The parliamentary election candidates in Hackney South & Shoreditch are:

Paul Davies (Communist League)

Denny de la Haye (independent)

Meg Hillier (The Labour Party Candidate)

Michael John King (UK Independence Party)

Polly Lane (Green Party)

Simon Naresh Nayyar (The Conservative Party Candidate)

Ben Rae (The Liberal Party)

Dave Raval (Liberal Democrats)

Nusret Sen (Direct Democracy (Communist) Party)

Michael John Spinks (independent)

Jane Carol Tuckett (independent)

John Williams (Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship”)

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Note: Hackney Citizen has endeavoured to contact all the candidates standing in this election. We have profiled all the candidates who replied to our queries and sent us the information we asked for.

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For more on the 2010 polls, see the Hackney Citizen’s comprehensive election coverage:

General Election 2010: What’s your question for your Hackney parliamentary candidates?

General Election 2010: your Hackney parliamentary candidates announced

Hackney Community College hosts Big Education Debate

Hackney elections 2010: the lowdown on the local and mayoral

A guide to the Hackney elections 2010

General Election 2010: you ask the questions

Boff bashed over zero cost mayor plan

Boff to be listed in Hackney mayoral booklet

Hackney Council rejects mayoral candidate’s election address

Candidates in place for Hackney mayoral race

Thursday 6 May: General and local elections for Hackney voters

Hackney mayoral candidate cleared over BNP complaint

Hackney local and Mayoral elections: Thursday 6 May

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Other websites with election-related content include:

www.2010generalelection.org.uk

www.voteforpolicies.org.uk

www.votematch.org.uk

www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

www.hustings.com

www.ukpollingreport.co.uk

www.votewise.co.uk

www.democracyclub.org.uk

www.politics.co.uk

www.thestraightchoice.org

www.yournextmp.com

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More politics from Hackney Citizen.

Paul Davies, Communist League parliamentary candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch

Paul Davies is standing for Parliament as the revolutionary working class alternative to the ‘capitalist parties’.

Davies, 48, is a meat factory worker. He has also served as a reporter for Militant magazine.

Davies has supported campaigns by African, Caribbean, Latin American and Asian-born workers against deportation and for employment rights.

He has also organised protests for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and organised meetings on the Cuban revolution.

“The Cuban revolution is a living example of how working people can win state power and forge a government to combat all forms of exploitation and oppression. In Britain, revolution is not only possible – revolutionary struggle is inevitable, as workers are driven to resist government and employer attacks”, said Davies.

The Communist League stands for:

The immediate, unconditional withdrawal of UK and all foreign troops from Afghanistan

Guaranteed unemployment benefits at rates set by the unions for all workers until they find a job. Increase the minimum wage to a rate set by unions

A crash programme of public works to provide work at union rates to build houses, schools, hospitals and roads and to improve public transport

No cuts to social and welfare services

Nationalise the land and housing stock

End immigration raids and deportations. Immediate and unconditional legalisation of all undocumented workers. No preferential hiring of British-born workers.

Freedom for the Cuban Five: Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González – five Cuban revolutionaries jailed in the US.

Other candidates.

Note: this article was originally published 24 March 2010 and was then re-published 25 April 2010.

Denny de la Haye, independent candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch

Denny de la Haye is an independent candidate, standing on a platform of ‘direct digital democracy’.

He is 36 years old and lives in South Hackney. Has has worked in the computer industry since the age of 18, with a break in his mid-20s to go to university. He is self-employed and runs a web development company that he set up last year.

“In a lot of ways it doesn’t matter who I am, not as much as with ‘normal’ politicians, because you don’t have to try to work out how I’m going to vote from what kind of person I am.

“Exceptions aside, I’m going to vote how I’m told to vote by the people of Hackney South and Shoreditch – that’s the whole point of my campaign.”

He has been involved in political campaigning for a number of years, but never with party politics.

“I’ve always been involved from the campaigning side of things, trying to get politicians to care about the issues that affect me. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wished I could vote on [individual] issues, instead of voting for politicians or parties.

