Meet your Labour Candidates

Meet your Labour Council Candidates!

Standing alongside your existing Labour Councillors who are standing for relection are a number of excellent candidates from all walks of life and with different experiences and skills. They all share the same goal - to make Bromley Borough a better place for the many and not the few.

Jann Oliver for Bickley
Jann Oliver has lived in Bickley for over 22 years and has a lot of knowledge and appreciation of the locality, having been a parent representative at St George’s School many years ago when her son was a pupil there. She commuted daily via Bickley railway station into London for years and is very aware of the issues there.
Jann recently retired from the NHS after working there for nearly 40 years, as a nurse and latterly as a psychotherapist in mental health services.
She has been the Secretary of Bromley & Chislehurst Constituency Labour Party since last June and feels privileged to be in this position.
Jann pledges to try her hardest to treat people with respect and do her best to uphold fairness and decency in everything she does. For Jann these are the values that the Labour Party was built on.

Mike Roberts for Bickley
Mike has lived in Bromley for over six years, following spells as a local councillor in Kent and Surrey.
Now retired, he worked as a professional statistician in the oil industry, then in the Government Statistical Service. He also served as a school governor for 20 years, and was Chair of his local Citizens Advice Bureau in both Kent and Surrey.
Mike’s main interests are in Education and Planning, both areas where Bromley Tories have let down the people of Bickley, especially over the Bullers Wood School fiasco. He is looking forward to taking up the School’s campaign in the Council Chamber in May.

Martin Spence for Bickley
Martin Spence has lived in Penge for over 20 years. For most of that time he was a senior official in the media and entertainment union BECTU, negotiating with employers and representing workers in the film and broadcasting industries. He continues to contribute to the creative industries through his work on the Boards of the British Entertainment History Project, and the collecting society Screen Craft Rights.
Martin is a published author, and has written a history of Penge, The Making of a London Suburb. He blogs regularly on South London history and architecture.

Tim Fisher for Biggin Hill
Tim is married with 3 children and 5 grandchildren. He lives and grew up in Orpington and his family all live locally. After working as a fireman in the London Fire Brigade, he joined the P&O Group and eventually became a director, in 2006 he took redundancy and has since worked for both national and local charities and as a Magistrate. Tim believes that continuing Council cuts and lack of investment are falling unfairly on the forgotten areas in the Borough. As a Councillor he will fight for a fair deal for Biggin Hill and give a voice to the less affluent and most vulnerable in our community.

Clive Gunby for Biggin Hill
Clive took early retirement from BT in 2016 after 35 years employment. He worked firstly as a trade union official and then more latterly as a Director in Human Resources & Employee Relations. He has lived in the Borough for 30 years, the last 15 in the Orpington constituency. Clive will utilise his extensive experience and skills to work tirelessly to improve local services for the benefit of his constituents in Biggin Hill.
Outside of work he has numerous interests, he is a member of High Elms Golf club, walking, music and is a season ticket holder at Leicester City.

Eileen Welsh for Bromley Common and Keston
Eileen was a secondary school teacher in East London for over 20 years and then worked as an Education Adviser for a Local Authority for 10 years. She has lived in Beckenham for 12 years now and is an active member of Beckenham Labour Party. She is the Secretary of Kelsey and Eden Park branch which is a very active branch involved in campaigning on national and local issues. She has followed the policies and activities of Bromley Council closely and attended several Scrutiny Committees as a member of the public. Eileen is dismayed by the lack of care shown by Bromley Council towards its residents and the poor value for money we receive in terms of services.

If elected she would seek to ensure the roads and pavements in residential areas are safe. Reverse the cuts made to vital health and care services Increase the amount of affordable housing available to young people. Increase the presence of neighbourhood police on the streets. Ensure community services for the young and the older residents are restored.

Glyn Alsworth for Bromley Town
Glyn is proud to be selected to stand as a candidate for Bromley Town. He has lived in Bromley borough for over 20 years with his partner and children. He is a keen advocate of Labour's environmental pledges to work to reduce air pollution, improve road safety and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. He has experience as a councillor in Lewisham, in particular as chair of the environmental and transport committee. He has been actively involved in Bromley local groups including serving as the chair of governors at a local primary school. Glyn has a keen interest in promoting the health and well-being of children and young people and in encouraging Bromley to invest in public health. He believes Bromley needs to do all it can to support local schools and provide adequate school places. He works in IT supporting public sector organisations.

