Six candidates are standing for election to parliament to represent the Hove and Portslade constituency on Thursday 4 July 2024.
The six candidates are Sophie Broadbent (Green), Carline Deal (Conservative), Martin Hess (Reform UK), Peter Kyle (Labour), Tanushka Marah (Independent) and Michael Wang (Liberal Democrat).
Each candidate answered questions submitted by voters. Here are the answers from Independent candidate Tanushka Marah, 49, a theatre director who posts on Instagram as @Tanushkamarahcampaign.
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Why do you want to be an MP and how are you qualified for the role?
People are tired of the way career politicians ignore voters’ views and they want a new kind of independent politics.
I feel duty-bound to represent the millions who want an end to the Gaza genocide, who are being ignored by our Westminster political parties.
I’ve lived in Hove and Brighton for 29 years, working as a theatre director. For 15 years, I’ve worked with young people across the constituency, building links with community groups to open doors to culture for young people of all backgrounds.
I ran my own business and understand the struggles people face in Britain today.
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If elected, how would you deal with performance and pricing problems in privatised utilities such as the water companies, railways, energy companies and the Royal Mail?
Privatisation – including mail, water, railways and energy – has failed. We need to bring all these essential services back into democratic public ownership.
We need affordable rail fares to encourage more use of the train network and get people out of their cars.
The privatisation of Royal Mail has been a disaster, with the private management seeking to undermine the universal service and hike prices.
The water companies have taken £72 billion-plus in profits, failed to invest and now want to hike water prices to solve the sewage crisis they caused. We need publicly owned energy providers to drive the renewable energy transition.
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What would you do to help people who are struggling to rent or buy a home? Should second homes or Airbnb-style holiday lets be banned?
I support building more secure affordable council homes, secure long-term tenancies for renters, taxes on empty homes, and a cap on holiday lets, including Airbnb.
I also support rent controls – including a freeze on most rents – to stop excessive rent rises, with the aim to bring average rents down to less than 40 per cent of average wages.
No-fault evictions must be banned and notice periods extended for end of tenancies. First-time buyers and families must be given priority in all new housing developments, sales for second homes restricted and overseas sales of private homes or flats for investment should be banned.
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What steps would you take to improve hospital performance, community care and access to GPs for patients in Brighton and Hove?
The NHS is being privatised by the Conservatives – and Labour wants to continue this policy. We need to end NHS privatisation and restore pay levels for all our NHS workers to halt the exodus of doctors and nurses to other countries and out of the health service.
To fund this, we need to raise corporation tax, close tax loopholes and introduce a tax on the wealthiest 1 per cent to raise billions to restore our public services.
We also need to build a National Care Service to end the crisis of elderly care and restore special needs and mental health services.
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Events in Israel and Gaza have affected many members of the community here. What can people in your constituency expect you to say and do as an MP?
As a British Palestinian, I feel duty-bound to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, an end to UK support for Israel’s genocide, ending arms sales to Israel and an end to the occupation of Palestinian lands.
The UK must impose an arms embargo and economic sanctions on Israel until it ceases human rights violations and the illegal occupation.
We must also comply with and enforce the rulings of the ICC and the World Court.
I will continue to campaign and speak up on Israeli apartheid and US-UK complicity until Palestine achieves self determination and freedom.
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Do you support building new homes and a replacement for King Alfred swimming pool in the Benfield Valley?
It is vital that the popular King Alfred leisure centre is given the chance to continue to serve its local seafront community in its original location.
It is a three-acre public asset built for the people of Hove 85 years ago, not a private building site for luxury flats.
Full restoration would be the cheapest and greenest option and generations of residents could continue to enjoy it.
It would also be great to have a new leisure centre in Hangleton. We must end the selling off of great public assets to private developers.
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Polling stations are due to be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 4 July. Photo ID is required for those voting in person.
Can you please ask your supporters to stop fly posting the city’s lamp posts. Appuling behaviour.
Agreed. Isn’t that is against election rules?
Sadly, Tanushka platforms with people who praise Hamas, want to get rid of Zionists, read Jews from all over the world, scream: From the River to the Sea …’ express admiration for communism and oppressive regimes but most importantly and sadly her campaign is run by people who were expelled from Labour because of antisemitism and she joins with people who were accused of hateful attitudes. She never mentions Hamas and her views are very immature. Black or white! She says the conflict isn’t complicated as if the whole situation in the Middke East wasnt complicated. Palestine is her passion which is fair but unfortunately there’s too much hate for Israel and Jewish people and too little about Hove and Portslade. We need dialogues, not antagonism and hatred and we need to build a strong community that will unite and not divide us.
