Labour has chosen a retired head teacher as the party’s candidate in the Queen’s Park by-election for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council.
Simon Charleton, 69, has lived in the ward for almost 30 years, raising his four children there while running St John’s College, a specialist college for youngsters with special educational needs.
The by-election was called when Labour councillor Tristram Burden stood down after becoming a local authority inspector for the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Five years ago, Mr Charleton was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to young people with special educational needs during covid-19.
He started his teaching career in south London in 1978 and has served as the head teacher of two schools and as a vice-principal and is a former member of Brighton and Hove City Council.
His first job locally was as a classroom teacher at Portslade School and Community College – now the Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA). He also sits on the local bench as a magistrate.
Mr Charleton chairs the St Luke’s Residents Association and is the clerk of governors at Queen’s Park Primary School.
He said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be selected as the Labour candidate for Queen’s Park, my home for many decades.
“It’s a truly special place to live and it would be an honour to represent neighbours, residents and local businesses if elected on Thursday 18 September.
“The Labour council has been doing a good job in turning round the mess left by the last Green council but there’s so much more to do.
“I’ll be working with residents to help unlock their priorities for the area.”
The Labour leader of the council leader Bella Sankey said: “Simon is a real local champion – connected to his community and already working on issues that matter to residents.
“He also brings a wealth of experience as a senior educator and former councillor.
“This election is a choice – should Queen’s Park continue rebuilding and making progress under Labour? Or risk going backwards with the Lib Dems or the Greens?”
Labour has been doing a good job? What planet is he on? This is the 2nd by-election in Queens Park due to the last 2 Labour councillors being suspended and then resigning. Do not trust Labour, please just vote for anyone – send a message to Sankey and her minions. NO TO LABOUR – NO TO STARMER
Just because of some wrong-uns? Didn’t see the tories do any better! Maybe you should apply if you’re such a specialist!
On his twitter page Simon Charleton says “I’m Labour @blue_labour through and through” and has happily retweeted things like an event called “the future of Labour is conservatism”. So guess he will fit right in with the Tory mimicking, austerity-complicit, Labour council we have right now.
Thanks for drawing attention to this. There are still some good eggs in Labour. If he supports the disastrous blue Labour initiative of that charlatan Glasman then clearly he isn’t one of them.
Thanks for pointing this out. There are stlll some good people in Labour but ‘blue Labour’ really is the pits, so it would seem he isn’t one of them.
He’s having a laugh.
“This election is a choice – should Queen’s Park continue rebuilding and making progress under Labour? Or risk going backwards with the Lib Dems or the Greens?”
It’s this Labour administration who are taking the city backwards with their failure to listen to residents and their arrogance.
…and the Greens weren’t arrogant? Their inability to listen and constant vanity projects were their downfall. Even their former leader had to remind them of this.
Labour locally or nationally are unelectable for the rest of this century. A party that is now such a dismal failure it is sad to see such a good candidate lower himself to stand for them.
“The Headmaster Ritual”
Was a track by the The Smiths.
Substitute “Manchester Schools” for “Brigton Council” and the lyrics are quite apt.
Labour are a disgrace.
Receipts:
Using taxpayers funds to Support Genocide in Gaza, and helping IDf with reconnaissance flights
Banning Palestine Group and arresting people holding placards in peaceful protest.
Brighton and Hove in particular with Kyle in Friends of Israel basically a lobby group to control the Zionist narrative.
End of receipts
as an aside be sure to check out and read carefully a petition on the official uk government and parliament petition page…repeal the online safety act..it currently has 525,574, signatures it needs many more it can be signed and reshared widely from all over the uk including brighton
Would Bella like to share with the rest of us what progress has been made in QP? Think she would struggle.
Maybe Simon would like to detail what he would do for the area?
I’m sure a hustings will come up soon.
I’m not sure there will be a hustings. When this by-election was announced I asked St Lukes Residents Association (who hosted the last three and chaired very efficiently by Simon Charleton) if they would hold one but the answer came back that time limitations meant they are unable to host this time. I approached Queens Park Tennis Club but no response. I asked the local Lib Dem chair if candidate Rudi could approach the tennis club (where Rudi is an accomplished player) and received a confusing message “We have decided not to participate in the hustings at Queen’s Park Tennis Club”.
I really hope there is a hustings and that it comes before the postal votes go out. I would absolutely relish it!
Completely agree with you, Adrian. Everyone should get an opportunity to tell the Queen’s Park residents what they are all about and have questions posed to them.