Juliet Kay for Bromley Town
Juliet Kay has lived in Bromley most of her life. She went to Cator Park and Langley Park Schools and trained at Crystal Palace Sports Centre when she was an athlete. So she knows about what Bromley Council can offer. She is a parent of two young adults and has worked in Bromley and Croydon schools as a primary school teacher and nowadays as an ESOL teacher.
Bromley is a great place to live and it is sometimes difficult to notice the problems around us. Juliet would like to improve Children's Services and see recycling and the environment be more of an issue. The Bromley Council has been run by the Conservatives with a large majority of councillors. This has lead to complacency over so many years. Juliet would like to be a be a Labour councillor to restore some balance, to be held accountable and make a difference.

Josie Parkhouse for Bromley Town
Josie is a young woman living in Bromley who got involved in politics to make a difference. She currently works in the Houses of Parliament for a Shadow Cabinet MP and works hard everyday to make changes in society and challenge the Tory policies that are hitting the poorest of society. She will bring the same passion and hard work to the Councillor role. She has a background in international politics, having spoken previously at the United Nations. She has been campaigning on issues of peace since 2011, currently volunteering at a local food bank and working part time for a nuclear disarmament charity.

Mick Maroney for Chislehurst
Mick Maroney lives in Bromley and works in London as an editor for a company specialising in information on the healthcare sector. Mick has also worked in the NHS and in local government (leisure services) and is a qualified teacher. He works on a voluntary basis for the homeless organisation Thames Reach, as an English/maths tutor and outreach worker.
Mick is passionate about preserving the NHS and the state education system and is a vocal advocate of an integrated approach to the provision of health and social care. He is committed to campaigning for more affordable (including social) housing in the borough of Bromley and beyond, and will work to improve the plight of those currently homeless, by lobbying against the Conservative administration’s drive to move the ‘problem’ out of the borough. With a background in leisure services provision he is also a passionate defender of library services and other vital community facilities.

Christian Mole for Chislehurst
Christian has lives in Chislehurst for 19 years and has been a Labour Party member since 1992. As a daily commuter to London he believes the council should do more to lobby SouthEastern rail to reduce overcrowding and improve reliability. He also believes strongly that in reversing the years of underinvestment in children’s services and primary & secondary education by Bromley Council, and in investing in new local housing rather than in property investment in other parts of the UK.

Eugene Nixon for Chislehurst
Eugene Nixon has lived in Bromley since 2009 and has come to love the area over that time but has also noticed a decline in the quality of the environment - streets that are less clean and less safe. As a Councillor he would work to reverse that. He has had many years experience of working in local government in London taking a particular interest in housing, homelessness and social policy. As a Councillor he would work hard to realise Bromley Labour's pledge to provide more affordable housing, reduce homelessness and improve standards in the private rented sector. In my spare time he runs, is a Crystal Palace FC member/ season ticket holder and a keen tennis player.

Dr. Josh King for Clock House
Josh was born in Bromley and went to local state schools. He has a PhD in engineering and after working in academic research he now works as a software quality engineer.
His career took him to other parts of the country but he returned to Bromley 15 years ago when he moved to Clock House. He has been a Labour Party campaigner here ever since and has stood twice before in Clock House. He has actively supported Councillors Vanessa Allen and Ian Dunn since their election in 2014.
Having grown up in Bromley he feels sad that the attitude of Bromley Tories has barely changed in 30 plus years. He’s standing in Clock House to represent residents who want an alternative Bromley.

Charlotte Gerada for Copers Cope
Charlotte is proud to stand as a candidate for Copers Cope because she's committed to transforming Bromley so it serves the needs and interests of the many and not the few. Charlotte Gerada currently works for Shelter and campaigns to end the housing and homelessness crisis. With nearly a decade of campaigns and non-profit work experience, Charlotte has won dozens of campaigns that have changed lives and improved communities. From driving up youth turnout in marginals during the 2017 general election, to securing an extra £125m boost to housing benefit for low-income renters in the recent Autumn Budget, Charlotte will use her campaign skills to win big for Copers' residents. Fighting against cuts to services and for more affordable housing will be her top priority.

Tony McPartlan for Copers Cope
Tony has spent his life in the borough and has lived in Beckenham for the past five years. He cares passionately about the local community and as your councillor will champion a Bromley that gives everyone, no matter what their background, the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Tony is standing to bring an end to the Tory way of doing things in Bromley: overstretched social care, an increase in crime, a lack of affordable housing, unsafe roads and polluted air.

