About Isobel | isobel

Chartered Civil Engineer

I am an expert in engineering design. Over the past 25 years I have helped build schools, a hospital, airports and stations, working with the consultant Arup.

Currently I lead a team of 150 designers delivering the design for over £1.4bn of construction for HS2.

I am immensely proud to have played my part building the 2012 London Olympics.

I've become an expert in leading teams, and was delighted recently to have become a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Working Mum

I was thrilled to win the Telegraph Top 50 Engineer Women of the Year 2018

I am proud of the family my husband Charlie and I have together.

We juggle our work and home life, whilst spending as much time as we can on the family farm near Exmoor.

Campaigner

It was my enormous privilege to represent the Conservatives at the last three General Elections.

I have experience of running campaigns and standing for election - I got the bug after being elected the first time I stood, as a local councillor.

I've also served as association chair and many other roles within my local Conservative association.

A Local Councillor

As an elected local councillor, I was invited to join the shadow Cabinet, taking the Safer Communities portfolio. This gave me the opportunity to work with the council and residents to reduce crime and the fear of crime, and to ensure the council works better with the police and emergency services. I stood down as a Councillor in May 2014.

Voluntary work in the Community

Until 2021 I was a Trustee for the international humanitarian charity RedR: I initiated a charity day called 'Wear Red for RedR which annually raises over £20,000.
With a couple of colleagues, I wrote and produced an award-winning national programme of school careers events, ‘The Rapid Response Engineering Challenge’, which has now reached hundreds of schools.
Last year I marched in support of the successful campaign to keep St Stanislaus church open in Dulverton.
I was a Governor at a primary school for children with learning disabilities for 5 years.
Before that, I was a Governor at a primary for children with autistic spectrum disorder conditions. It is a similar school to the one my older sister attended, and the success of SEN education is a cause close to my heart.