My name is Tom Richardson and you may know me as the landlord of the Three Moles Pub in Selham, near Graffham that my partner and I took on to renovate and improve after I completed 15 years’ service as a police officer with Surrey Police.

Full statement

It’s not easy running any business at the moment but I am proud of what we’ve achieved, including winning multiple awards for sustainability and West Sussex pub of the year. A lot of that is about hard work and getting things done.

Public service and putting something back are important to me and so after leaving the police, I have represented our community on West Sussex County Council. I have served too in the past on both Graffham and Lodsworth Parish Councils.

I am standing for re-election on 7th May this year and before all the leaflets start flying through your letterbox, I wanted to take this opportunity to write to you personally.

Why am I standing?
It’s not easy or fashionable standing for council these days but I believe it’s important we have a strong voice. Our rural village communities are too easily over-looked in favour of cities like Chichester or Brighton yet our roads, village schools and bus services need active support. There is a lot more to do but I’ve used my own policing background to work with Sussex Police on better enforcement against noisy and anti-social road users and rural fly-tippers. A big part of this was leading the review and re-writing of the county’s speed limit policy that now gives communities the option to apply for more appropriate speed limits in their villages and outside schools that previously would not have been possible. And I’ve helped get our county council to spend record amounts on practical things like fixing pot-holes, road resurfacing and drainage issues along with the introduction of the book-a-bus service which gives our rural communities that vital transport link that has been missing for years.

I believe we deserve a councillor who listens, who lives locally, is easily accessible when there are problems and who isn't afraid to ask difficult questions. That's what I am.

No political party is perfect, but the Conservatives in my view are the only party that are genuinely working in the best interests of the residents of West Sussex. I have always been a strong believer that in local elections you should vote on the person rather than party, and I hope that everything I have achieved over the last 5 years shows that I am the person for the role.

I'm supported in my campaign by many other neighbours and our local MP Andrew Griffith with whom I’ve often worked with on issues in our community. I’d love your support too and if you have questions, or — even better — you'd like to get involved and help me, please do get in touch.