I am a doer, not a talker.

I grew up in a single-parent household in Longsight. I went to Stanley Grove Primary School, and then to Central High School for Boys at Belle Vue. As a baby, I lived opposite Gorton Monastery and, decades later, just off Hyde Road.

I started my first business as a market trader, moved into wholesale, and then started a completely different career at Manchester Airport. I had an industrial accident, so had to leave. I found a new job at Manchester Council as a Youth Intervention Officer, and then as a Community Safer Coordinator. During this time, I won a handful of awards for reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. I have also advised three different Prime Ministers on crime reduction and tackling rough sleeping.

When austerity hit in 2011, I took redundancy and used my payout to set up and fund a charity to help young people avoid a life of crime. My charity, Mancunian Way, set up projects to also address homelessness and helped to uncover child rape cases. The charity is now multi-award winning and, in 2019, I was awarded an MBE for this work from our late Queen.

 I have spent decades working across Gorton, Denton, Longsight, Levenshulme and Burnage to reduce crime, to keep kids safe and to improve the quality of life for residents. I have family in the area, as well as many friends.

 In 2024, I decided to run for Mayor of Greater Manchester against Andy Burnham. I came third place and beat the Lib Dems, Greens and Reform UK.

Solving social problems has been my career for two decades. Experience has taught me that problems are resolved through hard work, dedication, and holding people accountable. I do not have time for pink and fluffy nonsense, incompetence or excuses.

I do not need to be popular, liked or admired. I only need to be respected as someone who does as he says. I say a lot and I will do a lot.

The first step of introducing honour into our political system is to vote into office someone who already possesses it.