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All materials published and promoted by L Smith, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU
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I shook up the US Senate, and we have a chance to shake up the London Assembly on 1 May. By standing for the London Assembly I want to turn the spotlight on what it does. Most people haven't a clue what the Assembly is or what it does. How can you have democracy when that situation prevails?
Londoners need a powerful voice on the Assembly. Even my enemies would concede that I am a powerful voice.
This is an election about many things – it is about the kind of London we want to live in, I'm proud of the rich and tolerant cultural mix that is our city, and I'm determined to defend it from the nasty right wing coalition that is emerging in this election.
I am for narrowing the obscene gap between rich and poor. In my constituency some of the poorest people in Britain live literally in the shadow of the City of London – the richest square mile on earth.
This is also an election about candidates' records. I have no hesitation in saying that I am one of the leaders of the anti-war movement in Britain. Everything I said about the disastrous war in Iraq turned out to be right, and everything Tony Blair and Gordon Brown said turned out to be wrong.
This wasn't a mistake over a few percent on the expenditure of a minor government ministry. It has cost a million lives.
As I told the truth about the war, so I will tell the truth in the London Assembly. And it will save you money too! As an MP I will only get a third of the salary of other Assembly members and that will be donated to political campaigns.
This is a serious election for London. I'm calling on progressive Londoners to vote for Ken Livingstone against Boris Johnson for mayor, and to vote to put me and my fellow Respect candidates into the Assembly.
I'll support Ken when he's in the right, but hold him to account when he's wrong. |
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I am a firefighter in the London Fire Brigade, a job I have done for
the past 23 years.
I work at Wandsworth Fire Station and currently I am the Fire Brigades
Union representative for the Fire Station. I have been involved with
my union, the FBU, for all my career, until recently representing all
6000 London firefighters.
I am 45 and live in Brixton. I wasn't born in London but I am a Londoner now.
I was there at the formation of RESPECT in 2004 when we were born from
the massive anti-war movement. I was on the officers' committee of Stop
the War Coalition at the time.
I am the national chair of RESPECT and have been for the past three years.
Because of my job I am particularly interested in the public services
we as Londoners get.
I believe we deserve the best. I also believe that people that provide
public services – for instance teachers, council and transport workers
as well as those in the NHS and emergency services should not be taken
for granted or priced out of our city.
Alongside public services I am passionate about anti-racism and
building a fairer London for all.
I don't think that London should be only for the rich... very often it
feels like that.
Affordable housing and transport, and the gun and knife murders of our
young people are issues that we will make a priority on the GLA when
elected.
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I have been a resident of Newham since 1971 and have been actively involved
in local politics from mid-80s.
I have been an elected member of
Newham Council since 1990 and have held various positions including
Deputy Mayor and Deputy Leader as well vice chair of numerous
committees.
A life long trade unionists I have been a member of the Transport and
General Workers Union for 22 years, was awarded "Badge of Merit" for
my activities.
I have been active in my local community and am a former vice Chair
and Chair of Newham Race Relations Council and a governor of local
primary and secondary schools.
I am also Chair of Newham College
Interfaith Advisory Group.
I believe that the changing political climate needs Respect's
view-point, especially in regeneration of East London and 2012
Olympics. We need to fight back against privatisation, the high level
of unemployment and defend pensions and the right to be in a trade
union.
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I am standing as a candidate for the London Assembly elections on 1st May 2008, and I am proud to be the first British/Somali candidate for the GLA.
I am also pleased to stand on a Respect party list that is made up of all ethnic groups. I therefore represent all ethnic minorities, though I will serve for all Londoners, particularly Black and Muslim communities.
I am a peace lover and peace activist who dedicated most of his time to restore peace within the Somali community in UK as well as Somalia. Since 1994 I have been working voluntarily for the Somali people, when I was secretary general of the Somali Intellectuals Forum (SIF).
I also worked several charitable organizations including Somali Welfare Centre in Islington, London. I have been one of the promoters of Arta Peace talks in Djibouti and became Minister of Information in the TNG. I have participated Nairobi peace and reconciliation conference. I used to be member of Somali Arab Parliament.
London is not only the capital of UK; it is a European and world capital as well. Thus must be a leader city for
* Peace and less crime.
* Multi-culturalism, equality opportunity & harmony.
* Green environment & cleanness.
