Crawley Council

The Reverend Malcolm Liles will face a tough battle in Southgate ward, which is a Labour stronghold.

Indeed, anyone not flying the red flag in Crawley faces a similar experience as the town has been firmly in Labour hands for the last 39 years.

Coun Liles quit Labour last month as a moral protest against the war with Iraq and switched his allegiance to the Green Party.

He had been a Labour councillor in Ifield, Crawley, for three years, and a member of the Labour Party since 1974.

Coun Liles said: "I had become concerned about the lack of democracy within local government. I was also worried by the lack of support for local government from Labour.

"In many ways, being in local government under New Labour was no different than it had been under Thatcher or Major.

"It was a whole series of things which accumulated. The war in Iraq was the last straw."

Coun Liles, vicar at St John's Church, High Street, Crawley, wants to get the council to promote green issues such as recycling and stricter controls on mobile phone masts.

He will be one of 40 prospective candidates battling for one of 12 seats up for grabs on Crawley Borough Council on May 1.

One third of the council is up for election as councillors are elected on a rotation basis.

Of the 12 seats, six are now controlled by Labour, two by the Conservatives, one by the Liberal Democrats and one by Coun Liles.

There are also two vacancies, one in Furnace Green and another in Langley Green.

Eleven of the 13 wards are affected by the election. The three main political parties are each putting up 12 candidates.

Other candidates include Independent Richard Symonds in Ifield, Socialist Labour candidate Derek Isaacs in Tilgate and Vernon Atkinson in Furnace Green for the British National Party (BNP).

The full council has a total of 32 seats, with 21 Labour, six Conservative, two Liberal Democrat, one Independent, and two vacancies.

Doug Mayne, a Labour councillor standing for re-election in Tilgate, said one of the most important issues was a shortage of affordable housing.

He said: "Unfortunately, young people don't stand a chance of getting on to the property ladder unless they are earning about £30,000 a year.

"We're doing what we can but Crawley is running out of land to build housing."

Other issues were community safety, litter, traffic and plans for a second runway at Gatwick.

Coun Mayne said: "We don't want the airport to be downgraded from what it is now as it would impact jobs. But major expansion wouldn't be a good solution either.

"We need to let Gatwick expand naturally to its limit but to keep one runway."

For the Conservatives, a major issue is the decision not to build a hospital on the Pease Pottage site near Crawley.

While basic care will stay in Crawley, more serious treatment will mean a journey to Redhill in Surrey.

Bob Lanzer, deputy leader of the council's Tory group, said: "We're pretty appalled at what has been decided about the hospital, especially with a government which is meant to be improving health care.

"We will continue to campaign for a hospital on the Pease Pottage site."

The Tories also plan to campaign against council tax hikes, for more police on the streets and to protect the countryside around Crawley.

The Liberal Democrats are focusing more on local issues.

Councillor Gordon Seekings, who will be standing for re-election in Northgate, said people's main concerns were council tax increases and improvements to shopping parades in the town.

He said more money needed to be spent to improve parades, especially those in Furnace Green and Northgate, which were crucial to the communities.

Next year, there will be a major change to the elections in Crawley.

Ward boundaries are set to change due to population growth. This will add five extra seats to the council, bringing the total number of councillors to 37.

This will mean all seats will be up for re-election in 2004.

CANDIDATES FOR MAY 2003 Key: C Conservative; G Green; I Independent; L Labour; LD Liberal Democrat; SL Socialist Labour; BN British National.

Broadfield (1 seat): David Bowen (C); Clare Jeffers (LD); James McGough (L).

Furnace Green (1): Vernon Atkinson (BN); David Barry (LD); Raymond Calcott (L); Duncan Crow (C).

Gossops Green (1): Lee Burke (C); Howard Llewelyn (LD); William Ward (L).

Ifield (1): Brian Blake (C); Barry Hamilton (LD); John Stanley (L); Richard Symonds (I).

Langley Green (2): Christina Belben (C); Keith Brockwell (C); Kevin Osborne (LD); Mohammed Rana (LD); David Shreeves (L); James Smith (L).

Northgate (1): Corinne Bowen (C); Gordon Seekings (LD); Nicholas Webber (L).

Pound Hill North (1): Nigel Aldridge (LD); Sarah Blake (C); John Stephens (L).

Pound Hill South (1): Alison Cornell (L); Robert Lanzer (C); Edward Reay (LD).

Southgate (1): Malcolm Liles (G); Roger McMurray (LD); Lisa Noel (C); Mohammed Qamaruddin (L).

Three Bridges (1): Dennis Malt (L); John Rolf (C); Victoria Seekings (LD).

Tilgate (1): Derek Isaacs (SL); Alexander Maple (C); Douglas Mayne (L); Darren Wise (LD).