Six candidates are standing in a by-election in Kemptown for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council on Thursday 2 May.
The seat became vacant when Bharti Gajjar resigned. She was elected for Labour last May but expelled from the party in December. She then sat as an independent but resigned in March.
The six candidates are Robert Brown (Liberal Democrat), Gary Farmer (Brighton and Hove Independent), Jamie Gillespie (Independent), Theresa Mackey (Labour), Josephine O’Carroll (Conservative) and Ricky Perrin (Green).
Each candidate received questions about local issues submitted by the public and was asked why they wanted to represent the ward.
Below are the responses from Jamie Gillespie, a postgraduate PhD student.
Do you live in the ward and why do you want to represent Kemptown?
I would like to restore Kemptown to its former glory. I would look at bringing Kemptown forward to a place that the residents can be proud of. It’s a fantastic place to live with a bit of love.
How were you selected to stand for election?
I regularly visit the food bank. I plan to open another food bank if elected. I go to the Food and Friendship luncheon club regularly, feeding 100 elderly residents, having some music and entertainment.
Kemptown ward is blighted by litter and graffiti. How will you support residents and tackle this?
A litter pick and clean up could work. Maybe have a prize for the person that collects the most litter. An incentive so to speak. Get all the residents involved.
What are your views on the return of glyphosate weedkiller? Will you volunteer to join the tidy up team?
I strongly believe that glyphosate is carcinogenic so I believe it will cause issues in the future.
If phase three of the Valley Gardens project increases congestion, what will you do on behalf of those affected including residents?
To improve footfall and to generate tourism and spending in the town, maybe have one day of every month with free parking. Maybe on special occasions such as the King’s birthday. And a park and ride at weekends.
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Polling stations in Kemptown are due to open at 7am on Thursday 2 May and close at 10pm. Photo ID is required for those voting in person.
South Portslade elections, only a few months ago, didn’t work out for Jamie, so it appears we are trying our luck on the other side of Brighton.
This pretty much ignores the concerns residents have with non-local councillors, and whilst I personally have no issue with people from Brighton generally, this will be a deal-breaker for many.
Jamie stood as the Conservative Candidate in 2019 South Portslade Council Election