[S]pirt of Cumbria Award winner, Kerryanne Wilde, who was honoured for her outstanding efforts when Storm Desmond and the floods hit Cumbria in 2015 has been chosen by the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) to represent them in the Penrith and the Border constituency.
The 43-year-old mum of two boys, is the Founder and CEO of CERT (UK) Ltd – Community Emergency Response Team formerly Eden Flood Volunteers.
She has lived in Shap and worked in Cumbria for 12 years. Previously, Kerryanne served in the British Army in the WRAC (Women’s Royal Army Corps) and transferred to the Intelligence Corps when the WRAC was disbanded in 1992.
As well as being a serving soldier, she has fully immersed herself in voluntary roles and charitable work for CPCF – Cumbria Parent Carer Forum (Chair 2008-2013), the Royal British Legion, Help 4 Heroes, Macmillan Cancer Support, Cumbria County Council Voluntary Car Scheme and many more. She has also served as a school governor at Shap C of E Primary School (2010-2013) and Ullswater Community College (2011-2013).
Kerryanne Wilde said: “I’ve seen a marked decline in public services here in Cumbria since I moved here twelve years ago. The Conservative Government just doesn’t seem to care about what happens here.
“Penrith and the Border is such a rural area and we’ve really felt the effect of cuts to transport, the NHS and care and support services for the elderly and vulnerable.”
UKIP wants to cut the Foreign Aid budget and divert this money into supporting these services and put protecting British Culture and our way of life as the top priority. She said farmers had also been hit hard by being in the EU and by the floods with little to no progress nearly 18 months later.
On the subject of Brexit Kerryanne is clear that what’s needed is to send UKIP MPs to Westminster.
“The present sitting MP knew what side of the fence he was on in the referendum. But didn’t know what side of the bridge at Pooley Bridge to be! It was certainly the opposite side to the majority of people here who made a clear choice to Leave the EU,” she added.
“We need to get a strong voice in Westminster who won’t stand for any backsliding on Brexit, a local girl who knows the area, who tells the truth and has the experience of the grassroots issues which Cumbria faces on a daily basis,” she said.
