I am delighted to announce my candidacy in Surrey Docks, representing Build.

Full statement

Southwark has a lot of the same challenges as the rest of Britain: ever rising housing costs, sky high energy bills, rapidly increasing petty crime and deteriorating public services.

Whilst these problems cannot all be fully solved at the local level, there are numerous steps we can take;

•Use S106 agreements innovatively to ensure the council has the ability to build its own council housing and is accountable to voters rather than relying on taking slices of private developments,
•Encourage commonhold as opposed to leasehold developments and push central government to allow councils to preference commonhold when granting planning permission,
•Push back against the increasing statutory duties placed on councils by central government without a commensurate increase in central funding (one of the reasons why council tax bills continue to rise),
•Fight transport cuts in the borough, including the 14% reduction in the 381 bus service,
•Demand the reversal of police cuts and stronger enforcement against phone snatchers and shoplifters.

Together we can build a better Southwark.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Baynham