Wiltshire Principal Urban Area sub-regional Steering Group until May 2007 when I moved to become Chairman of a new Partnership Development Executive Committee. However, this Executive Committee has now been disbanded with the Council having lost the fight against the Unitary reorganisation
However, in 2005, I was re-elected to serve on the County Council for the Avon and Pewsey Division , and now serve as vice-Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board. I am also Chairman of the important Budget Scrutiny Standing Task Group. I am a school governor at Pewsey Vale School and also serve on the Urchfont Manor Management Board. In 2005 I was appointed to serve on the Wiltshire and Swindon Fire & Rescue Authority where I am the Lead Member for People.
But in January 2007, following an invitation from the Government, the County Council voted to apply to become a Unitary Authority and take over the duties and responsibilities of the four District Councils. The vote in County Council for this hostile takeover bid was won by 25 votes out of 49 with a number of abstentions and/or absences. My own vote was cast against this proposal, believing it was creating a democratic deficit whilst national policy was directed towards bringing government down closer to communities. It was also expected to cost nearly £20million of local taxation. I further challenged the financial savings of £1.84m that were being claimed on the provision of Planning Services.
In March 2008, I was elected Chairman of the Joint Overview & Scrutiny Transition Board to shadow and scrutinise the work of the Implementation Executive in the period leading up to the new Authority becoming the executive Statutory instrument of local government in Wiltshire.
