Embargoed until 00.01 Friday 19th February 2010

First Independent Candidates Endorsed for 2010 General Election

The Independent Network gives support and extra credibility to fifteen independent candidates through endorsement process

The first independent Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPC) to be endorsed for the 2010 General Election have been announced today by the Independent Network (IN). Endorsed candidates have agreed to comply with a set of principles inspired by esteemed former independent MP Martin Bell.

The Independent Network is a loose association which provides support to endorsed PPCs. The Independent Network is not a political party and does not impose any political views on the individuals or parties that affiliate with it. 

Endorsed candidates have agreed to adhere to The Bell Principles, thought to be the first set of conduct guidelines created by a political organisation for its affiliated candidates and representatives. The principles, which are under constant review, were formulated by Martin Bell and the Executive of the Independent Network. The principles will be used by the Independent Network to influence the conduct, but not the policies, of its endorsed candidates.

Voters have become increasingly alienated by party politics. Less than one per cent of voters hold membership of a political party and an Ipsos Mori poll found that 73 per cent of voters believe that they do not have a say in the way the country is run. The Bell Principles help to provide a necessary bridge between the public and their politicians as the independent candidates signed up to them agree to listen to and consult their communities constantly.

North East and Cumbria

Dr Steven Ford

PPC for Hexham

Incumbent: Peter Atkinson MP (will stand down this election)

Dr Steven Ford is a respected GP and member of the Independent Network’s Executive Committee. He was Parish Councillor for Burton Joyce and is currently serving on the Development Trust for Haydon Bridge. Dr Ford is a member of SUSTRANS, a sustainable transport charity. He is a regular contributor to the newspapers, radio and TV.

Dr Ford has been inspired by one of his mentors, Dr Richard Taylor, independent MP for Kidderminster, the first consultant he worked for after qualifying as a doctor.

The Hexham Constituency is the only Tory seat in a Labour dominated North-East; it is also a heavily rural area putting matters of transport, tourism and agriculture at the heart of discussion.

Dr Ford is putting issues such as the environment, health, parliamentary reform and agriculture at the top of his agenda. He said, “As an independent, I’m giving people the opportunity to vote for uncynical, uncorrupt, uncompromised integrity.” www.stevenford.co.uk

Siamak Kaikavoosi

PPC for South Shields

Incumbent: David Miliband MP

Siamak Kaikavoosi has lived in the UK for 40 years after leaving Iran. He has served in the Merchant Navy and been involved with a local branch of Amnesty International. He has also raised 3 children in South Shields.

He once presented David Milliband with a petition, signed by 1500 people, condemning human rights abuses in Iran and the alleged vote fraud there after the last Iranian election.

The South Shields constituency has been held by Labour since 1935. Independents in South Shields have seen an increase in voter support in each election since 1997.

Siamak’s manifesto outlines his support for the NHS, South Shields, and tougher sentences for criminals. He is also a supporter of the “Keep Our NHS Public” campaign, as he firmly believes in the provision of healthcare to all, free at the point of need.

North West 

Norman Bradbury

PPC for Leigh

Incumbent: Andy Burnham MP

A current Wigan Councillor, Norman Bradbury has decided to stand as MP for Leigh due to what he calls the “the years of neglect” by Labour. The constituency of Leigh is in North-West England near Wigan and Norman was elected onto the Council in 2007, initially as a representative of the Labour party.

Norman has expressed a desire for greater transparency of the political process right down to the local level. He supports calls for the North West to be greater integrated into the National Railway Network so the region can be regenerated.

His policies include campaigning against the creation of more nuclear power plants and more safeguards against hospital superbugs.

Yorkshire 

Khizar Iqbal

PPC for Dewsbury

Incumbent: Shahid Malik MP

Khizar Iqbal has been a Kirklees councillor since 1998. He has received the backing of campaigner Martin Bell and Terry Waite after the Telegraph revealed Shahid Malik MP’s expenses. He has successfully campaigned to save local post offices from closure and pioneered a homelessness unit at Dewsbury Minster. He also led a successful campaign to save local schools from closure in Dewsbury.

Dewsbury has been a Labour seat since 1987. Shahid Malik MP has become an unpopular figure in Dewsbury following the revelations of his expenses claims.

