Political Opinion: Why I Am Standing for Election?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was still working as a frontline paramedic on ambulances. It was a time I will never forget. At the start of the crisis, we had little to no personal protective equipment (PPE). What little stock we had was gone within a week. After that, many of us were forced to attend COVID-positive patients without any protection. This led to an immediate rise in ambulance staff contracting the virus—some of whom never recovered.

I have been asked many times about the worst thing I ever witnessed in my career. Some assume it would be the suicides by hanging or the violent stabbings. But nothing affected me more than watching a patient die simply because they could no longer breathe. There were limited interventions available for COVID patients in an ambulance. We would administer high-flow oxygen at 15 litres per minute, but often, it made no difference.

I would watch as patients gasped for air, their breathing becoming more laboured, their exhaustion taking over. I remember looking into their eyes and seeing pure panic—the silent, desperate plea for help. Those moments have stayed with me more than any other emergency I have attended.

So, what does this have to do with politics? The answer is everything.

It was the Conservative government's handling of the pandemic—the catastrophic failures, the lies, and the corruption of the PPE contracts—that made it so clear to me that we need real political change. Billions were wasted on VIP fast-track contracts, handing public money to friends and donors, while frontline workers like myself had no protection. Some of my colleagues paid the ultimate price.

The current COVID inquiry has now stated that it will not pursue prosecutions against those in government who failed to provide appropriate PPE or who supplied substandard equipment. Where is the justice for those who lost their lives? Where is the accountability for those who lined their pockets while NHS staff fought for survival on the front lines?

We cannot allow politicians to serve only themselves, using their positions for personal gain while the rest of us suffer the consequences. That is why I stood in the General Election—because I believe we must do better. We must change politics for the many, not just the privileged few. I didn’t win that election, but many residents of Northampton South voted for me, proving that people want real change.

That is why I am continuing to stand in the local elections for Far Cotton, Delapre, and Briar Hill. Change starts at a local level. I want to fight for better access to medical services, improved council services, and a more accountable local government.

Because if we do not change the system now, I fear that when the next crisis comes, history will repeat itself. More lives will be risked—while others, once again, line their pockets.