I was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Newton Abbot in 2010 and was re-elected in May 2015 with an increased majority of 11,235, June 2017 with a further increased majority of 17,160 and again in December 2019 with an other increased majority of 17,501.
I live in Newton Abbot and have a family history in Devon that can be traced back some 200 years. I like to get out and about in the community with my dog, Charlie.
I dedicated much of my time in Westminster to championing the issues that really matter to constituents in Newton Abbot. I have previously chaired an All Party Parliamentary Group on Rural Health and Social Care, taking a deeper look into the problems faced in the health and care sector in the South West because of the regions rurality.
I have also been a member of both the Public Accounts Committee and the Treasury Committee. The Public Accounts Committee is a committee that oversees and analyses government expenditure to ensure that money is well spent. During these sessions, I regularly led inquiries on flooding and extreme weather due to the disproportionate effects that flooding have on our communities across Teignbridge. On the Treasury Committee, I encouraged the Committee to look into the issues surrounding Access to Cash, face-to-face financial services and the roll-out of Banking Hubs that will replace the many bank branches leaving our towns. These Committees gave me another opportunity to be able to raise the profile of issues that are directly affecting constituents in Newton Abbot.
In the constituency I held advice surgeries for constituents, attended meetings and community events, and also visited local organisations and businesses across the Newton Abbot area.
Before becoming a member of parliament in 2010, I had a career working as a corporate lawyer and subsequently a marketing director for PriceWaterhouseCooper (PwC) and Ernst and Young. I have also run my own micro business specialising in mentoring businesses in the South West, and was previously a County Councillor where I was Chair of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.