I'm Michael, I've lived in Basingstoke for 7 years and have been a councillor for Brookvale since 2021. I work full time as a network engineer, having graduated from a 3 year apprenticeship in 2017. I enjoy my role as a Councillor, particularly since the Conservatives lost control of the Council in 2023. In the period since, I've been the Green voice in the room, pushing for stronger planning measures, making sure the Council is considering the environmental impact in every decision it takes. Outside of politics I've been a magistrate since 2020. I've also held several volunteering roles, having been a local RSPCA trustee for 4 years, a schol governor for a year and working with my wife, who recently refounded the Chineham conservation group. I am also currently pursuing a Masters degree in Environmental Science with the Open University. I believe that every person elected to office needs at least a basic understanding of climate science, but I'd like to go a step further and make sure that I can robustly defend against any climate sceptics that I might come across in the political world.
I have worked consistently as a councillor to support residents with any issues they may face, from bins not being collected and litter to housing issues and personal struggles. A highlight of my time as a Councillor was only recently when a wheelchair-bound resident phoned me and asked if I could collect some medicine for her. Having been such a consistent supporting presence over several years of dealing with housing association issues, she called on me as a last resort when nobody else could help. Change doesn't have to mean grand policy decisions; in this case, change was delivered at the hyper-local level, consistently over several years.
I'm not uniquely or overly qualified to be a politician, having never formally studied politics or economics, but I do believe there is one area in which I excel; relentlessly pursuing greener policies and securing a future for myself and other young people across the country and across the world. Being a magistrate and serving the community in this capacity has helped me appreciate just how badly let down this country has been by politics for most of the time I've been alive. This is also reflected in my experiences as a Councillor, but even more simply than that, as a young man. Ask anyone under 30 about the future and you'll hear the same response - a lack of hope. I'm standing to try and deliver some hope to people both young and old who are scared about what the future holds by showing that anyone who cares about the future can stand up and try to change it for the better.
My campaigns have always relied on one simple idea - speaking to people. I have knocked on thousands of doors, spoken to thousands of people and tried to resolve as many of the issues raised with me as I had the power to tackle. I have an excellent working relationship with other small parties locally, and I intend to work with them to meet as many people as possible across the whole constituency, especially community leaders so I can reach people from all backgrounds that may otherwise be hard to engage.