Hendon is home.

Full statement

Having lived here all my life, I know firsthand how homely our area is. However, we can do better. On a local level, we can build beautiful, instead of big. A quick look at West Hendon shows monstrous tower blocks that can be seen from a significant distance. A vote for me is a vote to prevent more of these being built in the future.

On a national level, I intend to press for widespread reforms of government services, which successive governments, especially this one, have degraded to the extent that they are not fit for purpose. Examples include:

The Probate Registry. The reforms that started in 2020 have led to considerable delays causing much misery to bereaved families who have had to wait considerable periods of time to obtain a Grant of Probate. Prior to 2020, the typical time to obtain a Grant was 3-4 weeks. It now takes a minimum of 4-6 months since the government have centralised the procedure with no ability to expedite urgent applications. The Land Registry. Waiting times have increased considerably to complete registration of purchases, transfers, leases, and deaths. It now takes about 2 years for the Land Registry to process a lease application. This was never the case before. The government have dispensed with the services of many experienced staff leading to the lengthy delays. The Court system. The courts are understaffed, and many are poorly maintained. Particularly, many cases are prolonged due to inadequate staffing, and this causes a loss of confidence in the Justice system. Roads are poorly maintained, causing potholes, which cause accidents, and therefore, are costly because the local authority is faced with paying for compensation. Would it not be cheaper to maintain the roads and pavements, thus reducing claims. VAT on private school fees will impact the entire education system. Many private schools, including faith schools, may have to close, as the parents will no longer afford to pay the fees. This will cause strain on the already over-subscribed state schools. Health service. Despite record-breaking amounts of money being poured into the NHS, 12% of British people are on a waiting list. Clearly, there are reforms needed to have better efficiency. The tax system has penalised senior doctors, who have, therefore, left practice. The tax system disincentivises movement within the property sector. For example, stamp duty is a disincentive on people moving house and investing in property. Landlords have been a target for the tax man, including higher Stamp Duty Land Tax, and higher tax on rent, as they cannot fully reclaim the financial costs of borrowing against the rental income. Additionally, Capital Gains Tax allowances have been drastically reduced. Privatisation has been a disaster, since it has enriched those who own the water companies who have very little accountability, resulting in the poisoning of the water supply, including rivers, beaches, and lakes. Besides all of this, the shadow of Blairism still looms large over Britain. The population explosion that he began and the Tories have sped up. This has obviously created a dire shortage in housing, doctors, nurses, and schools. It has also created overcrowding in prisons, and transport.

A vote for me is a vote to halt the managed decline of Britain. Above all, a vote for me is a vote for a positive vision of a country that operates as it should.