He pledges to fight for a council that does things in a new way. A council that invests in its residents and doesn’t focus on building up its reserves. A council that builds housing our future generations can afford and doesn’t force them out of the borough. This new way, is the Labour way.

Ola Obikoya for Copers Cope
Ola is honoured to be standing as a candidate for Copers Cope as he acknowledges that the role of a councillor is about passionately caring for the growth, success, and expansion of your community in every capacity for all the many residents and not a selected few. Ola Obikoya works in a managed services environment for a financial institution. My commitment is to campaign relentlessly for a resilient education system where shortages of school places will be history as presently been experienced in Bromley, and to increase accountability of our schools guaranteeing that extra funding will be allocated to the appropriate places where it will be most effective and profitable to those most in need. Ola will challenge the unnecessary cuts to our education system and fight to ring fence budget allocation robustly.

Nat Arthur for Cray Valley East
Nat has lived in Cray Valley East since 2006 along with his wife Mary and their two daughters. Nat has worked as a Probation Officer with National Probation Services for almost 14 years, and has in the past 4 years served as a Vice Chair for Greenwich Inclusion Project on Hate Crime. Nat shares the view of local residents who believe that continuing Tory Council cuts are falling unfairly on areas such as the Crays and believes that strong Labour Team in Cray Valley East will fight for the protection of front line services.

Gillian Davis for Cray Valley East
As a daughter, mother, wife and working nurse, Gillian is asking for the opportunity to represent the voters of Cray Valley East Labour as their Councillor. Local councils have a vital role in representing and supporting the needs and aspirations of local people. I feel a Labour Council will achieve this. Gillian says that if voters want thriving, accessible public services that are not constantly being threatened with closure, then you must vote Labour.

Chris Taylor for Cray Valley East
Chris is a lifelong resident of Orpington, excepting 4 years after marrying his wife, Lyn. Educated locally, he started working life as a printing apprentice, after which he studied at the London College of Printing. He eventually founded and ran a print business, until retirement. Chris is the chair of the Orpington Labour Party and would be honoured to be elected for Cray Valley East, ensuring it is no longer Bromley’s forgotten backwater.

Richard Lovell for Cray Valley West
Richard Lovell has lived in Bromley borough all his life. He has run a local business serving numerous private users, business and charities in the IT sector across the borough for nearly a decade. He is an active Labour activist and handles a large number of responsibilities in IT and social media for the local party.
Richard has decided to stand as he feels the system is broken and that ordinary people are suffering unfairly under Tory austerity. Cuts to services, mismanagement of funds and a lack of future proofing is putting the people of Bromley and the services they rely on at risk.
Richard aims, if elected, to improve these services and provide a much needed safety net that so many in society do not have. He aims to have an open door for those in need and above all promises to do his utmost to serve with the same level of commitment, sense of fairness, passion and honesty that he brings to all his endeavours.

Gary Stevens for Cray Valley West
Gary Stevens has worked in the travel industry for the last 11 years, having previously managed pubs and restaurants. His work has taken him all over the world, but for him Bromley will always be home.
As the father of two young children, Gary is acutely aware of the potential harm the Tory-run council’s cuts are having on the borough’s children, through a lack of funding for facilities, little forward planning in how to remedy the upcoming shortage of school places, as shown by the fiasco over Bullers Wood Boys, and the perceived lack of direction in how to remedy the crisis within child services within the borough.
Gary believes that Bromley council should not be neglecting the poorer parts of the borough and will fight for a fairer deal for all.

Marina Ahmad for Crystal Palace
Marina Ahmad has lived in the borough for 18 years. She has two children in state schools and is married to a local doctor. Marina has a legal background and has worked in the public, health and charity sectors. At present she is a community development worker.

Marina believes Bromley residents deserve better than the present Tory Council. Services have been cut to the bone whilst the council continues to build reserves. The lack of social and affordable housing is affecting families across the borough. Local peoples’ voices are not being heard. Only Labour will work for all Bromley residents.

Angela Wilkins for Crystal Palace
Angela has been councillor for Crystal Palace & Anerley and Leader of the Labour Group at Bromley since 2014.
In that time she has helped numerous local residents with issues such as housing benefit payments, planning applications, housing problems and she has continued to fight for improved council services, street cleaning and road safety in particular.
Angela said “I am proud to have helped to save Anerley Town Hall from the Tory bulldozers, to fight for investment in Crystal Palace Park and to have supported the campaign for a cinema in the Triangle.
However there is a lot more to be done, from working to combat the growth of gangs and anti-social behaviour to campaigning for more affordable housing and cleaner streets and cleaner air.
In particular, we need to keep holding the Tories to account when it comes to provision and monitoring of all services, particularly social care.

