Hello everyone! I’m Daniel, and I am proud to be standing as your Conservative candidate for the Devonshire ward in the upcoming County Council elections.

Full statement

First, a quick note of transparency: if I haven’t been as visible as I’d like to be recently, it’s because I’ve had to step back temporarily to care for some family health issues. However, please know that my dedication to improving the Devonshire ward is stronger than ever.

I moved to Eastbourne from London in the summer of 2024 to be closer to work. After renting for a few months, I completely fell in love with the area, sold up in London, and made this my forever home. I have been blown away by the community spirit here. From the incredible volunteers who look after our outdoor spaces to the friendly strangers who say "good morning" when you're out for a walk—it’s a welcoming environment that is truly rare to find.

Professionally, I’ve spent 26 years in the NHS, including time as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. Since 2021, I’ve been working with NHS Sussex as the Director of Elective Care with the remit to reduce patient waiting times. I recently spearheaded the Elective Care Coordination Centre—a pioneering model that helped over 6,000 patients get faster surgical treatment in its first four months (and was even showcased on BBC South East!). I was the Director of Elective and Emergency Care for NHS England between 2019 and 2021. During the pandemic I led on the serology programme nationally as part of our Covid response.

I also took part and came joint first in Come Dine With Me!

I am passionate about taking this same drive for real, measurable results and applying it to our local community.

Although I have been a resident in Eastbourne for only a couple of years it is clear to me that we deserve better. How can it be that I was paying half the council tax in Ealing and living in a property nearly double the value to where I am in Eastbourne, yet even in those two years I have seen a decline in the town. My focus for us is:

Council Financial Mismanagement
💷 Council Tax is one of the highest rates in England! But we are getting fewer and more substandard Services. Eastbourne deserves better. 💷

The Lib Dem run borough council has forced one of the highest levels of council tax in the country onto residents, yet we are watching our town's amenities disappear. Public toilets? Closed. Beach shelters? Shut. The Tourist office? Closed and reduced to a shelf of leaflets at the Towner at a cost of £5k per month. The Beachy Head Experience? Closed.
There is zero operational grip. Budgets are only being balanced through a one-off magic tricks including the selling off of key town assets like the Hampden Park retail park (at a loss).
Where is the housing strategy? Sussex University has left the town, council tax changes have hit second homeowners, and holidaying behaviors have shifted, leaving Eastbourne incredibly vulnerable.
Because of this severe lack of action from the Lib Dems, we've seen a sharp decline in accommodation use and standards. Result? Last year Eastbourne saw a 11% drop in house prices. The biggest drop in property values in England. It’s time for real accountability! 📉🔍
#Eastbourne #CouncilAccountability #LocalPolitics #TransparencyNow

The Bandstand (FOI Findings)
🚨 The Eastbourne Bandstand: Wasted Funds & No Plan 🚨
Our historic Bandstand deserves better. Recent Freedom of Information (FOI) findings have revealed a shocking lack of planning under the Lib Dems:
❌ Over £100,000 of residents' money has already been spent on contractor and consultant fees.
❌ Going into a second summer with reduced capacity means at least another £100,000 LOST in ticket revenue.
❌ The council has NO secure backup plan to fund this historic monument if their current funding bid fails.
Ultimately, we are back at square one but financially worse off. We cannot afford this level of mismanagement. What are your thoughts on how the Bandstand is being handled? 🏛️💬
#EastbourneBandstand #SaveOurBandstand #WastedFunds #Eastbourne

Cost of Living & Supermarket Portal
🛒 Practical support for the Cost of Living crisis! 🥦
Busy residents shouldn't have to hunt for deals just to make ends meet. The council should be doing the legwork!
Imagine an accessible, council-run Supermarket Portal (available online and in our local libraries) that tracks and shares the best local specials—like Lidl's 9p vegetable deals! 🥕💻
This would empower families to make quick, cost-saving choices without the extra stress. Would you use a service like this? Let us know below! 👇
#CostOfLiving #EastbourneCommunity #PracticalSolutions #ShopSmart

The Carpet Gardens
🌺 Let’s talk about our Carpet Gardens! 🌺
They are the crown jewel of Eastbourne’s seafront, but the council's recent approach has been completely disingenuous. Instead of honest transparency, they used AI-generated photos to falsely claim what the gardens would look like.
Public engagement has been poor at best. Given the history and massive significance of this local asset, consultation absolutely did not happen to residents' standards before approval was pushed through.
We have to ask: how much money has this wasted, not to mention the damage to our town's reputation? Let’s demand respect for our local heritage. 👇
#Eastbourne #CarpetGardens #LocalHeritage #ProtectOurTown