Originally from south-east Lancashire, Richard joined the British Army aged 18 and served for nearly 19 years, retiring as a Major in 2015.  Qualifying as a ‘High-Threat’ bomb disposal operator in 2006, he completed four operational tours defeating improvised explosive devices in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Since leaving the Army, Richard has worked in financial services for both J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank achieving the gold standard in investment management, the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, in 2017. He also holds a Master of Business Administration and a 1st Class Honours degree from the Open University which he achieved whilst serving in the Army. Richard now runs his own business helping people to plan their personal finances, retirement needs and investments.

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Richard has lived in Croydon since 2014 and is active within the community, standing for the Council in 2018, Mayor of Croydon in 2022 and Parliamentary candidate for Croydon South in 2024.  He is also Chair of the local Scout Group that his four sons attend. Richard’s values are borne of a lifetime of public service combined with a passionate belief in the importance of upholding people’s rights and individual freedoms. In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar and spending time with his family.