* Poverty eradication: by creating job opportunities for the poor, providing homes for the homeless and supporting children in their education.
I urge you to vote respect. Remember; vote for those who speak for you, not those who speak and act against you.
Respect candidates speak for you and if you vote for us, we will act for you as well. Do not waste your vote for an uncertain candidate with uncertain future for you and for London.
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I am a young Muslim woman who has always been very
passionate about peace, justice and equality. This is why I joined
Respect and have been actively campaigning local and national issues
for over two years.
I have campaigned to try and save a local community market from the
profit-driven big businesses. I have actively campaigned against
Islamaphobia and racism.
I graduated with a BA (Hons) in Communication and Sociology from
Goldsmith. I went on to work for an international NGO for over 4
years.
I grew up in Newham and feel strongly about giving back to the
multicultural and diverse community of London.
I am a school governor at my secondary school, am General Secretary
of Newham children's trust, a volunteer youth and community project,
also a freelance journalist. Currently I am the secretary of
Newham Respect.
My drive and passion for social justice has lead me to
participate in the Greater London Assembly elections. |
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I am a Human Rights Barrister and have stood for Respect as electoral candidate since its inception.
In the 2005 I garnished over 5,000 votes in GLA elections for Redbridge and Havering. I stood as Executive Mayoral candidate in the Newham local elections in 2006 coming second with almost 16,000 votes, which for the first time in 40 years smashed a labour majority forcing a second count.
I have extensive international humanitarian experience, having worked for the EU and OSCE in war torn Kosovo from 1998 to 2001, and have undertaken international missions to foreign countries identifying and highlighting human rights abuses.
I also write for the Guardian’s “Comment is Free” and present a weekly television programme called “The Politics and Media Show” on Sky 813.
My political motivation comes from the conviction that political power has but one legitimate purpose, to serve the people, and my policies seek to bring about greater transparency and civic involvement, more assistance to schools in improving standards and greater environmental accountability.
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I have lived in the East End all my life. I have been extremely
active campaigning for council housing and against privatisation.
In two of my campaigns me and my fellow campaigners managed to secure
around 90% opposition to housing transfer.
I have also campaigned against the Crossrail plans to dig enormous
holes across Tower Hamlets and supported a war memorial to the Bethnal
Green tube victims in the Second World War. I am also campaigning
for elderly and vulnerable people facing massive increases in their
utility charges.
I want to save the East End from ruthless, profiteering developers
and make it a decent place for all the people from the many different
backgrounds and cultures who make London such a great place to live
in.
I am proud that I so annoyed the New Labour careerists who are
trying to ruin Tower Hamlets they banned me from local council
meetings. I believe in standing up for local residents.
I am both a mother of five children and grandmother to seven. |
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I have been selected to contest the City and East constituency in the
London elections on May 1. I am determined to remove the invisible New
Labour man who currently occupies this seat, only representing the
interests of his party's friends in big business.
I have lived and worked in east London most of my life. I was raised
and educated in Tower Hamlets. After acquiring a BA (Hons) in Politics
and History, I started working at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
(FCO).
I am currently on a sabbatical from the FCO, raising a young
family of three boys with my wife Aisha and working part time for an
international charity.
Over the years I have worked as a youth and community worker in
Islington, Newham, Greenwich and Tower Hamlets. I moved to in Newham
2001 where I became one of the three first ever elected Respect
Councillors.
In my spare time apart from dealing with local ward issues, I help run
voluntary youth and community projects aimed at empowering young
people and women to fulfil their full potential.
If elected I will be the voice of the working class millions of all
races and faiths and not a puppet of the millionaires. |
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I am 52 and have a long record as a political and anti-racist campaigner, and as a lay trade union official.
I was involved in the counter demonstration against the National Front in Lewisham in 1977, organised early Rock against Racism concerts in the late 1970s, and joined the Anti-Nazi League (ANL) at its inception.
I was a trade union official in Southwark for 25 years, most recently as the UNISON branch secretary for the town hall branch, comprising more than 3,500 members. I also organised support for all the major industrial disputes during that time, including the miners, firefighters, printworkers and ambulance workers in my capacity as president of Southwark Trades Council.
I left the Labour Party after 13 years as an activist, including the role of constituency secretary for Bermondsey Labour Party, on the day Tony Blair became leader, and contested both the 1997 and 2001 general elections as a socialist candidate.
