About Isobel | isobel

Major Projects Leader

I am an expert in design and leading complex projects. Over the past 25 years I have helped build schools, a hospital, airports and stations. I am now an Associate Director with the internationally renowned British firm of designers, Arup.

Currently I lead a team of 150, planners, architects and 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.

Campaigner and elected politician

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

I am a seasoned campaigner, with a record of campaigning success, and was an elected Councillor for four years, when I had Shadow Cabinet responsibility for the Safer Communities portfolio.

Whilst an elected Councillor, I was also appointed Conservative Spokesman & Shadow Cabinet member for Community Safety. In my ward, I was most proud of securing £20m in government funding to rebuild our largest council housing estate, whilst in opposition. I also worked with Pitshanger Football Club to represent the views of the local community, developing a new pavilion that fitted into the landscape and minimised disruption to neighbours.

Working Mum

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

I continued working and stood for Parliament and became a Councillor whilst my children were young to gain as much experience as possible.

As a working mother I understand the demands of balancing work and home life, family finances and the emotional energy needed to raise 4 children; whilst spending as much time as we can on the family farm near Exmoor.

Voluntary work in the Community

For a decade I was a School Governor, first at Castlebar Primary in Hanwell, a school for children with learning disabilities, and before that Governor at Queensmill Primary, a school for autistic children.
Until 2021 I was a Trustee for the international development charity RedR: I enjoyed setting strategy and challenging executive decisions, even in difficult times during the pandemic for a charity working in 30 countries.
During times when I couldn’t travel due to family responsibilities, I took to fundraising for RedR: 15 years ago I initiated a charity day which continues to raise over £20,000 annually.
I wrote and produced an award-winning national programme of school careers events, ‘The Rapid Response Engineering Challenge’, to inspire young people with energy and ideas to consider a career in STEM, which has now reached hundreds of schools. When my son was about 5 and he told me didn’t want to be an engineer, as “that’s for girls!”, I felt the real power of representation. This spirit spurs me on in my desire to stand as a political representative and serve as an MP.