I have close family ties to Larne, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey and I am a longstanding member of the East Antrim Ulster Unionist association. During my childhood I lived in various parts of Northern Ireland as my family followed my father's employment, during his more than thirty year service in the Royal Ulster Constabulary at the most difficult of times.

I was called to the bar in 2000 and have studied law in London and in Sweden where I acquired some Swedish language skills to add to French and Russian. I currently practice as a specialist criminal barrister and have detailed knowledge of the workings of the criminal justice system.

I have a keen interest in foreign policy and criminal justice and attend forums and expert lectures in these fields regularly. I would like to see local MPs make a contribution to important issues of national debate.

I have played an active role in the Ulster Unionist Party for over a decade and have a detailed knowledge of Parliament and how it works. I have worked as a parliamentary assistant for a number of Ulster Unionist representatives.

Given my experience working in politics, I feel that I offer people in East Antrim the chance to influence and shape our future national Government. By electing me, people here will have the chance to vote in a full-time MP who takes their parliamentary and constituency duties equally seriously.