Peter Ayres for Hayes & Coney Hall
Peter Ayres has lived in the borough for over forty years. He is currently a lecturer at a local college teaching students with learning difficulties.
As a father and grandfather, he believes that the role of local councillor is to be a champion for their constituents, ensuring that they have a voice in the provision of council run services such as education, social care and the protection of the local environment, and that they are run for the benefit of the whole community.
Peter has experience as a school governor, is currently a trustee of a local charity and of Bromley Citizens Advice. Peter has served as a councillor in the past and so know what is involved in the role.

Gail Emerson for Hayes & Coney Hall
Gail Emerson is standing as Bromley needs a council that will prioritise its residents over profits. The current Conservatives have grown too complacent and a strong Labour presence will only benefit the borough by bringing new ideas and passion for delivering high-quality services and amenities.
Gail has a background in the charity sector, working with national and local charities in paid and voluntary roles across issues of poverty, disability and housing/homelessness. More recently she has provided digital marketing and communications support to small and medium businesses, gaining an understanding of the challenges they face in the local economy. As a local parent she is particularly interested in education provision and believes there should be a diverse choice of quality schools which cater for all children in Bromley.

Marie Bardsley for Kelsey and Eden Park
Marie lives locally in Bramerton Road and wishes to serve her community. She pledges to fight cuts that are impacting on the health and well being of the community.

Marie has worked in medical research and runs a medical publishing company. She has worked with the NHS, local councils, the Metropolitan and borough police on tackling knife and gun crime. Marie is married to a surgeon who worked for the NHS as a trauma and vascular surgeon.

Her family live in Beckenham. Her brother’s children were brought up in the area and her mother lived in a retirement flat in Wickham Road.

Naresh Chauhan for Kelsey and Eden Park
Naresh Chauhan has the real life experience and a political will to make a difference, after years of campaigning with the Labour party and unions. He was a Kelsey resident for the past thirty three years, now living in the Eden Park area for the last seven years with his partner and two children.
Naresh worked as a postman and manager in Royal Mail for twenty nine years, also a TA soldier for seven years. He is now a flying instructor/pilot and looking forward to serving as a councillor.
Naresh will work with residents & local groups to secure safer roads, transport and Police. He will work with parents and schools to demand real support against cuts, listen to local residents and champion the issues raised such as planning and parking, to challenge the arrogance and complacency of Tories.

John Dempster for Kelsey and Eden Park
John was born and raised in Beckenham and has lived in the area for most of his life. He attended a local comprehensive in the area and so is aware of the importance of education to providing a good platform for future success.
He works for a housing association as an employment adviser supporting adults to improve their job search techniques as well as enabling them to access job opportunities. As councillor he will seek to create improvements in local education, transport and care services in opposition to a Tory council that for years has cut and underinvested in local services.

Nick Harrison for Mottingham and Chislehurst North
Born in Bromley, January 1963 and educated at Ravensbourne Boys. On leaving Nick joined the London Borough of Bromley Education department’s school leavers training scheme, becoming an active trade union member for NALGO. Starting as a department rep he was soon elected as assistant branch secretary.

Changing career in his mid twenties, Nick worked for global advertising companies for twenty years leaving in the early millennium to create his own company in the transport sector.

He is married with one teenage son and coaches his football team. He is an active member of the Bromley & Chislehurst Labour CLP.

Chris Price for Orpington
Chris Price is very honoured to be standing for Orpington. He has lived in the area since childhood and has had a long association with the ward including attending Ramsden School for Boys, which gives away a bit of age! He has been associated with scouting in the ward for over 30 years including currently being a cub scout leader. Also the ward plays host to the church he attends and the youth group he helps to lead!

Chris is a CEO of a community charity whose projects include hosting a foodbank in south London. He has seen first hand the devastating effects of the Tory Universal Credit welfare reforms and the way they disenfranchise people. Universal Credit is coming to this borough and we need strong voices to hold the Tories to account, and to ensure people are treated decently and given every opportunity to live life well.

Voting for Labour will give a voice to the many in Orpington.