I joined Respect when it first formed, and stood as its candidate in the last Euro-elections.
I believe that, if elected, I can use the position to fight for the people abandoned by the New Labour.
It's unbelievable that after 11 years of a Labour government, half of London's children live in poverty and thousands of pensioners die from the cold each winter because they cannot afford to heat their homes.
The gap between the rich and the poor is wider than ever, with business paying less tax than it did under Thatcher. Working people need a party that will fight for their rights. Respect is that party. |
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I have lived in Tower Hamlets since 1978. In 2006 I stood for election to Tower Hamlets council to represent the Shadwell ward and was elected, along with my two colleagues, by an overwhelming majority.
I beat the then New Labour leader of Tower Hamlets council, Michael Keith. Since then, we have successfully defended a by-election in the same ward against Keith. |
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Having been expelled from the Labour party because I stood against them in a local election to fight for council housing (working Against Tenancy Transfer WATT) in Southwark, I was keen to exercise my democratic right to express my opinion about local issues.
As our local New Labour councillors then proceeded to vote in favour of demolishing the council estate where we had successfully campaigned against stock transfer, I needed to find other people who shared my concerns about a local library campaign, stop cuts in vital psychiatric services and work to keep public services such as local education authority schools and Southwark Council building services.
It was on a Saturday stall that I first met the lively activists who inspired and invigorated me to get involved in saving public services.
My membership of the No2ID campaign enabled us to invite the national coordinator to speak to the Southwark branch of Respect.
There was a great response to petitions on this in Borough Market, the Southwark campaign is lively.
Another important voice for democratic change is the Make Votes Count campaign which is working towards replacing the "First past the post" electoral system to proportional representation which could make the electoral system meaningful to people who are currently disenfranchised as none of the major parties represent their views.
I have worked in the public sector all my life.
Most of my nursing career was spent in neurology where I developed a special interest in epilepsy.
After nursing I completed a 4 year honours degree in Librarianship.
I mention this to demonstrate that many people like me (of a certain age) benefited from grants for many years of higher education, and yet the MPs who also received grants; approve legislation to impose fees on students.
With a poor school record, it was however possible to pass the IQ test for nursing training.
Having had a variegated career is a great asset as it enables me to relate to people from many different walks of life.
My work experience includes:
working as an invoice clerk, private nursing, bookselling, working on farms in Norway as well as brief periods of nursing in Norway and Germany.
My librarianship career has been in healthcare libraries and currently providing an information service for dementia care workers.
It was a great honour to be selected to stand in local elections for Respect in 2006 and now for the GLA list, because the values of: Respect, Equality, Socialism, Peace, Environment, Community and Trade Unionism absolutely correspond with my personal goals.
Having experienced the anti-Irish stigma which persisted until the latest arrivals of "foreigners" came to Britain, has taught me the importance of the values of Respect and Equality.
Growing up in the vapours of hatred in Belfast which led to bloody battles makes me aware of the need for peace.
I am proud that our MP was one of the few really honourable MPs who opposed the illegal occupation and invasion of Iraq.
I greatly value working alongside trade unions for justice at work (UCU), and defending council housing supported by Amicus and Unison as well as the fight to keep the NHS public supported by Unison and Unite.
Margot Lindsay, RGN, BA, MClip, MPhil, PhD.
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I've lived in London most of my adult life. From where I live in Tower Hamlets, I see the extremes of wealth and poverty and the mainstream parties' failure to act in the interests of ordinary people.
I became politically active after seeing the privatisation of the tube, attacks on workers in the fire service and other industries, and the drive to war against Iraq - all things that served the interests of those in power but not the interests of working class people.
I'm a safety rep on the tube for the RMT, where I've fought hard to protect passengers and staff against attacks on safety driven by cost-cutting and profiteering.
I was at the forefront of defending tube workers and passengers after the July 7 bombings, when management tore up safety rules just to get good media coverage. But I've also fought hard against the racism and Islamophobia that Brown's government stirred up after those bombings to justify attacks on the most oppressed parts of our society.
As a gay man, I'm proud to belong to a party that fights so publically for the rights of minorities under attack, and that works so hard to draw working class people of all colours and religions together to fight for our interests: Defending public services, fighting for decent housing, defending victims of racism, fighting for the rights of workers and building a society where need is put before greed.
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