A GENERAL Election candidate left school aged 15, unable to read and write, but by working hard in the building trade, now has a raft of companies in the care and property sectors.

Scottish-born, Richard Kelly moved to Leeds as a youngster, where he spent much of his childhood before moving to Hull, where he lives today.

A bricklayer by trade, Richard began work as a brickie’s labourer and did college and apprenticeships. He learnt other trades, such as plastering, joinery, and installing fitted kitchens.

The 57-year-old told the Press: “I left school at 15 with no formal qualifications yet I managed to become incredibly successful in the building trade. I couldn’t read and write and was discovered to be dyslexic.

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“I was called an idiot, but I became successful in work. I believe that hard work and dedication puts you through.”

These days, Richard has a string of companies, including Harkins Care, which owns and runs care facilities across East Yorkshire. His business interests also include offering home care, respite care, building new homes for disabled people, as well as rental property and holiday lets.

York Press: Richard Kelly is standing for Reform UK

“I have 60 staff. I am creating jobs. We are looking to take on another 50 members. I am just a guy who has worked extremely hard in my life.”

Richard believes in paying well, looking after your staff, saying at a minimum of £14 an hour, his care workers are the best paid in the sector.

He also offers career progression in the care sector, with area managers able to earn “fifty-sixty-seventy thousand a year.”

“I’m not a greedy man. You treat people fair and look after them.”

York Press: Richard Kelly is standing for Reform UK

Richard says he has employed hundred’s if not thousands in a life which has seen him “live and work around the world.”

And his businesses are getting “busier and busier.”

When Brexit came along, Richard became interested in politics, believing the UK would be ‘better off out’ with it having its own oil, gas, land and other resources.

It also should not “get involved with other regimes.”

“We are being bled dry by the system,” he continued.

Now, Richard is the Reform UK candidate for the Pocklington and Goole constituency, just south and east of York, which covers parts of the former Haltemprice and Howden, Brigg and Goole and East Yorkshire constituencies.

He said: “I’m not a politician. I don’t like politicians.

“I’m not into all this woke stuff.”

Based on current polls, Electoral Calculus has the Tories narrowly ahead in the seat, followed by Labour, with Reform UK in third on over 16%.

York Press: The new seat of Pocklington and Goole

Richard has signed up to Reform UK’s manifesto, but he’s not short of a few ideas of his own.

While Reform UK wants ‘Net Zero’ immigration, meaning the number of those entering matches the number leaving, Richard sees a need for some in a ‘fair and transparent system’ accepting some migrants are needed in healthcare and hospitality.

But they need to “integrate as one big community.”

And while Reform UK has a policy that the first £20,000 of income is tax free, Richard would like to raise this threshold to £25,000, with a flat-tax above that, believing it will encourage work and reduce tax evasion.

As one of nine siblings, who has nine children of his own, Richard also believes the country needs to produce more children.

 “One of the biggest threats to society is not enough children,” he said, citing one-child policies in China meaning the country has a lack of young people to do all the jobs.

He added: “A fundamental of life is having kids and enjoying your children.”

To date, the other candidates are David Davis (Conservative), Liam Draycott (Labour) and Angela Stone (Green).