Simon has been the chair of St Lukes Residents Association for the last 5 years, but has stepped down when he was elected as Labour party candidate, as our association is strictly non-political.
Can’t help but wonder how soon the retirement happened after the pretty damning 2023 Ofsted report when he was head at St John’s in Seaford found serious leadership issues. It’s worth a read! https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50211247
Except that applying a basic understanding of timelines shows that the report happened AFTER he retired. You appear to be arguing his case that Simon appeared to be a good headteacher. Very kind.
You’re wrong though Benjamin, Simon Charleton is quoted in this March 2023 article about the Ofsted report – he was CEO of the school at the time: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-65012382. I would not have mentioned it if he was not connected to the school at the time of the report, he was, he was CEO.
In the BBC report it said Simon Charleton “promised an “action plan”” following the dire Oftsed report. It was subsequently reported in the Argus the same year that the school was to close. Parents say they were sent an email on the 6 June 2023 telling them that the school would close just 7 weeks later on the 21 July – that’s some “action plan”.
You may want to make sure your facts and timeline are accurate before suggesting that someone else has said something incorrect in the future. Simon Charleton was CEO at the time of the dreadful 2023 Ofsted report.
And had retired as the headmaster at that point where he would have been directly involved in the day to day. So no, I am not incorrect.
So your argument is that he is clearly better at being grassroots and involved directly, rather than a board of trustees. I agree.
So the question is: is being a councillor like being a headteacher (hands on, day to day) or like a trustee (oversight).
I’d suggest the latter.
Hi Benjamin, a CEO is ultimately responsible for the organisation. They are typically the most senior person, and so irrespective of whether some functions are delegated to others, the overall responsibility for managerial decisions within the organisation lies with them.
STARMER is doing his best to try and stop the war in Ukraine but there is growing discontent about ghastly situation in Gaza. Hundreds of middle England citizens, many of them pensioners have been arrested for protesting the war in Gaza. Locally the Tories have few council seats and seem unable to get people to deliver leaflets or help out at elections. The Lib Dems are strong in Eastbourne and have an excellent MP. At a recent council election in Hove Reform did badly, I think that B and H has a generally well educated population who can see right through Faragism and populist policies.
Reform didn’t do badly in the Hove by-election. Check your facts. Don’t forget the hard left marxists fascists antifa loons (yes you can have fascists on the left – look it up) screaming from outside the co-op, smear campaign, leafletting hatred and lies…..
They got 9% in the Westbourne & Poet’s corner by-election earlier this year.
That is doing badly!
9% increase as first time standing a candidate in the ward is noteworthy in a very hostile contest where the Reform candidate was threatened with assault by supporters from the left. No-one should be threatened with being beaten up if they walk the streets of Hove. The police got involved. The vile hatred and abuse the Reform UK candidate received was off the scale, and for what?Absolutely disgusting behaviour from the left and their supporters.
It’s a shame the comments section of this news page seems to have been taken over by those who have a party political axe to grind.
I guess the bi election results will speak for themselves, but this guy actually seems like a good candidate – with a past history of working within the local community and achieving stuff.
It would be a shame if good local candidates no longer come forwards – for fear of being slagged off in social media before they even get a chance of doing anything.
For the record, this used to be my ward, and for 30 years, but I live in Hove nowadays.
This is a bit rich coming from you Billy…
Ha, we know it’s not your first time on this website! But I’ve said it before, to put yourself up is to be subjected to a variety of, sometimes unhinged, opinions. I respect anyone who steps up.
For me, and, of course, I’ve always been left-leaning in these matters; the history of being proactive in the local community is important to me. A person who comes from seemingly nowhere just feels opportunistic.
When we are talking about national politics, Ward Councillors generally don’t have a lot of say, so judging them purely on headline stances misses what really counts: what they’ve actually done for residents.
My humble opinion, at least.
Well said Benjamin.
The “Fargage Balloon” for that is what he is, full of hot air and rhetoric but short on policy.
Tommy Robinson in a suit.
I love Brighton for its tolerance and diversity.
Election are gender neutral.
It’s a by-election not a bi-election!
But I agree the appalling behaviour social media trolls does prevent good people from standing and social media makes it easier for them to troll and abuse.
9% increase as first time standing a candidate in the ward is noteworthy in a very hostile contest where the Reform candidate was threatened with assault by supporters from the left. No-one should be threatened with being beaten up if they walk the streets of Hove. The police got involved. The vile hatred and abuse the Reform UK candidate received was off the scale, and for what?Absolutely disgusting behaviour from the left and their supporters.