Seven candidates are standing in a by-election in South Portslade for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Counciltoday.

The seat became vacant when long-serving Labour councillor Les Hamilton resigned.

The seven candidates are Danny John Booth (Green), Benjamin James Franks (Conservative), Jamie Rutherford Gillespie (Independent), Josh Guilmant (Labour), David Timothy Maples (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition), Georgia Arabella McKinley Fitch (Democratic Liberation Party) and Kenneth Lloyd Rist (Liberal Democrats).

Each candidate received questions about local issues submitted by the public and were asked why they wanted to represent the ward. Below are the responses from Green Party candidate Danny Booth.

Why do you want to be a councillor?

I’ve always wanted to play a role in supporting the community. As an elected councillor, you are the voice of your local area.

This is a very responsible position which I would love to do. I also enjoy finding ways around problems.

As a councillor, I could be helping people with issues related to housing, planning, benefits or dealing with council services. I’d like to help make community-wide improvements too to make Portslade quieter, greener and safer.

Why do you want to stand in this ward?

South Portslade is my home. I care deeply about my local community and feel the need to stand up for the people who live here.

It’s particularly important at the moment as the voices of people in South Portslade seem to be being ignored by the Labour council.

What are the key issues specific to this ward?

The closure of St Peter’s Primary is number one. It’s vastly damaging and unnecessary.

Read about other candidates below:

  • Benjamin Franks (Conservative Party) - read about him HERE
  • Jamie Gillespie (Independent)
  • Josh Guilmant (Labour) - read about him HERE
  • David Maples (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) - read about him HERE
  • Georgia McKinley-Fitch (Democratic Liberation Party) - read about her HERE
  • Kenneth Rist (Liberal Democrats) - read about him HERE

    The Greens kept their promise to stop any school closures when they were in charge.

    Labour said the same but six months later went back on their word.

    With the main shopping area and the seafront in the ward, people are also affected by noise and pollution from the busy roads.

    We need to take a greener “people first” approach to improving the local street environment.

    Will you toe the party line or go with what the community wants?

    Greens don’t force their councillors to vote in a certain way, unlike Labour and most other parties.

    So I would have the freedom to stand up for the needs of local people, reflect what the community are saying and push for the changes that residents want to see.

    Will you follow council officers’ advice over the demands of voters?

    Remember, we will have a Labour-run council for the next three and a half years so whoever is elected in this by-election won’t be able to change policy affecting local people on their own.

    But the best way to get the council to change their minds is to vote Green on 11 January to send a clear message to the council and to Labour that the whole community opposes the closure of St Peter’s School.

    How will you make South Portslade a better place?

    It’s a great place to live already. Locals are proud of Portslade’s unique identity. But we need to bring services closer to the people, attract more independent shops and sort out traffic problems.

    As a councillor, I would “bang heads together” to get the various parts of the council and other influential players to work together to move Portslade ahead.

    The last thing we need is to close our schools as they are a key part of our community.

    How will you deal with residents’ problems with missed rubbish and recycling collections?

    Residents rely on regular collections and I would push for this to be an absolute priority.

    Some of the problems with the service have been caused by low morale and workplace bullying at Cityclean.

    The council needs to deal with this urgently and I would press them on resolving these issues so we can get services working effectively for residents.

    Meanwhile, I would also ensure that all complaints are investigated and press for answers from Cityclean.

    What are your plans to engage with the community if elected?

    I would regularly attend meetings with all community groups in the area to increase my awareness of the priorities of the different communities here.

    Based on this, I’d consider how to best support the people of this area and work hard to make South Portslade the best it can be.

    I plan to hold a regular “meet your councillor” surgery and ensure people can get hold of me when they need support.

    What are your views on the proposed closure of St Peter’s Community Primary School?

    Greens would have stopped any talk of closing the school. Under the previous Green-led council, schools were safe – but not under Labour.

    Labour promised to do all they could to keep all schools open in their election manifesto so are going against their word.

    There needs to be more creative thinking about how to keep local schools open, involving the community. If elected, I’d do all I can to find a way forward.

    How will you ensure that the results of consultations about St Peter’s reflect the community’s will?

    I see the role of a councillor as being to reinforce the community’s voice. Greens urge the Labour administration to listen to the people that really matter – South Portslade residents.

    The council will decide whether or not to keep the school open, not local councillors, unfortunately.

    But if elected, I would stand up for residents and work hard to persuade Labour to reverse its plans to close our much-loved community school.

    The people of Portslade deserve better.

     

    Polling stations in South Portslade are due to open at 7am and close at 10pm. Photo ID is required for those voting in person.