Liane Pibworth Wants Your Vote

Voting Wards in LBHF

Tomorrow is election day, and this year Liane Pibworth, whose experience becoming homeless with two young children means she knows more than most about the strengths and weakness of local government, is running for office in Shepherd's Bush Ward. We asked her a few questions about what she thinks is right, and wrong, in our Borough, and how she would try to go about fixing it.

Why are you running for office this year?
My journey towards this political arena has been forged though injustice and oppression, particularly when I and my children became homeless through no fault of our own.

We were unlawfully denied a duty of housing by the current council, and became street homeless for 8 weeks - and my baby slept in my suitcase.

Al Lewis - Candidate for Addison Ward

Al Lewis

It's election season, and we're inviting candidates running for local office to be interviewed, and explain what their goals are, and why local people should vote for them.

Al Lewis is a charity worker who works for CAFOD, the Catholic development charity in Waterloo, and has lived in Shepherds Bush for a decade. 

He is now running as a Conservative candidate in Addison Ward, Shepherd's Bush.  

We asked Al some questions about his candidacy, and why this election matters. 

The Candidates - Charlie Dewhirst

Charlie Dewhirst

Charlie Dewhirst is the Conservative candidate for Hammersmith, hoping to unseat sitting Labour MP Andy Slaughter. 

With the polls narrowing, and Slaughter having increased his majority at the last election, Charlie Dewhirst's task seems like a tough one. Still, Hammersmith will be on the wish-list for Conservative Party strategists hoping to win this seat in a gentrifying area of West London. 

We asked Charlie Dewhirst the same questions we put to Andy Slaughter last week. 

What Does a Councillor Do, Exactly?

Harry Phibbs is one of the Conservative councillors for Ravenscourt Park Ward in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. He was described by Chris Underwood, author of the original Shepherd's Bush blog (and no fan of our former Conservative Council) as "genuinely good....Top Tory".

Harry writes the Hammersmith and Fulham Forum blog, where he posts regularly about the latest issues and seeks, as he puts it to 'hold the Council to account".

We asked Harry to talk about being a Councillor in Shepherd's Bush, what Councillors do, what life is like in opposition, and what are some of the challenges and opportunities in our neighbourhood.

Council Tax in Shepherd's Bush Frozen For Another Year

Our Labour Council recently issued a press release stating that they intend to freeze our local Council Tax at current levels this financial year.

This is surely good news for local taxpayers, though the move was criticised by the Conservative opposition, who argue that by holding Council Tax at current levels, LBH&F have "broken their election promise to cut council tax".