About me: Councillor Roger Thomas

I moved to East Sussex in 1994. I first lived in Stunts Green, Herstmonceux and in 1999 I moved to Woods Corner, Dallington. In 2008, following a series of operations on my knees, I moved to Heathfield.

But how did I get here?

As a professional broadcaster I had been interviewing politicians for years and to change sides was a real challenge. After I had articles published both nationally and locally I was approached by the local Conservative Association and asked to stand as a councillor, taking on a former MP and Chairman of East Sussex County Council.

It was felt that I had the background knowledge to take on such a heavyweight. With a diligent media campaign and practical help from association members, I had a resounding win!

I originally trained as a teacher and youth leader and worked for the City of Cardiff Local Education Authority. I then became Warden of Butetown Youth Centre, one of the first multi ethnic centres purpose built in Britain. It was based in Tiger Bay, part of Cardiff’s dockland.

After being refused a secondment to take a post graduate qualification in youth work and administration, I moved to East Africa in 1967.

I worked in Uganda holding the position of Headmaster of the International School in Kampala. I was then promoted to Inspector of Schools for Educational Broadcasting. This developed into general broadcasting with my presenting and producing many popular programmes. During the 1972 Olympic Games, I was banned from broadcasting by Idi Amin because I refused to back the Arabic terrorists who murdered many Israeli athletes in Munich. This was because Amin was being funded by Colonel Gadafi. I was forced to flee but survived!

On returning to Britain, I joined the BBC in 1973 and made contributions to National, Regional and Local Radio.

I introduced teacher secondment to 10 Local Education Authorities in the West Midlands, and saved the BBC a great deal of money!

I was commended for hosting a phone-in programme on the night of the 1974 IRA bombings in Birmingham. I also made programmes to boost the morale of the troops in Northern Ireland during the 70s in Belfast and Londonderry.

I spent 18 years in Hong Kong first working for Radio Television Hong Kong as a radio broadcaster. Later I became Public Affairs Manager for Duty Free Shoppers – the largest duty free retailer in the world – covering the Far East from their Hong Kong base. I also continued as a freelance broadcaster covering the 1988 Seoul Olympics. During this time, I was Chairman of the Retail Management Association of Hong Kong and was a founding signatory of the Federation of Asian Retailers.

What's it like being a councillor?

The best thing about being a councillor is the opportunity to work with and serve your community. It is highly rewarding when you see new schools and other successful schemes come to fruition. You also meet a lot of very interesting and talented people.

The hardest thing about being a councillor is lack of adequate funding. It can also be difficult when people telephone you after 10pm at night, particularly if they have obviously been to the pub! To be a councillor you need the support of your family, as to do the job properly takes a large amount of time.

My best advice for anyone interested in becoming a councillor would be to join your local association, visit parish councils and view the full county council meetings on the web or as a visiting member of the public. Talk to existing county or district councillors. You must also realise that the role of councillor is demanding.

My community

The things that make me the most proud of East Sussex and my electoral division are the lovely countryside and lovely people. Many people choose to retire to East Sussex, so there is a rich mix of people from far afield. I am lucky to represent both urban and rural parts of East Sussex.

My home life

I met my wife Jenny when I was a radio presenter and producer with the BBC based in Pebble Mill, Birmingham. She is a working radiographer in several hospitals. We have three married daughters and six grandchildren, two girls and four boys. They all live in the South East.

My spare time

I’m currently on the speaker circuit and take professional bookings to speak to associations, clubs, conferences and cruise ships. I speak on fun topics such as 'From Idi Amin to Neddy Seagoon' to more serious subjects such as 'The drama of flooding', 'The BBC, are we being served' and 'The Olympics'. I also moderate or chair conferences.

Balancing home, work and being a councillor is not always easy. These days the role of a county councillor is virtually a full time position, and in my case it involves a lot of travelling and evening work. A supportive wife is essential.

The county council has many national and regional responsibilities and I happen to lead on coastal and flooding issues. In a time of climate change my national role has expanded considerably and I have become Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Coastal Issues Special Interest Group.

I sit on various DEFRA committees currently working on the Draft Marine Bill. Being a coastal county this bill has many implications to our fishing industry, our environmental situation and our tourist and agricultural industries.

Outside of work and government I am an avid reader, from trivia to heavyweight material. As a former broadcaster I also have an insatiable appetite for all aspects of the media.