Naturally it is your choice, it is the people's choice. I have already been serving you well and hard for more than a decade here.
In my youth I served you whilst working in my local Chalk Farm Library. For the last six years I have served you as a member and vice chair of a local SNT police panel. And have made many suggestions on how to make our neighbourhood a safer place to be.
In education I have served you as governor of our local Primrose Hill School and take an active part in the working school places group. To help the 130 children in 2009 and 2010 get a local place. A bulge class was created allowing up to 20 or so children to be here at Primrose Hill School.
In housing I have represented locally a large community of leaseholders and tenants on a very large (more than 2200 people) for six years as a co-opted member of an outstanding model TRA that is a pleasure to affiliate with.
On Camden council I am a co-opted member of of the Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny (HASC) committee now in my second year. I have made many deputations to HASC prior to this in previous years representing the interests of the Camden community.
Yes I have made a big difference already. Changed a multimillion pound PFI project in its treatment of its residents, got the works changed to be the way the residents wanted and saved leaseholders around £1000 in costs in energy monitoring projects. The council wanted to charge installation, I went to the directorate, and won on behalf of all residents to waive that crazy fee.
With HS2 I was actively campaigning on behalf of the Primrose Hill and Belsize Park area and knocked on a very many doors in the local area that would have been potentially blighted back in 2009 and 2010. And since the so-called consultation process started 18 months ago I have been an active voice for common sense at the very many consultations meetings in and around Camden during this time. Only a few weeks ago I attended yet again another so-called consultation meeting. At that meeting I coined the phrase 'Groundhog Day Talks' if you have seen the movie then you will understand the irony!
I have been asked if I support the Legal Challenge from Camden on HS2. What I do support is common sense and if this requires a legal challenge to obtain common sense then I do.
As a local representative of the local people naturally I have a duty of care not to rush to support 'knee jerk' legal challenges that will cost every Camden resident money out of the Camden coffers. However, as I have said if a legal challenge is required to spurn a fundamental change in a flawed plan then I always believe that common sense prevails.
I am working here for you now.
Last night my fellow co-opted members and myself at the HASC Scrutiny committee were honoured and thanked by the chair and member councillors for our contributions over the past two years.
I have cross party respect and support here. So with the highly respected Cllr Pat Callaghan (Labour), Cllr Chris Naylor (Liberal Democrats) and prospective Cllr Nigel Rumble (Conservative) all serving you here in Camden Town with Primrose Hill you will have the most democratic ward in the whole of Camden, self scrutinising with no political gimmicks, equal representation of all political views. Just three people who passionately care and have demonstrated their caring to you the local community.
Help create a truly democratic ward today;
Vote Nigel Rumble on 3rd May
