By background I am a barrister and environmental lawyer and activist. I have been involved in many campaigns and projects and represented and advised many people: skills and experience that I will continue to use for the benefit of Wimbledon and the wider community.

My own record of achievement in Wimbledon as a politician is second to none. As Leader of Merton Council from 2001-2006 I:

Tackled Crime

I was closely involved with the Police in addressing anti-social behaviour and crime in Wimbledon, leading to a big drop in offences whilst we held office, and the Borough becoming the second safest in London in 2006. I also helped to devise a new licensing policy, which imposed constraints on the grant or extension of drinks licences in the Town Centre and Village.

Improved Education

We wanted to ensure that local children have the best possible environment in which to learn so we invested in education, enabling rebuilding or refurbishment of most local schools with investment of more than £3000 for every child, improving sports facilities and restoring primary school kitchens so that fresh school dinners could be cooked on nearly every site.

Benefited our Environment

This has always been my passion. When I became Leader, we undertook a consultation on local environmental issues across the borough and more than 10,000 residents responded. As a result we prioritised spending on street cleanliness including the removal of graffiti, fly tips and abandoned vehicles as well as improving recycling. As a result streets and open spaces became visibly cleaner and satisfaction levels improved. We also did our best to restore the fabric of the neighbourhood by finding money to improve our parks, leisure facilities and libraries.

Working with local groups, I also developed proposals for a 600-seat auditorium on the site next to Wimbledon Theatre to enable the community and our children and young people in particular to use it for music and the arts and I have been sorry to see the project foundered after I left office. It could, and should be resurrected.

Yet the most influential achievement was probably what is known nationally as the Merton Rule – a planning requirement for renewable energy in new developments that has been widely adopted and has given a boost to on-site renewable energy across the UK.