Dear Residents

To many of you I am a very familiar face in North Harrow as I live and work in the Headstone North Ward. Those of you who have met me will know that I am very much a people person, a trait I have inherited directly from my late father.

He instilled in me the importance of fostering a sense of community spirit, and as a consequence, to care about the quality of the lives of the people who live and work in our neighbourhood and the amenities and services that are at their disposal.

My father devoted most of his life to working for the community in one way or other, and he was an independent councillor representing the people of Pinner. Having worked alongside him on council matters, as I did throughout the eighties, it is my desire to follow in his footsteps as I passionately believe I will be able to make a positive difference to your lives.

I don’t claim to have all the answers to the problems and challenges that we as a community, face, but I do share my father’s views and experiences when it comes to town hall politics. At their worst, some councillors completely ignore the people who elected them, caring little about their views and concerns between elections.

If in May you consider me a worthy choice to represent the people of North Harrow you would be backing someone whose loyalty is to you, first and foremost, and NOT the political groups and their dictatorial party whips. My candidacy would be a breath of fresh air and an antidote to the sterile, point scoring and confrontational approach adopted by some councillors. For the first time in decades it will give you the opportunity to elect someone who is both very well-known and who is steeped in the tradition of working for the good of the people.

I aim to meet as many of you as possible over the coming months. To turn up just before an election feigning an interest in the problems along your street shows a complete lack of respect to you and for the concerns you may have. It also shows no long term commitment to the community at large. Below I have outlined my ten points that I think an effective local councillor should aspire to. Point number ten is exclusive to me, but I think most of the statements are a good starting position for anyone considering standing for public office.

I will continue to help you, the residents and shopkeepers, with the issues across our neighbourhood, but this is a two-way process so please make contact. All the details of how you can get in touch with me can be found on the Contact page of this blog.

Finally, if my presence on the scene acts as a catalyst that shakes some of the present councillors out of their complacency and makes them more aware and eager to represent your needs and views, then my latest campaign on behalf of the people of North Harrow will have been wholly worthwhile.

Yours sincerely

James Bond

My ten-point plan for an effective local councillor by James Bond

	To represent and promote the wellbeing of the local community by standing up to the powerful and often destructive forces of the state and commerce.
	To represent the people with integrity and probity and to make a positive difference to their lives as citizens of the borough at every opportunity.
	To scrutinise the decisions of the controlling elite, and others, and to expose mismanagement and blatant wrongdoing.
	Through knowledge, scrutiny and investigation be able to, on occasion, influence the decision making process for the benefit of council taxpayers and business ratepayers.
	To give leadership and to take a stand on the issues that provoke controversy in the sincerely held belief that one is acting for the common good of the neighbourhood he or she represents.
	To help individuals and groups of people with specific problems and, to the best of his or her ability, work to resolve these problems.
	To aid community cohesion and at all times actively promote a sense of belonging in a non-sectarian and non-partisan manner.
	To be proactive and to be a voice for community-wide causes and to aim to put the needs of the local neighbourhood first and foremost.
	To show the spirit of the underdog by fighting for those who are genuinely disadvantaged and who are often forgotten, disregarded and treated as less human than the rest of us.
	To be able to use his professional skills and experience gained in customer service and investigative journalism to maximum affect as your voice on the council.

Statement from James Bond to members of the Headstone Residents’ Association

It is both with great regret as well as being essential for the well-being of the Headstone Residents’ Association that I resign from my post as Vice-Chairman and step down from the committee at this time.

Many of you are aware of the representations made to me from many people to contest the next local council elections as an independent candidate. Therefore my participation in the political arena would put me in dispute with the association’s rule 4.4 which states that no committee member should seek election to a political office and simultaneously serve on the association’s body.

I am of the opinion that in order to preserve the integrity of the association’s rules and constitution, my decision to stand down is necessary. I am also of the view that as an association representing many people throughout our neighbourhood we should be seen to be upholding our own set of rules. In relinquishing my post at this time I am maintaining the Headstone Residents’ Association’s neutrality in the political arena, being that the officers and committee members will engage with councillors of all party colours and none when representing the views and aspirations of the population at large.

I shall continue to give my whole hearted support to the aims of the Headstone Residents’ Association and I shall actively work alongside it in trying to improve the lot of the people of our area. I am also confident that many of the aims of the association such as the preservation of our amenities and our quality of life, as well as the never ending fight to maintain and improve the services provided by the local authority happily coincide with my own aims and aspirations.