About me: Councillor John Barnes

I was elected councillor for Ticehurst in 1997, three years after I moved to the area with my family. I am experienced in local politics, having served on Kent County Council (1973-89) and Greenwich Borough Council (1968-73).

But how did I get here?

I joined the Young Conservatives and became PA to Ian Fraser MP in the 1959 General Election. Subsequently I was active in student politics in Cambridge, nationally and internationally.

I stood for Parliament, contesting the safe Labour seat Walsall North in 1964, 1966 and 1970. I was indirectly elected as an Alderman on Greenwich Borough Council in 1968.

In 1973, I was elected as a county councillor in Kent, but stood down in 1989. I served briefly on the Schools Examination and Assessment Council until it was merged in 1992 and on the National Council for Vocational Qualifications 1992-97.

My community

My division has some of the most beautiful villages in Britain with some fine churches and many historical buildings. The communities I serve are lively, each of them with a very different character. They are served by some excellent schools.

The High Weald is an area of outstanding natural beauty and a historically important landscape. It provides excellent walking. As a keen birdwatcher, I am glad to be in a county with some very important habitats for birds.

My home life

I am married with three married children and nine grandchildren.

My spare time and other responsibilities

I retired having taught Government at the London School of Economics (1964-2003) and served as Chairman first of the Bexhill and Rother Primary Care Trust 2001-6 and then of East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 2006-10. As you will see from what I have written above I am active in a number of voluntary bodies and am currently trying to secure new community buildings for my home village, Etchingham. I am also President of the Bexhill and Battle Conservative Association.

Writing is a spare time occupation but in addition I enjoy bird watching, listening to classical music, and visiting historical buildings. I am an avid reader.

Although I'm very much an ex-cricketer, I do try to watch as much as I can.

I also maintain my own website, barneshistorian.com