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Meet the Hanworth by-election candidates

By Hugh Fort
October 13, 2009

The political battle is on in Hanworth with candidates from six parties putting themselves forward for the borough council seat left vacant after the sudden death of Councillor Alan Browne.

Hugh Fort takes a look at the line-up and what each party has to offer the people on Thursday, October 15.

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Larraine De Laune - Lib Dem
Steve Gabb - Green Party
Janet Keene - Labour
Jeff Newbold - UKIP
David Penson – BNP
Mark Phillips – Conservative party

Candidates from the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, The UK Independence Party (UKIP), The Green Party and the British National Party (BNP) are all hoping to get the vote from the public at the by-election on Thursday, October 15.

The seat became vacant when Cllr Browne died suddenly on holiday in August.

Polling stations are at the Pines Community Centre in Hanworth

Road and Birch Hill Community Centre in Leppington between 7am and 10pm.

Councillor Browne was also a member of Bracknell Town Council. Labour, Liberal Democrat, Conservative candidates are standing in that election, held on the same day, also at the Pines Community Centre. The Green Party has also put a candidate, Mark Brown, into the town council election.

Anyone over 18 registered to vote and living in the areas of Hanworth and Birch Hill can vote in the council election but the town council election is only open to people living in the Hanworth ward.

For more on both the elections visit www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk.

Larraine De Laune – Liberal Democrat Party.

Larraine of Lochinver says the borough has had some of the fastest rises in Council Tax in the country since the Conservatives took over, but at the same time many council services have been restricted.

She says the lack of opposition, with just three Labour Councillors and 38 Tories, as well as the vacant seat, leads to undemocratic decisions.

Her other concern is councillors allowances.

She says despite the recession councillors have still voted to increase their own allowances.

Steve Gabb – Green Party.

Steve has lived in Bishopdale in Wildridings for four-and-a-half years.

The 29-year-old dad of one is a software developer who is keen to improve the council’s environmental credentials.

He said: “If elected I will continue to suggest further improvements to the borough’s recycling schemes with zero waste being the target.

“I will also demand all new buildings are energy efficient and campaign for additional affordable housing on brown field sites.”

He added he would call for the introduction of a 10p levy at local supermarkets on new plastic bags taken by their customers, 5p of which would go to the supermarket and 5p to the council to help reduce Council Tax.

Janet Keene – Labour.

Janet is a former councillor for the area who has stood against Andrew MacKay as a party political candidate.

She has lived in Lochinver for 22 years, has three children who have been educated at The Pines Infant School in Hanworth Road and Easthampstead Park School where she is a governor.

If elected, she will work to improve facilities for young people in the area and says she is well aware of the problems with parking.

She added she would try to keep people living in the area informed of potential council projects and decisions.

Jeff Newbold – UKIP.

Jeff has lived in Bracknell Forest for 45 years. His home is in Fletcher Gardens in Binfield.

He said: “I will fight for genuine independence for local planning, recognition of the outcomes of local consultations and stopping the overriding of local decisions by remote appeal bodies.

“I want to re-establish Bracknell’s rural feel by stopping and rolling back the creeping urbanisation we see manifested, such as superfluous signs.”

He added the party’s policies on local Government include scrapping the executive system at the council to give back bench councillors more say.

David Penson – BNP.

David, 50, lives in Broad Lane in Harmans Water.

He is worried about the Government’s New Deal scheme, which is designed to encourage young people into training and apprenticeships.

He said he believes money is not spent in the right way.

In Bracknell, if elected, he would try to make the council more open about its regeneration plans.

He said: “There are a lot of empty shop units in Broadway in Bracknell town centre – the problem is no-one will take them unless they know what is happening with regard to the regeneration.

“It’s in limbo, no one knows what’s happening with it and I think the council needs to be more proactive.”

Mark Phillips–Conservative party

Mark, 36, of Claverdon, is a project manager for a TV and satellite installer and has one daughter, Jessica, three.

He said if he is elected he will join fellow Tories Cllr Chas Bailey and Cllr Gill Birch to fight for an improved police presence in the area, improvements to older people’s accommodation and to provide better parking facilities.

He added: “I’m a governor at Wooden Hill School and my wife is a local registered childminder, so education and facilities for young people are important to me.

“I used to be a semi-professional football referee and ran a junior football team, so I know the issues facing the young people today.”

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The majority of BNP members are honourable people,who believe and the evidence bears this out that the white working class are badly let down by the 3 main parties,but dont be misled Andy Mcbride is not an honourable man,on two occaisions,he has insulted former members for asking questions about his decisions, he along with fellow griffin appointees is holding bacxk the party,which is in badly needed reform. i used to nbe the swale branch organiser,but fell out with Mcbride over his appointment of a political pygmy,who had never held any office within the BNP,we have tried to reform the local party into proper regional organisations based on county lines,this reflects the growth of the party,but griffin wants total control,of everything, we made a complaint under the parties constitution,but the party shouts about the democratic party.but denies this right to its members, The party has to reform and get rid of people like Mcbride.

graeme54
15/01/2010 at 07:07

VoteUKIP4sure - What sort of political bias would that be? I made a generalised statement. I have not yet decided who I will vote for and have not seen a UKIP candidate in my locality --- Unless they came round when the majority of Tax payers were at work (as is usually the case with Council run issues)

I actually had a UKIP poster in my window during the Euro Elections and that is where my vote also went. I do hope you are not the UKIP candidate, because I would struggle to vote for someone who miscomprehends a well stated comment.

My point was that I have not received any literature that would sway my vote in any direction. I said I found it sad that all I had received was literature from the BNP....that was because they are the last party on earth I was consider voting for!

Marjo
15/10/2009 at 14:04

In this modern age, it is not just knocking or doors, which the Conservatives have done well at, given that there thousands of people to meet, but Internet presence. Only the Conservatives score here. The Lib Dems have a site, but strangely list the Conservative candidates!

Olds Oak, Finchampstead
15/10/2009 at 01:07

I know that both UKIP and the Tories have delivered leaflets extensively in the ward. I suggest that this is comment has a political bias.

VoteUKIP4sure
14/10/2009 at 23:04

I am finding it quite sad that the only party to have placed a decent amount of literature through residents doors is the BNP. If local candidates wish to stir up the hearts of the voters to the extent of them actually going to the polling station to place their votes, then a lot more needs to come from local candidates. I know this was short notice, but it was still a number of weeks from receiving a polling card to seeing one of the candidates.