Councillor Martin Williams

109B Kirton Lane,
Thorne
Doncaster
DN8 5RG
Tel. 01405 815235

I was educated at Giggleswick Public School, played rugby for the first fifteen became captain of the cricket team and deputy head boy of the school. I believe that this was a good toughening up process and also character building for later life and especially now being in the political arena. I was actually taught English at Giggleswick School by Russel Harty and this now comes in very useful when I write my own speeches!

After leaving school I worked on the family estate at Brodsworth. I then decided I wanted to make my own way in life and worked as a roof insulation inspector from 1979. In 1983 I worked as a pest control officer for Doncaster Council and became affectionately known in the area through my work as 'The Thorne Ratman'. I have been a member of the T&G Trade Union for almost 25 years now and I am very proud of that fact.

I left the Council in 1994 and in 1998, after the controversy had broken on Doncaster Council, decided to stand under the banner as Community Candidate for Thorne Ward. I won the election and served on various committees such as Environmental Health & Housing, Trading Services, Employee Relations and various others. I stood for Member of Parliament for Doncaster North in the General Election 2001 and polled 2,926 votes 9.3% of the vote. I was re-elcted as a Doncaster Councillor in 2002 and also again in 2004.

I was instrumental in setting up a political party known as the Community Group of Independent Councillors consisting of five other district councillors and I consider it to be an honour to be the Leader. I was elected in 2003 as a town councillor and I am Leader of Thorne and Moorends Town Council, there are seven other Community Group town councillors, There is not much time for hobbies but I collect Great Britain and Gibraltar stamps. I also like visiting the Yorkshire Dales but not climbing any hills. I have two daughters, Carrie and Alsion who both live in Manchester. I am a member of the Royal Society for Health and a member of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

My aim at all times as a councillor is to serve the community to the best of my ability and to improve the lives of my constituents in the Thorne Ward and Doncaster as a whole. I have taken a particular interest in trying to improve housing conditions and the environment. I strongly believe that if people have a decent home to live in and the environment outside their home is clean and tidy that these are the two areas that once improved can act as a catalyst for further regeneration.