I have lived in Lewisham since I was 5 years old and seen many changes over the years.

Full statement

I now wish to champion issues for Bellingham ward and for Lewisham Borough.

I want to make Lewisham a better place for everyone. I want everyone to have a fair chance and opportunity to reach their full potential.

I own and run my own environmental services business in Lewisham providing local employment for 3 people.

Homes For Lewisham - There is an overwhelming need for affordable housing in Lewisham whether it be to rent or to buy. I want to work towards affordable housing for all. I will insist that new developments include genuinely affordable homes for rent.
Lib Dem-run Sutton has set up a development company to build the homes that are needed in their borough. This is something I believe we can successfully emulate in Lewisham.

I want to ensure the council uses more Empty Management Dwelling Orders on properties left empty for long periods and has a plan of action to tackle rogue landlords.

It is a fact that poor housing and families in bed & breakfast accommodation leads to poor educational attainment and poor health outcomes. I believe that improving housing is key to improving the well being of people in the borough.

Focus on Education - As a borough we have a poor record of achievement for secondary schools which is reflected in Ofsted reports. I want to see an increased focus on the quality of our education services.

Government figures that measure progress from Key Stage 2 to the end of Key Stage 4 rate four Lewisham secondary schools as Well Below Average. This places Lewisham as the second worst borough in the whole of Greater London. Lewisham Council is failing to give our secondary schools the support they need. This problem is symptomatic of the complacency that has set in under Labour in Lewisham.
There are people who have experience of turning schools around. As your councillor I will work with my council colleagues and stakeholders to ensure we have a robust plan of action based on advice from the people who know best.

A Safer Lewisham - We need more innovative youth projects that will divert young people from crime. I will be working to make this a council priority. Knife crime is taking the lives of too many of our children.

I believe there are lessons we can learn from the successful approach taken in Glasgow. Glasgow’s social care, education and health sectors partnered with the police to work with young victims in the crucial hours after being stabbed. They provided support and learned vital information that helped to prevent more attacks. The results so far have been dramatic. Between April 2011 - April 2016 not a single young person was killed with a knife in Glasgow. We need to learn from them.

Improving Lewisham’s Environment - We can make Lewisham greener and continue to reduce our carbon footprint. Lewisham’s recycling rate is one of the lowest in London. I want to work hard at improving this rate so that Lewisham becomes the gold-standard for London.

As a large owner of properties Lewisham Council should introduce renewable energy much more widely. The council should fit solar panels on council and community buildings, including the thousands of homes that are council owned.
The council should offer interest-free loans to private landlords to do the same.

It should also offer to guarantee loans for community energy projects.
The biggest barrier for many community micro-generation projects is upfront cash. Lewisham Council can overcome this – and it should. The council should include renewable energy as a requirement for all new developments.

The use of electric cars needs encouragement. As your councillor I want would accelerate the electric transition by installing chargers on every street – and offer Lewisham residents discount rates at the electric pump. I would also be pushing the council to offer low-interest loans to residents and businesses to help them buy electric cars or vans.

Your Future, Your Choice - I believe that Britain is better off in the EU. The Conservatives are making a mess of Brexit, and the Labour Leadership continue to support them. The Liberal Democrats want to give you the final say on the Brexit deal.
You should be able to choose whether the deal is the right deal for Britain's future. If it's not, then you should be able to reject it and remain in the European Union.

Better Local Democracy - Lewisham suffers from being a one-party borough. Labour has 53 out of 54 councillors. Only the Liberal Democrats have the strength to challenge Labour and bring democracy back to Lewisham.

The Liberal Democrats believe a strong team led by Mayoral Caniddate Chris Maines would result in better services for Lewisham’s residents. That's why we will scrap the current mayoral system.

On May 3rd, vote for positive change for Lewisham. Vote Liberal Democrats.