What I Stand For
A reflection from 'The Redemption Journey' by William “Bill” Doody
“I’m not a politician in the traditional sense — and I never will be”
I don’t speak in rehearsed lines.
I don’t dodge questions.
I don’t make promises I can’t keep.
But I do have principles. I do have values. And I’ve lived them — not just talked about them.
What I stand for comes from life experience, not a party manual. It’s shaped by growing up in care, by rebuilding from rock bottom, by raising a family, by paying taxes, by helping others find hope when they thought it was lost.
These values aren’t theoretical. They’ve been tested in fire.
Fairness Before Favour
I believe the British people deserve to come first in their own country.
That doesn’t mean closing our doors to the world — but it does mean recognising that if you’ve paid in, played by the rules, and built a life here, you shouldn’t be pushed to the back of the queue.
Whether it's housing, healthcare, or public services, fairness must be restored.
Reform of the Justice System
I know what broken justice looks like — and I know what real rehabilitation requires.
I believe in strong sentencing for serious crime, but also in second chances for those willing to change.
We need a justice system that protects the public while also helping people build lives worth living after prison.
We’ve got to stop releasing people back into the same hopelessness that led them to offend in the first place.
Early Intervention Matters
Most of the time, society doesn’t invest in someone until they’ve already become a problem. By then, the damage is done — to the victims, to communities, and often to the offender themselves. The truth is, by the time someone ends up in court, we’ve already missed a dozen chances to intervene.
Smart Justice, Not Soft Justice
It costs a fortune to house someone in prison — but it would be far cheaper, and far more effective, to support potential offenders before they cross the line.
Early support for young people, mental health services, addiction treatment, mentoring, family intervention, and better-targeted education aren’t just compassionate — they’re cost-effective.
Training for the System
We need people in the system — probation, courts, prison staff — who are trained to spot the difference between a con and a chance.
I want safer streets, fewer victims, and fewer lives wasted. That only happens when we stop managing failure and start investing in real outcomes and tackling root causes instead of just dealing with the symptoms.
Support for Families Who Play by the Rules
Too often, it's the decent, quiet families who get left behind — those working hard, paying bills, raising children, and asking for very little.
I want to see policy shaped around them. Give families the breathing space they need to thrive — not punish them with ever-rising costs and ever-diminishing returns.
No-Nonsense Leadership
We’ve had too many weak leaders. Too many people dodging responsibility, spinning nonsense, or kicking decisions down the road.
I stand for honesty, clarity, and courage. That means saying hard things when they need to be said. It means backing British values without apology. And it means never forgetting who I serve — the people, not the party machine.
Real Opportunity — Not Just for the Privileged
I want a country where you can grow up on a council estate and still make something of your life. Where your future isn’t decided by your postcode or your accent.
That means real access to quality training, apprenticeships, and support — especially for young people who’ve had a rough start.
I’m living proof that background doesn’t have to be destiny. But the system has to stop stacking the deck.
Controlled Immigration — With Compassion and Common Sense
I’ve lived abroad. I’ve seen what controlled borders and firm rules look like. Britain is a welcoming country — but it’s been taken advantage of. Illegal immigration is out of control, and the public are right to be angry.
We also have to acknowledge the common-sense reality: the UK is an island with limited space and limited resources. France, for example, has twice the landmass and roughly the same population. We cannot keep absorbing unsustainable numbers of arrivals without consequences.
I believe we must regain control of our borders, enforce the law, and prioritise those who’ve contributed and followed the rules. That’s not hate — it’s fairness. And fairness is what brings people together.
A National Housing Reset
We need homes for people — not investment portfolios for foreign buyers.
Too many ordinary British families can’t afford to live where they work. We need to prioritise housing for British citizens and long-term residents, reward local ties, and invest in infrastructure that actually serves working people.
We need to remove red tape and unreasonable resistance in granting planning permission to build new homes.
Mental Health and Addiction Support
I know firsthand how deep pain can lead to destructive choices.
I believe mental health and addiction services must be rebuilt from the ground up — not as luxury extras, but as core public services.
If we want safer streets, stronger families, and real economic participation, we must stop treating these issues like afterthoughts.
Supporting Our Youth — Especially Under 16s
This is personal to me. I was failed by the system as a child. I know the signs — the anger, the fear, the need to feel powerful when you feel powerless.
Better Approach to Knife Crime
What we’re seeing now — with teenagers routinely carrying knives — is a breakdown in the social contract. Many of them don’t feel safe without one. That’s a dangerous normal. And we won’t change it by just taking knives off them without offering something in return.
The Self-Defence Proposal
That’s why I support introducing compulsory self-defence classes in secondary schools — not to promote violence, but to give young people another option.
Self-defence teaches respect, restraint, values, and discipline. It gives young people a safer outlet for adrenaline and aggression.
Culture Shift Must Come From Within
We can teach logic, but peer influence drives change. Once key young people call knives cowardly — others will follow. The message has to come from them, not just from us.
Let’s Build a National Strategy
We’ve got dozens of great local programmes — Violence Reduction Units, Street Doctors, Safety Box, Medics Against Violence. But there’s no national strategy pulling them together.
Let’s combine trauma-informed teaching with structured self-defence. Let’s build strength from the inside out. Let’s make it cool again not to carry a knife and to be proud to be able to defend yourself with your hands.
Who I Stand For
I don’t have a PR team crafting my image — and I don’t need one.
What I’ve got is a track record of resilience, a clear moral compass, and deep respect for the people this country is built on: carers, builders, grafters, fire fighters, nurses, teachers, police, doctors — everyday Brits from all walks of life.
People who don’t ask for handouts — just a fair chance to make their lives a little better.
So that, folks, is a flavor of who I am — no polish, no spin. Just the truth. I hope the honesty is refreshing, because if there's one thing the British public deserves right now, it's fewer lies and more straight talking. We’ve had enough of empty promises. It’s time to stand for something real.
This is what I stand for. And that’s who I’ll fight for — every single day.
Want early access to new content?
Enter your email below and I will send you a link as soon as they're released.