ABOUT ME I’ve served as a full-time councillor since the first day you elected me.

Full statement

I’ve dedicated myself to helping people, enhancing public services, and making a tangible difference to people in Hunslet, Beeston, Leeds City Centre, and our riverside communities—all despite Tory-imposed cuts since 2010.

I’ve carried out extensive local charity work during my time of service, supporting charities involved in health, education, and wellbeing. I’m proud to be the Chair of Trustees for the Hamara Centre and to be the honorary president of Hunslet Festival. It was an honour to be our Lord Mayor of Leeds between 2006 and 2007 and to bring our communities together at a time of need.

I came into politics after witnessing the impact of violent crime and being determined to protect others from it. As the Chair of the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, I ensured the voice of victims was heard by those in a position to make a difference.

In recent years, I've been proud of the work I’ve done to improve our parks, such as Brickfield, Trentham, Church Street, Hunslet Lake, and more. I’ve invested in hundreds of new litter bins and community litter picking kits to tackle litter, and I’ve created a network of grit bins in our estates to reduce trips and falls.

But there is so much more to say and so much more to do. Vote for me to keep working hard for you.

MY PLEDGES

- Support new Food Pantries to tackle the hunger crisis in our communities. Leeds City Council's Food Champion has pioneered a new subscription-based solution which is founded on respect, solidarity, and co-operation.

- Back the bus franchising system for West Yorkshire, which gives local people much more control over routes, fares, and timetables. Our buses should be a public service, not a cash cow for private companies. In the future, some routes could be provided by new bus co-operatives.

- Encourage co-operative housing organisations to build more properties in our area, thereby helping to address the massive un-met need for high-quality, affordable housing.

- Get our existing social housing stock retrofitted with modern insulation, working in conjunction with Leeds City Council, suppliers, and tenants. This should improve health outcomes, reduce energy bills, and, of course, reduce our carbon footprint.

- Call for powers and funding to be devolved to the most local level possible, empowering communities and responding to their needs.

- Continue to invest in ways to reduce litter and fly tipping and to support the introduction of kerbside glass collection.

- Fight for more police on our streets to tackle anti-social behaviour and cut crime, as every resident should feel safe and secure at home and out in the community.

A PARTNERSHIP DELIVERING FOR YOU TOGETHER

Together with Paul, I have delivered significant investment across Hunslet, Beeston, Leeds City Centre, and the riverside communities.

We’re an experienced team who work well together and put the community first. It is vital that we keep our team together.