Alan Jarrett has been a councillor since 1997 at the first elections held for the Medway Unitary Authority.

He was part of the Conservative opposition in Medway from 1997-2000, whereupon the Conservatives formed a minority administration. He assumed the finance portfolio in 1999. Shortly after the 2000 election he was elected as Deputy Leader of Medway Council, a post he held for 15 years. Following the 2015 election Alan was elected as Leader.

Medway Council adopted cabinet governance in 2001 and with the control of the finance portfolio he has worked with colleagues to ensure that Medway Council retains a low rate of council tax whilst maintaining a high standard of service delivery. This strategy has led to successive election victories so that today Medway Conservatives have a healthy majority.

As Leader he has retained the responsibility of Cabinet Member for Finance as well as Communications and Marketing alongside the strategic leadership of the Council.

Alan strongly believes that the child must be at the heart of everything we do and this is treated as the Council’s top priority. His vision for the wider area is to ensure improvements in housing and business proceed at pace for the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors alike. He believes that it is essential regeneration means something to all of Medway’s people, wherever they live.

Alan has been a Local Government Accredited Peer since 2003 and works extensively for the Local Government Association across many local authorities.

Alan is the author of 12 books on country sports and is a regular contributor to national sporting magazines. In June 2020 he published his first novel.