I have lived with my family in Kingston for 15 years.

Full statement

My children go to school locally and I am a trustee at The Kingston Academy, an amazing school.

I am very proud of Kingston, I think it is unique. Our schools, university, hospital, the town centre, the river, the green spaces, the people. We are a city in a city.

The next decade will shape us. The world is changing, Kingston is changing, we can all see this. We need to grip the things that the council can control: housing, new developments, education, services for the vulnerable.

What will improve things? Strong leadership in the council, people not afraid to ask the hard questions, to challenge the status quo, and with the ability to find solutions that work. Why is our council tax so high when we can’t even manage to have a swimming pool for our children?

Let me tell you about my politics. It’s basically about making and doing. Not making do.

What’s true for Kingston is true for the country.

Kingston has a proud heritage of aviation manufacturing. We used to make things here, products that were the envy of the world. We can still do this, but there is now a real urgency to get making. I believe the council should focus on balancing residential development with encouraging employers to relocate here, who wouldn’t want to walk to work in Kingston?

We need to do, with ambition. There are too many voices demeaning London, Kingston and the country. Yes, we have problems, but we solve them by doing things, not talking about it. Vote me on to the council and I promise I will focus the whole council on doing.

The Labour party is not perfect, but it is laser focused on delivering a better life for everyone, not the few, not just a chosen few. That’s why I am Labour.

Socialism for me is about collective and individual responsibility. Wealth and power are generated from society, not just individual efforts, that’s why we must govern for all. It is not about handouts, it is about support when you need it, and contribution when you are able.

The council must support those that need it, creating an environment for success, through education, social care, good housing and encouraging employers to locate here.

The unspoken truth is that many Labour voters vote tactically in this ward. If this does not stop then we will never succeed here. Vote for me, for Labour, and start the change we want.