Nancy Q&A

Nancy spoke to local journalist Marian Cleary to explain her political passions and why she decided to get involved and stand for Parliament.

Why did you go into politics?

I want to represent the local community and bring politics back to the people. I think many people do not believe that Westminster politics is relevant to their lives and I want to play my part in changing that. For many years I have been a professional campaigner, mainly in the voluntary sector. I even met my partner Steve whilst campaigning within the trade union movement for a publicly owned railway. Now I want to use this passion to bring change to the House of Commons. What happens there is important and I know I can represent people effectively. I’ve already been active in the constituency and this will continue.

Why Labour?

I grew up under the Thatcher Government. Greed and individualism prevailed. Some prospered but many people lost their jobs and their homes – the Tories just left them to struggle. Labour offered a new vision, ‘for the many and not for the few’. How do you view the Government’s response to the recession? The contrast with the Conservative party is clear. Labour has continued to invest in the economy, public services and provided help for families and people on modest and middle incomes. The Government is also funding a major expansion of apprenticeships. We cannot afford for young people to leave school and be faced with a prolonged period of unemployment, as occurred in the 1980s - the costs to society are too great. I am pleased that the Government has decided to guarantee training or employment for every young person under the age of 25, unemployed for a year.

What’s your personal passion?

Without question, tackling disadvantage and creating a fairer and more equal society. Whether it is better public transport with access for people with disabilities, cheaper fares for those on low incomes, a living wage, affordable childcare so parents can go back to work, or tackling energy providers and others who make huge profits at the expense of ordinary people – these are all things on which I have campaigned in my professional life and will continue to do so if elected to Parliament. There are Government policies where my views differ, but I still passionately believe in the Labour Party as the vehicle for progressive social change in this country. However going into Parliament will not stop me from standing up for what I believe in and on the issues that you tell me are important to you.

What would you do differently if you were in charge?

I think older people should receive greater priority. With the public finances suffering from the recession I believe we should reconsider how we plan to spend our money. I would like to see substantial investment in care for older people; this could be funded by abandoning Trident and ID cards. I would also like to see more investment in renewable energies so that the Government can deliver the reduced carbon emissions reductions which it wrote into the world leading Climate Change Act.

Vision for Brighton?

Well, it is a great city and I enjoy living here. But we need more social and affordable housing so that people born and brought up in Brighton can afford to stay here. I also want better public transport, continuous cycle lanes and more spaces for young people.