Appuling spelling.
Argumentum ad grammaticam, John.
Starts with Gaza. Has photos of her at a Gaza protest.on her leaflets. Won’t be voting for her. What’s happening in Gaza is awful but my priority is to where I live. Most Brisith people would never go to Gaza, and if they did I’m sure they won’t be welcome there.
I respectfully feel the same way. War, for any reason, is of course a terrible thing, however, it doesn’t make much difference in the running of the UK, and realistically, I would question the appropriateness of using up my vote for a candidate who is pushing a one-item agenda that’s not really relevant to a rank and file politician.
The only comment from her that is reasonable is about The King Alfred. Well I suppose, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Hopefully this individual full of hatred will come last.
I partially agree. The King Alfred as a facility should be revitalised in some form. I am not attached to the idea that it needs to remain in the same building and must be in the same spot, especially if a compromise can raise the capital to build a modern facility; and develop the city further.
There will be people who definitely will be aligned with her rhetoric around Gaza; such is the emotion that drives the issue. Many more will not.
Saw her at a hustings event this week: she seemed nice but her schtick was just “MPs are horrid”, “creative people are undervalued and lovely” and “get rid of capitalism and replace it with something nicer”. All the other candidates had, y’know, actual *policies*.
Mind you, at least she bothered to turn up – unlike the Labour candidates who couldn’t be arsed.
Hahaha, that sounds like a sterling endorsement, “She turned up”!
Has anyone asked her about the October 7th atrocities and the hostages who are still alive?
Obsessed with Gaza, (even her election leaflet is the Palestine colours). A protest candidate that really is not fussed about local or national issues. Not for me.
The only candidate in this constituency to oppose genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. A vote for Tanushka sends a message to Peter Kyle and all other UK politicians that their support for an illegal war is not supported by the majority of the British people.
Both the Labour and Conservative parties consistently support Israel’s illegal war. By voting for Tanushka I want to remind the major parties that their policies towards the war are losing them votes and are not supported by the majority of British people.
How come nobody is calling for an end to Hamas attacking Israeli civilians?
Everyone (including UN and ICC) is calling for an end to Hamas attacking Israel. And it will end when Israel implements a fair and reasonable two-state solution. But not before, I think.
How come you’ve nothing to say about 500 dead in the West Bank John and the theft of Palestinian land by settlers? Your racism sticks out a mile
There are 4 synagogues in this constuency. I hope she visits them all before the election to get to know some of the members of the local Jewish community and get inisghts into how best she can serve their needs . Shalom – Salaam
I support her stance on restoring the King Alfred. We should be emulating the award-shortlisted Saltdean Lido, which can now hopefully last another 87 years. https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2024/06/04/saltdean-lido-restoration-shortlisted-for-award/
As for the rest, if you are British you fight for Britain and should only be concerned about British defence spending. Britain should not be bankrolling other people’s wars which is in direct conflict with the Terrorism Act 2000, which expressly forbids it. All war is wrong, but home defence remains necessary in the world we live in. We are not running an empire any longer and must stop behaving as if we are.
Yid army, these colours don’t run. LOL.
This woman has no idea. Never mentioned her stance on Hamas. Where has the money come from to take over a shop in Church Road ? Is she for her self or the people and the community. Peter Kyle is a great supporter of the local Jewish community. Have she ever visited a synagogue ? Lucky we have a great MP that will be again our fantastic MP for this area on Peter. My advice to this lady is go back to your day job. This is out of your depth. Leave it to the best and you return to being one of the rest. Ha Ha 🤣 🤣🤣
Excellent candidate. Ignore the racists Tanuksha. Its par for the course. Those who go on about Hamas and October 7 say nothing about 40,000 dead including 20K children. They say nothing about an illegal occupation for 57 years or Netanyahus war on the Palestinians in the West Bank too.
Supporters of settler colonialism always ignore the colonists. People such as Israel’s fascist Police Minister Ben Gvir who 2 days ago suggested shooting all Palestinian prisoners, 8,000+ of them all of whom have had no trial.
Tanuksha is a breath of fresh air