ABOUT ME

I’ve lived in Kings Hedges since I was born and grew up in a council house near the Ship pub. My mum used to have a stall in the Arbury carnival selling food, I used to look forward to the parade and to seeing all of our community come together in harmony. I used to cycle to Arbury court to buy sweets and go to the library. I used to enjoy playing football in the Pulley park. This community made me who I am today and I am proud to call it home.

I went to school in the neighbouring Arbury and Chesterton wards, with my further and higher education at Long Road and Anglia Ruskin University. I am now a public servant working as a forensic scientist in London. I'm a Prospect trade union member, currently training to be a workplace rep so that I can help my colleagues.

I’m also a carer to my sibling and live with my 3 rescue cats.

I understand the struggles of the working class because I live those struggles on a daily basis. Everything is getting more expensive and everything is broken. I left the Labour party because they no longer represent the interests of the most vulnerable in society and are more interested in appeasing the far right and the interests of billionaires and privatising our NHS. Britain is broken, not because of immigrants, but because of decades of austerity and unequal wealth distribution. The working classes are squeezed in taxes while the billionaires enjoy their tax breaks.

I am standing in this election because I am fed up with absent councillors who do not live here but decide on matters that affect our community, behind closed doors and without involving the community. They are only visible when they need our vote.

Labour say they are building houses here but not all of these houses go to those who need them, a lot are sold to overseas investors while families and those who need them are on long waiting lists. 

There are also no affordable homes for those who grew up here or who have come here to work and are privately renting here. The only affordable options we have here are paying for expensive rental properties or shared ownership which gets people into more debt and they never truly own a home. No councillors are talking about this.

I agree that good quality houses need to be built, but we also need green spaces for our community wellbeing and for children to play. 

The council plans for house building never factor in the need for adequate car parking spaces or green spaces when new houses are built, one such example is the newly built houses next to The Ship pub or the new developments on Campkin Road.

Our roads are unsafe for all road users due to being in a constant state of disrepair with potholes, and antisocial driving by car drivers, moped riders, cyclists and scooters and the streets and courts are not safe because of lack of lighting and CCTV or uneven paving slabs.

There have been accidents on Kings Hedges road and other parts of our ward due to speeding and many cats are killed by speeding drivers and children are at risk of being hit.

Our issues in Kings Hedges go deeper than potholes, litter and fly tipping. We are the second most deprived ward in Cambridge where the wealth is so unequally distributed.

Food poverty is at an all time high in our ward and there is nowhere for our youth and children to go and have fun and learn new skills. 

Cambridge is getting significant investment from the government and is tipped to be the next Silicon Valley. If I am elected, I will make sure that we get money spent on projects in Kings Hedges that will benefit our community. I will make sure that Kings Hedges is not left behind.

These are basic issues that need to be addressed, we are not asking for a lot. The mainstream parties will not consider these issues that are related to decades of neglect, austerity and politicians with self serving interests. I do not want our community to be used as a stepping stone for Conservatives, Labour and Reform to become career politicians or to sow the seeds of division and hate. I have a job that pays my bills so I am not in politics for the money, I am in it because I want to see improvements in our community, to be our collective voice and to help others. I do not claim to have all the answers but I promise I will listen to you and seek expert opinion on areas that are not my strengths. I have a record of public service from working in a supermarket, to being a phlebotomist in the NHS to currently working to help people get justice so I am willing to step up and serve all of us in Kings Hedges no matter what your background is. As an independent I am best placed to speak for you rather than be suppressed by any party whip.

I think as residents of Kings Hedges we deserve better and if you think so too then please vote for me in this May's local elections.