He believes Dewsbury has suffered from a lack of investment and economic opportunities. He has helped to create a No-Alcohol Zone in Dewsbury Town Centre and campaigned successfully against political correctness

Key issues for Khizar include; regeneration of Dewsbury, the protection of green belt lands, larger pensions for the elderly, promotion of a vocational curriculum and fines for anti-social behaviour. He has said, “The biggest gang on the streets should be the police.” www.dewsburyfirst.com

Diane Park

PPC for Halifax

Incumbent: Linda Riordan MP

Diane Park stood down as Liberal Democrat PPC in June 2009 and since then she has announced her campaign as an independent PPC for Halifax. After leaving the Liberal Democrats, she said, "I am shocked and appalled by the scandal that has befallen the House of Commons and believe I can no longer be part of this form of false democracy.”

Halifax has been a Labour seat for over a decade.

Diane was elected a councillor for Halifax Council in 2003 and in September 2009 campaigned for councillors pay increases to be linked to those in the civil service. This was in contrast to many in the council who voted to increase their wages by 4.6% opposed to the 0.5% increase council workers gained.

Key policy areas include cutting taxes for the poorest, free higher education and greater investment in renewable energy sources for the UK. 

East Midlands

Andre Camilleri

PPC for Mansfield.

Incumbent: Alan Meale MP

Andre Camilleri, former Councillor and past President of the Mansfield Chamber of Trade, has received support from the town’s elected independent Mayor, Tony Egginton who was directly  elected by the people of Mansfield in 2002. Andre is also a member of Mansfield’s Independent Forum, a local independent group which aims to help candidates get elected in local and general elections.

Mansfield is the largest town in Nottinghamshire, and the seat has been held by the Labour Party since 1923, but Alan Meale’s majority has declined dramatically since 1997. There are currently 29 independent councillors on Mansfield District Council.

Andre says he firmly believes in the slogan of “people before politics,” which he says will guide his decisions at all levels of the political process and he wants to put common sense back into politics. His policies include encouraging an open public debate on the European Union and improved recycling facilities. www.camilleri4mansfield.com

Tony Clarke

PPC for Northampton South.

Incumbent: Brian Binley MP

Previously Northampton South’s Labour MP for eight years, Tony Clarke has broken free from party shackles and is campaigning as an independent. He is a well known figure in Northampton as he is part-time general manager of Northampton Town FC and also has a long political history with the constituency. Often described as a “working class kid done good” he has held an independent council seat since 2007.

In addition to his employment at Northampton Town FC, Tony is a peer member for the government-led Improvement Development Agency (IDeA) which offers advice and support to local government. He is also on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s list of Deployable Civilian Experts which is described by the Foreign Office as - “skilled, resilient and professional men and women who can make a positive impact in sometimes very challenging environments.”

Tony has also been a former chair of the Northern Ireland Select Committee and worked on behalf of the Government on matters of conflict resolution and election monitoring in; Albania, Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Syria.

He was elected in 1997 and lost the seat in 2005 as a member of the Labour Party. Tony remains the only person to have beaten the Conservatives in Northampton South since 1974.

He hopes to bring his extensive knowledge of politics to achieve more for Northampton South. His policies include the prevention of regionalisation of police forces across the country, and for sport to be introduced as a tool of social inclusion and health.  www.northamptonindependentvoice.org.uk

Alan Wayne Graves

PPC for Derby South

Incumbent: Margaret Beckett MP

Alan Graves has been a councillor for Derby City Council since 1995 and in that time he has been involved with sport and leisure and The Arts Council. He is a director of a local business and has also been trained in finance and budgeting, chairing meetings, and auditing of accounts through his local council.

He is the husband of a full time foster carer, and has extensive experience with children from different, at times difficult, backgrounds.

Derby South has been a safe Labour seat since it’s creation in 1950. Alan Wayne Graves will be the first independent standing in Derby South in over ten years.

Alan shares the same sentiments with many in Derby that “party politicians [are] not representing the people who elected them.” www.wix.com/Alangraves/Alangraves

Wales

Fred Wildgust

PPC for Torfaen

Incumbent: Paul Murphy MP

In a historically solid Labour seat, Fred Wildgust has proved to be a successful figure winning a fight for an independent Torfaen County Council seat in 2008. Since then he became an active part of the clean up Pontypool Pool Park volunteer initiative. Pontypool is the main centre for Torfaen and the park is used by many in the area.

He is currently the owner of his own business in Torfean, although was once a miner.

Fred has been the National Training Manager of two Welsh charities; Wales Preschool Playgroup Association and Clwbi Plant Cymru. He is also a qualified careers advisor, and has attended Aberystwyth University, Lampeter University and the University of Glamorgan.

