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Lockleaze Branch Labour Party Meeting to select two candidates to represent the Labour Party in Lockleaze at the Bristol City Council elections May 2020 Thursday 11th April 2019 6.30 pm, Cameron Centre, Cameron Walk, Lockleaze Agenda 1 Membership check 2 Welcome, introductions and apologies for absence 3 Introduction of Local Campaign Forum and CLP observers and explanation of procedure. 4 Minutes of shortlisting meeting held on Monday 1st April 2019 (attached below) 5 The number of eligible voting members in the meeting should be declared at this stage. Any member arriving after this point in the agenda has been reached shall not be permitted to participate in any way in the meeting or in any ballot. 6 Shortlisted candidates have each made a statement, which is printed below. Each has been asked to speak to the meeting for up to three minutes each about why they want to be a Labour Councillor for Lockleaze. Candidates will speak in the following order: Eileen Means Daphne Chikwere Vickey Tiley Becky Ward Michelle Obudho Amar Ali Katja Hornchen, Ruby Gatehouse and Monira Ahmed have withdrawn. After each has spoken, there will be up to ten minutes for members to ask the candidates questions. At the shortlisting meeting, branch members drew up a list of suggested questions which are printed below. 7 Branch Chair or Secretary proposes a procedural motion to proceed to ballot. (If this motion is lost, this meeting can either draw up a new short-list or agree dates for new short-listing and selection meetings, subject to be approval by the Bristol Labour Campaign Forum). Break for refreshments. 8 Eliminating ballot to select two candidates for the ward 9 Result of ballot. 10 Collection to cover cost of room hire, close of meeting Date of next Lockleaze Labour meeting: Tuesday 14th May 7 pm, Cameron Centre Candidates were asked to submit a 350 word statement to support their nomination to the Bristol Labour Campaign Forum list of approved candidates. Eileen Means Previously a Labour Party City Councillor in Brislington West, I lost out last time due to the ‘alphabet lottery’ of the local elections. I am passionately committed to women’s rights and have fought for equalities all my life. Talking of campaigning, I am an experienced campaigner from being at the Grunwick marches and demonstrations and at CND in my youth, to being a fervent opponent of Brexit now. I believe Brexit will give this country’s government unlimited powers such as removing our hard-earned Human Rights, it will make austerity policies enforced by this and any other hard- right UK governments unanswerable to the checks and balances of the EU. These powers are not strong enough in many areas, but UK needs to remain in the EU and to use its powers to reform it, but there is no doubt in my mind that ordinary people will suffer in so many ways if this country leaves the EU. So, what do I bring to your ward if selected? Vast experience of campaigning and knowledge of electoral rules and processes. My record as a Councillor in representing my ward is second to none. I am good at the PR aspect of campaigning and make sure that local people, opposition parties and the media know who the Labour candidate is and that she is not run-of-the-mill but a force to be reckoned with. Over the years, I have built up good contacts with the many diverse demographic groupings who have settled in our city. I did this as Chair of Bristol Labour, but mainly due to my work with ACH that houses, supports and trains refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants and other groups in need of security and safety. My career was in Social Services and Housing, I was the first woman Director of Housing and Social Services in the South West Region so as a former Local Government Officer who worked her way up through the ranks from basic grade social worker, I am familiar and experienced in service delivery, strategic planning, setting budgets and managing them through the scrutiny process. I do think that many of Bristol’s recent strategic plans do not resonate with our citizens and would hope to make a valuable contribution in this respect if elected. As I have done and I am doing for refugees and asylum seekers as Vice Chair of ACH that has won several national and local awards for its radical and innovative ways of responding to their needs. Finally, my principles are those of the Labour Party through and through, being the daughter of a coalminer, living through the two pit strikes and seeing the effect of them followed by pit closures on my family. Old fashioned perhaps, but still radical in that I am in favour of re-nationalising the state services we all rely on and of an effective safety net for those that fall on hard times and who need non- discriminatory support. Jeremy Corbyn, our Labour Leader and I have those principles in common. I shall continue to utilise my skills for a better Bristol and a better country for all. 525 words Daphne Chikwere My name is Daphne Chikwere, born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1980 and have lived in Bristol since 2010. I came to the UK on a Common Wealth Scholarship to study Environmental Consultancy at the University of the West of England, Bristol. I have a partner and 3 children who attend the local school. I have worked a bit in the Environment sector but currently work in Healthcare with interests in Adult care, Learning Disabilities and (Clinical) Waste management. I permanently moved to Lawrence Weston in 2017 but have always been a Labour party member for over 6 years. In my spare time, I volunteer at the Local Labour Party offices, mainly at Bristol South where I used to live) and the food bank. I intend to volunteer a bit more at the Ambition Lawrence Weston. I have a passion for our residents and ward to be listened to, remote party politics often gets in the way. I am a team player with good communication skills. I strongly support Lawrence Weston Neighbourhood Development Planning. Persistent local issues such as poor transport links, inadequate recreational facilities, poor infrastructure, poor housing, high unemployment, high incidents of crime, inadequate local shops or GP surgeries should be decided LOCALLY. If selected/elected, I aim to: • Abide by party rules and work towards a balance between good of the party and a good outcome for our residents • Effectively communicate and work on follow-up plans promptly • Listen to local people about the issues most important to them • Involve local people in local decision-making • Tackle housing, crime, traffic, infrastructure and development issues. 255 words Victoria Tiley Hi my name is Victoria Tiley I am 53 years old and I have lived in Lockleaze for about 25 years. I am a Radio manager at BCFM RADIO. I have been at the Radio station for the last seven years My job at the station is partnership manager and sales manager and also events manager I am also a radio presenter. I have extensive experience in local media, I would be willing to contribute to effective media communications on the part of the group. I am a community local volunteer and a community activist. This has involved helping to set up the love Lockleaze festivalnwhich has focus on diversity and inclusivity. I sit on various local groups and bodies, which includes Lockleaze neighbourhood trust which I am a trustee of. And I also Volunteer working in the office, and also volunteer my time putting on events to raise money for the community which I do at the Hub community centre in Lockleaze. I am on the steering group at The Vench adventure playground. And I also volunteer here too. And also the manager of the bristol Diversity Awards. Which is about promoting diversity and inclusion within are City. I like helping too mount fundraising events for the community because it brings community together. I have helped raise funds for local families suffering from bereavement, I’m also involved in running a karaoke night every month for community projects. My background is that I was a care manager for 14 years I am aware of the growing crisis in elderly care and I am committed to ensuring the provision of the best possible support and services for older people. And people with disability, Young people and older people too. 289 words Becky Ward I have four children, age from 17 to 10, we live happily in Redland with my husband and many pets. I have a law degree, am trilingual as I grew up in several different countries, and consider myself European at heart. I have always been a ‘righter of wrongs’ and will work passionately and relentlessly for the ward, members, and eventually voters who choose me, and am fortunate that I will be able to dedicate myself full time to the role. I have a particular interest in voter registration and engagement, and truly believe that engaging with those who feel disenfranchised is central to electoral success - but only through genuine, two-way engagement. I recognise my personal privileges and the advantages they bring, and want to use these to ensure that as many people as possible have access to those advantages; I will fight every corner needed to give all Bristolians that chance. After joining the Party in 2015, I threw myself into campaigning for and supporting our fight for a Labour government.