Gareth Lloyd Wretham for Orpington
Gareth has lived in St Paul's Cray, Orpington his whole life and extremely proud to call Orpington his home. Educated in local schools at both primary and secondary level along with gaining a GNVQ in Leisure and Tourism at Bromley College, Gareth cares passionately about education standards across the borough.
Having worked in a variety of jobs both locally and in central London, Gareth is most passionate when making a real difference to the lives of local people. In 2011 while working for an energy comparison website he committed himself to doing everything he could to help end fuel poverty across Britain. Working with charities, housing associations, residents groups and academic institutions Gareth would travel the country to offer expert energy advice to help those most struggling with their energy bills. His passion towards helping those on low income meant that he has spoken on both BBC TV and radio on the issue.

Witnessing the cuts to public services across Orpington by the Tories, Gareth felt compelled to stand as the Labour candidate for Orpington ward to provide local residents with a more positive alternative. Tory cuts don't have to happen, with your support for Labour in Orpington, together we can stop it.

Simon has lived in Penge and Cator since 2010. He is a commmittee member of Penge Partners, helps run the Penge Festival and volunteers with Bromley Homeless Shelter. He is also a volunteer mentor and tutor to support young people to realise their potential. Simon loves the strong community spirit and diversity in Penge. He will fight against Bromley council's neglect of Penge and the damage being done by the Tories' austerity policies.

Pam Remon for Plaistow and Sundridge
Pam Remon has lived in Bromley for over 30 years where she brought up her daughter and became very involved in her education. She studied for a degree in her late thirties, after which she worked in research at the Institute of Psychiatry and later became a counsellor working in an alcohol rehab. She's very involved in the local community, founded the Bromley Equality Trust and has campaigned for a living wage. Pam belongs to several local patient groups and is a passionate advocate and campaigner for the NHS.

Angie Stack for Plaistow and Sundridge
Angie Stack has lived in Plaistow & Sundridge Ward since 2009. She is a retired grandmother. Previously Angie worked in a Citizen Advice Bureau for 14 years so has a good knowledge of problems that residents can face in the area. She was also a Chair of Governors of a primary school so has a good knowledge of Education issues. Angie is currently the Chair of Bromley and Chislehurst Labour Party and Chair of her branch of Unite. Angie believes in equality for all, whether rich or poor and believes Plaistow & Sundridge area has been neglected for far too long.

Simon Thomson for Plaistow and Sundridge
Simon Thomson has worked as a BBC radio and tv journalist in the capital for the last twenty years. At work he's a union rep. He's also worked as a refuse collector, warehouse picker and for the Royal Mail. Simon grew up in Kent and lives with his young bilingual family in Bromley. His family is indebted to the NHS for the care it's given their youngest child, who was born with health issues. Simon takes a passionate interest in housing and transport issues. He's also a life-long Gills fan and enjoys playing football.

Dermot McKibbin for Shortlands
Dermot Mckibbin is a recently retired housing lawyer. He has a wide experience of helping people with housing problems. He believes that the Conservatives locally and nationally are responsible for the housing crisis in Bromley that affects all residents whether they are homeless, renting or owning. He would fight for local polices to ensure that everybody especially young people can afford to live in the borough.
He has experience of being an elected councillor in Lewisham from 1986 to 1990.On election, Dermot would use his knowledge and experience to listen to the views of local residents and work to resolve any local problems they had.

Richard Hart for Shortlands
Richard Hart is a retired librarian having worked for Lewisham for thirty nine years. He served as a Trade Union observer on Lewisham's Leisure Services Committee for three years and gained experience of Local Government in addition to being a Shop Steward. He was Chair of Governers at Rushey Green School, Catford for three years.
Richard likes to keep fit, exercising regularly at a local gym and playing Walking Football. I completed the London Marathon 3 times , always being in the top 30%.
His interests in Local Government are Libraries in particular and Leisure Services in particular, Education and Social Services.

Jeremy Adams for West Wickham
Jeremy is standing as a Labour candidate in West Wickham. He's been a Bromley resident for 14 years, playing a key role in his community as a school governor at Balgowan Primary School and campaigning on local issues.
He is passionate about education and protecting Bromley's stretched local services from aggressive cuts.
He runs a small business providing communications skills training and coaching.

Eli David for West Wickham
Eli resides in West Wickham and has worked as a Church minister over the last 18 years in Japan and in Bromley. He has been involved in various outreaches, advocacy and appeals for the local community. He has a passion to stand on behalf of all to ensure that we have a Council that serves with accountability, transparency and integrity.

Published and promoted by and on behalf of Bromley Borough Labour Party at 43 Sunderland Road, London SE23 2PS