Leader of the Council and Councillor for Elstree

I have been the Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council for 10 years, having first been elected as a Conservative Councillor in 1999. I am also an elected member of Hertfordshire County Council, where I am the Deputy Cabinet member for Resources, Property and the Economy.

I am also Vice-Chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) Safer Communities Board and assist the LGA by running media courses in their Next Generation Scheme, aimed at training up local authority leaders.

I am the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Elstree Studios - the only studios in the country owned by a local authority. In conjunction with the Elstree Managing Director, I oversees the day-to-day running of the world-famous Studios site

I worked as a journalist – both as a writer and broadcast journalist – for 25 years. I continue to write and produce features, as well as act as a freelance consultant in film, television and other media. I am a regular guest broadcaster on British television and radio. I am a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and was awarded a MBE for Services to Local Government in the 2018 New Year Honours.