By-election candidates answer your questions – David Maples (Independent)

Seven candidates are standing in a by-election in South Portslade for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council on Thursday 11 January 2024.

The seat became vacant when 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 Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidate David Maples, 64, a housing officer.

Why do you want to be a councillor?

I don’t want to be a conventional councillor. I want to be a voice of the community. Councillors who vote for cuts will come into conflict with the community.

I am fed up with councillors saying they have to make “difficult decisions” and cutting services. The “difficult decision” they need to make is to fight for the resources their wards need.

This means playing a part in a mass campaign to force government to provide sufficient funding.

Why do you want to stand in this ward?

The council should be elected every year rather than every four years. The council has a £33 million funding shortfall.

Being elected last year doesn’t give Labour the right to spend four years increasing our council tax during a “cost of living crisis”, introducing new and increasing existing charges and cutting services.

This election is an opportunity to send a warning to Labour – stand up for the community, don’t do the Tories’ dirty work for them.

What are the key issues specific to this ward?

This election should be a referendum on the proposed closure of St Peter’s School. Electing a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) councillor would send a shockwave through the Labour establishment.

There is a desperate shortage of affordable housing in Portslade. Residents are being priced out.

Too many young adults are being forced to stay with their parents, creating overcrowding. We need social housing with affordable rents rather than exorbitant shared ownership.

The Tories have plunged the NHS into crisis.

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

If you fight for the resources needed, there isn’t a conflict. However, none of the Labour councillors were even prepared to vote for an extension of the consultation on the proposed closure of St Peter’s School.

One more Labour councillor won’t make a difference but a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) councillor can.

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

Council officers have expertise but shouldn’t be allowed to set political priorities. Councillors are responsible for this.

In the run-up to this year’s budget setting, I would organise community meetings to set a No Cuts People’s Budget based on the needs of the community.

This is a wealthy country but the money is in the wrong hands. If this is more than the Tories are prepared to provide, Labour should commit that a new Labour government will increase funding.

How will you make South Portslade a better place?

Stopping Labour from making it worse will be a good start. Labour and the Greens voted together to close Mile Oak Library. We won’t let them close Portslade Library.

Affordable nursery provision needs to be increased. I will also campaign for open spaces to be properly maintained.

Public service providers like Royal Mail need to be held to account and Southern Water must be stopped from dumping sewage in the sea.

Royal Mail and Southern Water should both be renationalised.

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

It is scandalous that Veolia was given a 30-year contract. I will campaign for outsourced services to be brought back in-house so they are accountable to democratically elected representatives.

This needs to go beyond small committees of councillors. Services should be designed by the local community to meet its needs.

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

Labour has scandalously called this by-election now in the hope that people are preoccupied with Christmas.

They want to get it out of the way before they announce proposals to cut £33 million in February.

I will only be elected if I successfully engage with the community. I have called for hustings to be organised so that all candidates are put on the spot.

I would organise regular community meetings to be a people’s representative.

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

It’s a scandal. Pupils have already had massive disruption to their education because of the pandemic. The last thing they need is to move to another primary.

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is opposed to school closures. If pupil numbers are reducing, there should be smaller class sizes like private schools.

Primaries are more than just schools. They are building blocks of local welfare where the community meets and families get support when other services fail.

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

I won’t. You will. Election of a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) councillor on Thursday 11 January would boost the campaign and put Labour under enormous pressure to rethink. They wouldn’t want the issue to continue in a general election year.

The proposals fail to take account of factors such as new housebuilding, enabling siblings to go to the same school, special educational needs, nursery provision and choices over faith education. Bin them.

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