Dr Debojyoti Das
I have lived in New Malden for 11 years and my two childrens go to local primary schools. I am committed to working towards bringing about inclusive growth in society, bridging the gender pay gap and keeping the local community at the heart of policy making for a greener and fairer future.
In my university as a student leader I led campaigns for social justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion. I see the next General Election as an opportunity to bring about transformative change in our community and to challenge the business-as-usual attitude upheld by the major political parties.
We are living in a world where climate change and global warming is real, and the impact is felt at the community level. With my experience and leadership skills, my aim will be to raise awareness and tackle these grand challenges by engaging with diverse voices within the local community and show how these issues affect us all.
For me addressing global challenge of climate change means acting locally by supporting the Save Our Lands and Rivers (SOLAR) campaign to stop the extraction of water from the Thames at Teddington by Thames Water, and the Save Seething Wells campaign to maintain pressure on the filter bed owners and Kingston Council to make sure this area of Metropolitan Open Land is kept as a resource for both natures to thrive and the local community to enjoy. I am also keen to support local campaigns and projects that have been initiated in the borough by Kingston University students and artists concerned about Thames Water activity expressed through their collaborative community engagement artwork and awareness project.
I will campaign to ensure that Kingston Council rebuilds the Kingfisher Swimming Pool. We must have at least two leisure centres in the borough where our children can learn to swim. And I believe that we must support our local high streets and campaign for business rates reform and for incentives for small businesses to tackle their carbon emissions.
Beyond that I feel the Kingston Council should do more to put a cap on the rising Council Tax bill and provide more efficient service for differently abled people and children in the borough. I will campaign against the density of high-rise buildings in our borough, promote affordable social housing and for more cycle lanes that are planned in consultation with local residences. In addition I will campaign with local residents, particularly senior citizens to save their lifeline bus services that are proposed to be cut (57 and 213).