Torfaen has been a Labour constituency since 1983. Historically considered a safe seat for Labour, in the 2008 local elections Labour lost overall control of the council after failing to win 16 of its 34 elected seats. 

Fred believes in the provision of free prescriptions on the NHS, the removal of tuition fees and the reduction of British troops stationed in warzones. www.fred-wildgust.info

East

Joe Hall

PPC for Luton South

Incumbent: Margaret Moran MP (will stand down at the next election)

Joe Hall has formerly worked for international children's charity Save the Children as Advocacy and Communications Manager. He managed worldwide communications and lobbying of governments for Rewrite the Future, Save the Children’s first ever global campaign aimed at bringing education to children in countries devastated by war and conflict. While at the charity he also coordinated international communications for the 2004 Tsunami, the largest natural disaster the Save the Children had ever faced.

He also has experience with the art, media and culture industry as he formerly worked for the Tate and the Filmstock International Film Festival. During his time at the Tate he brought a more interactive approach to engage with otherwise marginalised audiences through projects such as a video glossary in British Sign Language and a dedicated microsite for young people in South London.

Luton is one of the most densely populated areas of the UK and contends with higher than average crime rates and lower than average education and health standards.

Joe's priorities include rebuilding trust in politics, supporting the local community and protecting vital public services particularly education. He wants to reform education for the benefit of children and employers alike, focussing on children's personal, social and emotional development and essential literacy and numeracy skills. www.joehallforluton.com

Loucas Xenophontos

PPC for Hertford and Stortford

Incumbent Mark Prisk MP

Loucas Xenophontos has been heavily involved with the local community, although he has never held a political position in Hertford and Stortford.

He has served as a school governor for 12 years in three separate schools and been a BT education volunteer helping students identify job opportunities for the future. He says, “I believe people whose first ambition is to serve their community are best placed to represent them in Parliament.”

Hertford and Stortford has been held by the Conservatives since 1983.

This is his first time running for election and he is keen to see “…more independent MPs in the house that refuse to do deals behind closed doors or bow to pressure from their party whips, [so that] legislation will be scrutinised on its own merit rather than short term party political or self serving considerations.”

London

Gordon Kennedy

PPC for Dagenham and Rainham

Incumbent: Jon Cruddas MP

Gordon Kennedy is currently a manager of an international coffee roasting company in London. He has been employed in many positions in his lifetime - he's been a lumberjack, a shipyard labourer and a Territorial Army Volunteer.

Dagenham and Rainham was once a major automobile manufacturing centre in the UK, but that industry has declined and Gordon believes this has produced many serious issues for the constituency.

Although a traditional Labour seat, that support has waned. The support of minor parties and independents has increased since 1997 in both national and local elections.

Key to Gordon's policies are better provision of social housing and employment opportunities.  www.justvotethemout.com

Jim Thornton

PPC for Poplar and Limehouse

Incumbents: Jim Fitzpatrick MP

Jim Thornton, an Executive member of the Independent Network, runs a business in Poplar and Limehouse, and wants to campaign for more connections between voters and Parliament through Ward Councillors and the MP. He has experience of politics at a local level, having been a councillor for East Hertfordshire District Council from 1999 to 2007, but never claimed expenses and gave his allowance to charity.

A Civil Engineer by profession, Jim worked for twelve years in Africa and the Middle East, and still retains business interests in South Africa where he also founded the Beulah Charitable Trust. He is a Governor of a state school and an independent school, and has a particular interest in anything that creates jobs. 

Poplar and Limehouse is a new constituency, it includes the media at Wapping, shops selling products from everywhere in the world, the financial towers of Canary Wharf, penthouses on the river and the Tower of London.  The 2010 general election will be the first time Poplar and Limehouse has ever elected a candidate to Parliament, and it is probably the only contest featuring two sitting MPs - George Galloway and Jim Fitzpatrick. The Conservatives are fielding a banker, but there are no certainties on who will win this seat. The challenge for Jim will be to get people to think person not party, and to recognise a new role for back bench MPs.

Neville Watson

PPC for Tottenham

Incumbent: David Lammy MP

Neville Watson, a member of the Independent Network’s Executive Committee, has been involved with community and youth services in North London since the late 1980’s. He initially set up community sport venues and summer camps for youths and young adults, and was profiled by the BBC for his community work. He currently leads voluntary coaching and mentoring practices for men in prisons and psychiatric wards to help them back into society.

