Camden Council Kentish Town South by-election candidates

The Kentish Town South by-election is taking place next Thursday (September 5).

The seat became vacant after Georgia Gould was elected MP for Queen's Park and Maida Vale on July 4.

We asked the candidates to set out why you should vote for them, giving their priorities for the area.

Here they are in alphabetical order: 

Joseph Ball - Labour Party

Joseph Ball is hoping to keep the seat for the Labour Party (Image: Labour Party)

I’ve worked for a Camden-based business since 2017, moved to the borough in 2018 and live with my fiancée locally.

I’m a charity trustee and youth sports coach and want to be a councillor because I love Kentish Town and I want to give back to my community by undertaking casework and representing residents.

If elected, my first priority would be to join other councillors in to lobbying TfL to reopen Kentish Town Underground Station as soon as safely possible. 

Secondly, I would support those most in need of help, by backing the building of more social rent homes and pushing for Camden Labour policies such as the provision of council tax support, which more than 1,000 households in our ward have recently received. 

Thirdly, I would work to ensure that the proposed Camden Film Quarter development delivers benefits for our community, economy and environment.

Alice Brown - Green Party 

Alice Brown could become the second Green Party councillor in Camden Council's chamber (Image: Green Party)

Alice is an architect who lives with her family near Queen’s Crescent, and her husband Tom runs the bread stall at Queen’s Crescent market. 

She is involved with community groups including Better West Kentish Town, Climate Emergency Camden, Retrofit Kentish Town, is chair of the West Kentish Town Conservation Area committee and was an advisor to Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum.

My three top priorities are: 

Local Services

I have campaigned for better local services since the late 90s, when Queen’s Crescent Library was under threat.

In 2002 I tried to get the pavements in Holmes Road improved; Camden said they would see to it when the 'development in the street' was finished, but they are still in a bad state. 
 
Action on the climate and ecological crisis

I helped set up Climate Emergency Camden in 2019 to hold Camden Council to account in its role in tackling global temperature increases and loss of biodiversity.

Action by the council over the past five years has not been nearly wide reaching enough.

In 2019 Georgia Gould promised Camden would deliver a public information to help communicate the challenges of the ecological crisis to everyone in the borough, but this has not been forthcoming.
 
Housing conditions

As an architect I work to improve living conditions by repairing and insulating homes.

I understand the challenges Camden Council faces in managing and funding repair and maintenance work, but this work needs reform so that it can be done in a more efficient and effective manner. 

Tara Copeland - Liberal Democrat

Tara Copeland is standing for the Liberal Democrats in Kentish Town South (Image: Liberal Democrat Party)

Tara Copeland will work to make Kentish Town South and Camden more widely a community that works for everyone by making it safer, greener, and more inclusive. 

Originally from Canada, she has been living in the United Kingdom for 12 years and is proud to have called London home for nearly seven years.

Tara works as a freelance photographer and in her spare time can be found at the Parliament Hill Lido or on runs through the Hampstead Heath training for triathlons.

Of utmost importance is making sure that residents are listened to and advocated for.

Tara would look to meet regularly with members of the community to discuss any concerns or problems and find solutions that work for everyone.

Muhammad Abu Naser -  Independent

Muhammad had not responded at the time of publication.

Shajib Ziffer, Conservative Party

Shajib Ziffer is standing for the Conservative Party in Kentish Town South (Image: Holborn & St Pancras Conservatives)

I live in Kentish Town and grew up in a working-class family where I learned early on the importance of family, hard work and public service.

This motivated me to become involved with Conservative in 2016, where I have dedicated myself to supporting our residents and hearing new ideas to improve my fellow residents’ quality of life.

I am deeply concerned about the traffic chaos currently causing gridlock in Kentish Town.

Camden must put pressure on TfL to complete this essential work quickly.

The traffic measures introduced locally also require an urgent review.

Camden regularly holds ‘consultations’ prior to a scheme being introduced, then implement the plans it had laid out anyway.

I want to reopen the Kentish Town station and introduce international practices of safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

I will fight to making our streets cleaner, improving housing conditions, and enhance safety on the street and at night.

This commitment to service is at the core of who I  am and what you can expect from me as a councillor.

We have dealt with Labour’s inability to put the people first for far too long - the people of Kentish Town can no longer deal with rubbish being dumped on the street, dangerous traffic laws, and poor housing policies.

By-elections will be held for the Camden Square, Kentish Town South and Kilburn Wards on September 5, 2024.

Voters will need to show photo ID when voting in person.

The deadline to register to vote was August 19. The deadline for postal vote applications was August 20. The deadline for proxy vote applications and voter authority certificates was August 28.

Applications to vote by emergency proxy must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at Electoral Services, Camden Town Hall, Judd Hall, London WC1H 9JE by 5pm on September 5.