The Liberal Democrats have selected the party’s candidate to stand in a by-election in Hove next month.
Kim Leyland-Walker, 43, has been chosen to stand in the Goldsmid by-election for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council after former councillor Jackie O’Quinn stood down.
The Lib Dem candidate works in insurance and lives just outside the ward, having moved to Hove more than 10 years ago.
The party said: “The Brighton and Hove Liberal Democrats are pleased to introduce Kim Leyland-Walker to be their candidate for the upcoming by-election in Goldsmid.
“Kim has lived in Hove for nearly 11 years, with her wife, after growing up in west London. She loves everything about our wonderful city.
“Kim, who now works in the insurance industry, is not university educated but started her working life at 16 working in care homes. She then worked for a civil engineering and construction company for 12 years.”
Kim said: “I understand what it is like to work your socks off just to survive. I know that the cost of living is at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
“And I can understand the sense of unfairness when we pay so much in taxes and feel we don’t get the service we should.
“I am a volunteer with the Brighton and Hove Tidy Up Team and enjoy rolling up my sleeves and getting stuck in to helping look after our beautiful city the way it deserves to be looked after.
“I am a great believer in the saying ‘be the change you want to see’.
“I like to think I am not like ‘any other politician’. I know that the one thing that really destroys our faith in our democracy is when promises are made and broken.
“So, I won’t be promising that I can fix all your problems overnight but I do say that I will be available to listen to your issues and be your voice on the council to ensure your concerns are heard and acted upon.”
The Lib Dems said: “Kim joined the Liberal Democrats because she knows they are the party to get things done and she promises to represent you with hard work, honesty and integrity.”
The by-election is due to take place on Thursday 25 June.
Doesn’t live in the ward. The Lib Dems have regularly had a go at other candidates for not being local, yet in recent elections their choices have not.
Hi Katy. Completely understand the basis for your comment, just to clarify though I am literally 30 seconds outside the border of the Ward, so whilst I am not inside the ward I am very much involved in the area and very much aware of its needs. Kim.
That’s reassuring to know Kim.
So you support the view that candidates should live in or close enough to the ward they wish to represent?
Glad to have offered some reassurance Katy. I do think that where possible living in, or near the ward is the ideal, but as Andrew does highlight below I do think being an active member in the community is more important. But with me you get both! 🙂
But you can be living in a ward and be one boundary reorganisation away from living outside it without even moving. I’d say general activity in that local community is more important than precisely where you live.
https://share.google/iuCdm8aN0HaLHXoaz
Kim, it sounds like you are community-minded, which is great, if so. Does this mean you would stand up for local heritage and public assets? That would be the deal breaker for me when voting as Hove is in danger of being absorbed into Brighton, with its own character destroyed.
Absolutely, community is so important. I can totally understand your concerns, there is so much heritage in Hove to be proud of and I would certainly look to keep our beautiful heritage as far as it is possible.