Tottenham is a historically diverse seat in North London and Neville has lived in and around the area all his life.  He believes key issues for Tottenham are crime and unemployment.

Neville has said his primary policy areas will include respect for the elderly, prevention of anti-social behaviour, investment in local businesses and bringing communities together.  www.ttwcmih.org.uk 

South West

Rodney Cann (South West)

PPC for North Devon.

Incumbent: Nick Harvey MP

Rodney Cann was elected as a councillor in 1976 on the North Devon District Council, and in 2001 was elected as a Devon County Councillor. Rodney is a well known figure in North Devon, with an extensive local political career and having recently helped to raise over £60,000 for a children’s play area. He is leading a campaign for a new £5 million recycling centre to serve North Devon for the next 50 Years.

Rodney states in his manifesto that he believes that the Higher Education sector needs improvement as it excludes those with practical skills. He wants to provide the public with stronger local democracies and more benefits for small and medium-sized enterprises. www.rodneycann.net

2010 General Election

This election should prove to be a tightly contested affair as support for traditional parties has been waning in recent years. Since 1987 the number of people voting for independents has risen from 10,000 to over 144,000. Currently there are two elected independent MPs in Parliament, more representatives than the Green Party, UKIP and the BNP in the House of Commons.

Jim Thornton, a member of the Independent Network’s Executive Committee, said, “So far we have endorsed 15 candidates and will endorse more before the election. These candidates agree to abide by The Bell Principles, which are believed to be the first set of conduct guidelines published by a political organisation for its affiliated candidates and representatives. An important character of The Principles is that they are not a set of rules about what representatives should not do, but urge positive action to improve and promote democracy and service to their community. The nature of politics is changing. The number and calibre of party members has declined, and the public have become effectively disenfranchised by party politics and party politicians. There is an alternative that can galvanise local politics - the Independent politician." 

Neville Watson, a member of the Independent Network’s Executive Committee, said, “Ninety-nine per cent of people are not members of the main political parties. At the last election, 55 per cent of people didn’t feel they were able to vote for a party that represented their needs. We expect this number has risen due to recent events. There’s two elected independents in the House of Commons, so it’s time to recognise independent candidates as a credible alternative to party politicians.”

Steven Ford, a member of the Independent Network’s Executive Committee, said, “We want the electorate to recognise that they no longer need political parties. No longer are they “floating voters” or “swing voters” – they are independent voters that can think for themselves. It makes sense that they look to independent candidates that are free from the control of any political party, pressure group or whip and are guided by considered evidence, their real world experience and expertise, their constituencies and their consciences." 

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

Fore more information please visit: www.independentnetwork.org.uk Alternatively you can contact the press office at 020 7609 1900.

The Independent Network is a loose association that provides support to candidates who are not members of traditional political parties. As a not-for-profit association with a simple constitution, the Independent Network consists of: independent representatives in national, regional and local government, and candidates or prospective candidates whom the Independent Network supports. Members of the public who support the principle of elected representatives of public office being free of the established party political system will be encouraged to become affiliated with the Independent Network. 

The Independent Network does not impose any political views on the individuals and parties it supports or that support the Independent Network. However, affiliates of the Independent Network must be non-racist and non-discriminatory and adhere to The Bell Principles.

The Bell Principles require that all independent candidates:

• abide wholeheartedly by the spirit and letter of the Seven Principles of Public Life set out by Lord Nolan in 1995: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership
• be guided by considered evidence, their real world experience and expertise, their constituencies and their consciences
• be free from the control of any political party, pressure group or whip
• be non-discriminatory, ethical and committed to pluralism.
• make decisions transparently and openly at every stage and level of the political process, enabling people to see how decisions are made and the evidence on which they are based
• listen, consulting their communities constantly and innovatively
• treat political opponents with courtesy and respect, challenging them when they believe they are wrong, and agreeing with them when they believe they are right
• resist abuses of power and patronage and promote democracy at every level
• work with other elected independents as a Group with a chosen spokesperson
• claim expenses, salaries and compensation openly so the public can judge the value for money of their activities.

Data Sources:

Voters feel they don’t have very much influence in their local area: Ipsos Mori Audit of Political Engagement December 2009

Voters believe they don’t have a say in they way the country is run: Ipsos Mori Audit of Political Engagement March 2005