Our city has had five by-elections since May 2023. This will be the second in Queen’s Park ward. Our democratic process is faltering.
Of the two Labour Party councillors Queens Park elected in May 2023 both have now gone – Cllr Mistry went early amidst electoral fraud allegations. Cllr Burden found his role less important than a new job opportunity. What contempt Labour has for us!
Meanwhile, central city wards face filthy streets, tagging, housing shortages and too many short-let party houses. Families, shops, and cafes are left to bear the brunt. Right now we need a councillor independent of party politics—someone committed, accountable, here to stay – for the sake of this living, breathing community.
Since I stood as a candidate in 2019, I’ve highlighted the pattern of political parties parachuting in candidates with little or no connection to the ward. In 2023, Labour even admitted the main reason to vote for their candidates (apart from removing the incompetent Greens) was to “send a message to the Tories in Westminster” — not to improve life in Queen’s Park. Yet again, Queen’s Park residents are being asked to pay for another election in which we’re invited to vote along party lines and pay little or no attention to the question of who will best represent us.
This will be my fourth time standing. In each election, I’ve focused on the real issues affecting residents: housing, transport, education, and basic accountability. It seems that only an independent is free to speak openly and on at least one issue facing this ward (and the whole city) every one of our candidates are likely stay doggedly silent [For the schools safeguarding scandal that Bella Sankey, the Greens and all of our mainstream political parties don’t want you to know about, two August 2025 articles (New Statesman and Can-SG ) are must-reads. I am a co-founder of the parents campaign group PSHE Brighton which is cross party, politically neutral and open to all Brighton & Hove families of all political colours and none].
UPDATE #1 03/09/25
This was my election leaflet at the by-election last year. Most of the ward and city issues remain exactly the same.
