Election candidates: Wishing Tree

Here are the candidates for Wishing Tree ward in their own words. Candidates appear in the order they appear on the polling card. Nina Blanch (Lib Dem) Editors’ note: A Liberal Democrat spokesman said Mr Davies was unable to submit a profile for personal reasons Trica Kennelly (Lib Dem) Tricia has lived in Hastings for the last 40 years on and off. Her family and grandchildren all work or go to college here. Tricia is most concerned to see improved recycling; action on dog mess and dog licensing; better controls over unsafe car parking; planning to be more sensitive to public consideration and comment Abby Nichol (Green) I’m an organic vegetable grower and founder of local veg box scheme, Pea Pod Veg. I believe that everyone should have access to healthy and nutritious food that doesn’t harm the environment. We need a caring politics that understands and unites communities rather than spreads fear and divides. As councillor for Wishing Tree ward I will hold the council to account on development schemes to make sure public money is spent wisely. I’ll campaign for affordable housing, decent public transport, apprenticeships for young people, food waste collections, accesible renewable energy, and anti-loneliness schemes for older people. Alan Roberts (Lab) I am proud to be selected to stand as the Labour candidate for Wishing Tree and, if re-elected, I promise to continue to work hard for the residents of the ward. I have lived in Hastings and St Leonards for nearly 60 years. I was the Branch Secretary for Hastings & East Sussex Branch of the GMB Trade Union and I am also a member of the NUJ as a press photographer. I have been a councillor on-and-off for 20 years and have had the privilege to have been the Mayor of Hastings. I am also the Chair of Governors at Churchwood Primary Academy. Phil Scott (Lab) With almost 25 years of representing the Wishing Tree Ward area, the area that I grew up in with my family, I continue to feel both privileged and honoured to serve this amazing community. If re-elected I will continue to advocate on your behalf for your public service. Services such as the police which has seen huge reductions in officer numbers, which in turn has meant neighbourhood policing is a thing of the past. I stand on my record of supporting communities and its people, my view has always been that you do not take out resources from deprived areas but that you increase resources to meet those demands. Thad Skews (Green) I work for Pea Pod Veg, growing and supplying organic vegetables. I also write music and create illustrations. I’m in the Green Party party because I’m tired of counterproductive Conservative policies and their obsession with crippling society whilst pretending it is improving. It is time to face the truth of our current political folly and look to alternative strategies that are viable, sustainable and healthy. The Green Party manifesto is a practical guide to sustainable growth and development for one and all. Is it revolutionary to believe we can make the world around us better? I believe it is common sense. Bexx Veness (Con) Bexx worked for Hastings Council for many years and would like to see better run services from the council, including cleaner streets, public toilets in the town centre and for us to have a new and improved marketing strategy for the town to maximise the amount of tourists that visit. John Waterfall (Con) John is originally from Yorkshire and moved to Hastings and St Leonards in the mid 1970s. His working life was spent as a civil servant both at Ashdown House and in London. Since retirement John has taken on a couple of voluntary jobs. He is standing for the council to put something back into the community and to help reduce the waste of resources that the council tax payers of the town had to put up with under the Labour-run council