Archived on 6/5/2022

Brockley By-Election: Lone Crusader, Andy Hughes (Conservative)

anon5422159

3 Oct '16

I decided to put myself forward as a candidate in this by-election to give the residents of Brockley a real alternative to yet another Labour councillor on a Labour dominated council. I intend to focus on local transport issues - putting pressure on Southern and South Eastern to improve rail services for frustrated residents, as well as push for the Bakerloo Line extension to become a reality.

I plan to help local businesses from inside the council, looking to cut red tape where possible. I also really want to support local education, to give the borough’s youngsters the best start in life.

As well as these local objectives, I want to provide a dissenting voice on the council, to ask difficult questions and hold both the Mayor and Cabinet to account. According to Lewisham Council’s website, there are fifty-three Labour councillors, and only one councillor from another party (who, according to the attendance records, has failed to attend all four Oversight and Scrutiny meetings this year).

This means that, since January this year, Labour were left to police themselves, with no one to challenge the actions of the Major or Cabinet of Lewisham. I don’t believe that is a healthy state of affairs for Brockley or Lewisham as a whole, and I would aim to provide some much needed scrutiny to the council chamber.

TimLund

3 Oct '16

Seems this guy hasn’t been following what’s going on with the Millwall development

andyhughes

4 Oct '16

Hi Tim,

Thank you for your comment; I was aware in general terms of the plans for redeveloping the land around the Millwall ground, but not about the most recent developments highlighted in the detailed Guardian article, so thank you for flagging that up.

The questions raised in the article, concerning conflict of interests within the council, are exactly why I am putting myself forward as a candidate.

I don’t believe political organisations best serve the community when they are 98% dominated by one party, I believe we need people in the council asking difficult questions on a regular basis - not just when the media shines a spotlight on the issue.

Best regards,
Andy

TimLund

4 Oct '16

Nor do I, but I wonder how difficult and regular your questions will be if you’ve not been following what the Council’s official scrutiny committee is doing.

anon5422159

4 Oct '16

@TimLund - I suspect @andyhughes will be able to delve even deeper than Guardian journalists once he is inside the machine?

TimLund

4 Oct '16

I doubt it very much. I suspect councillors from other parties get to hear very little of what goes on behind the scenes.

One of the last Lewisham Conservative councillors threw in the towel,

Grove Park Conservative councillor David Britton defects to Labour

and has since been re-elcted as a Labour councillor!