About
I am a software developer and consultant with a track record of building the systems that keep political and campaigning organisations running. Over the last two years I have built a central membership platform serving 300+ branches, a GDPR-compliant data protection system, and a candidate portal handling applications from parish to parliamentary level — all without detailed specifications, working independently.
I combine conventional development with AI tooling to automate at scale and move fast. A career spanning technology and political life since 2006 means I understand the environments these systems operate in, the pressure they run under, and what happens when they fail.
I operate through Bluetorch Consulting Ltd, delivering high-value technical solutions — often at a strategic level rather than purely implementation.
Background
My career has run in parallel across technology and public life. I have served as a Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport on Worcestershire County Council, as Deputy Leader of Redditch Borough Council, and as a senior caseworker and office manager for serving Members of Parliament including Sir Jeremy Wright QC (former Attorney General) and Sir Sajid Javid.
In technology, I have been Head of Technology at Britain's first internet TV station, an ASP.NET developer on financial platforms, an IT consultant and expert witness in the High Court, and most recently the developer behind several national-scale political technology systems. I was also CTO of the Great British PAC, designing and building petition and campaigning systems under tight deadlines.
This dual background shapes how I build: for robustness, clarity and real-world use — not just technical correctness.
Skills & expertise
Software Development
- Python, PHP, JavaScript, SQL
- Django, WordPress, NationBuilder
- Next.js, Supabase, Vercel
- API integrations and automation
Infrastructure & DevOps
- Linux (Ubuntu), Docker, WSL
- Apache, Nginx
- Cloudflare (DNS, WAF, security)
- Azure AD, Microsoft 365
AI & Automation
- AI-assisted development (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini)
- Prompt-based workflows and agent tooling
- MCP servers and automation pipelines
- Data processing at scale
Compliance & Governance
- UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018
- Subject Access Requests and erasure workflows
- Audit trails and legal defensibility
- Sensitive data handling