“If you’ve ever cared about a particular issue – be that education, public transport, the war, employment, or something else – then maybe you’ve wished the same thing.

“Now’s your chance to get that vote,” says Denny de la Haye.

The basic idea is that for every issue that comes up in Parliament, Denny de la Haye will conduct a poll which people can vote in using the internet or their mobile phones, and he, and his vote in Parliament, will be bound by the result.

There are a few exceptions (he says he will tend to be in favour of laws that increase equality, civil liberties, and democratic reform).

He will also be providing a way for people to let him know about issues they want him to champion in Parliament, which he will do by asking questions, joining in with debates and committees, or creating Early Day Motions. People will be able to let him know which issues matter most to them, again with a voting mechanism to help prioritise what people consider to be the most important things from those

Find out more about Denny de la Haye.

Other candidates.

Note: this article was originally published 6 April 2010 and was then re-published 25 April 2010.

Meg Hillier: Labour parliamentary candidate for Hackney South

Meg Hillier was elected to serve as Member of Parliament for Hackney South and Shoreditch in May 2005. She is currently Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Identity at the Home Office.

Meg previously represented Hackney in the London Assembly where she was a vigorous campaigner for the recently-opened East London Line extension, better housing and getting more buses for Hackney.

In her first term as MP Meg championed Hackney in Parliament and pressed for funding for the borough.

Meg has campaigned on housing issues, pushing for greater and more affordable family homes and help for those in overcrowded situations.

She has also worked to ensure new transport links a lasting legacy for Hackney from Olympics investment and more jobs for Hackney residents on the Olympics site.

Meg has strongly supported action on climate change.

Meg has dealt with over 11,000 individual constituency cases over the last five years.

“I will continue to fight for Hackney at every opportunity; for jobs for Hackney residents and help for young people; for more school improvements and health centres; to protect public services and support working families. I will continue to support the police to clear our streets of crime.

“Hackney has got much better in the last few years. We need to make sure that all Hackney residents benefit and no-one gets left out. Don’t let it fall into the wrong hands.”

Meg is married and has three children.

More about Meg Hillier.

Other candidates.

Polly Lane, Green parliamentary candidate for Hackney South

Polly Lane is the Green parliamentary candidate for Hackney South & Shoreditc and has lived in the borough for over 10 years.

She is currently studying for a law degree and is Equalities and Diversity coordinator on the Green party’s national Executive.

Having a life-long interest in politics, Polly Lane has been politically active for many years and has previously stood in local council elections. She has a degree in Politics & Sociology and a Masters Degree in Gender and Culture.

Polly’s vision for Hackney South & Shoreditch includes the transforming of community centres and schools into places where skills learning, sports, hobbies and arts will be available to all, along with childcare facilities.

Championing local democracy, social justice and environmental sustainability the Greens campaign to:

Tackle poverty

Create local jobs

Grow sustainable communities with strong links to schools across Hackney

Abolish fuel poverty through better housing

Tackle climate change through community action

Create a new politics for the twenty-first century:

A new century demands a whole new way of doing things – Green politics

Improve community engagement:

The Greens put the welfare of the people and the community first

Vote Polly Lane – a strong and radical choice

Find out more about Polly Lane.

Other candidates.

Note: this article was originally published 30 March 2010 and was then re-published 25 April 2010.

Simon Nayyar, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch

London-born Simon Nayyar is the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch.

He works just south of the constituency border, and has been living in the capital for almost 20 years. He has been campaigning in Hackney since April 2008 and was selected as the Conservatives’ parliamentary candidate in March 2009.

Simon works in communications and public affairs, advising large companies and organisations in the public and voluntary sectors.

He is a school governor and the trustee of a citizen’s advice bureau, and has recently done voluntary work in Rwanda.

Simon has been a member of the Conservative Party for over 20 years, and has campaigned for the party at both local and national levels.

Simon Nayyar’s key pledges for Hackney:

Getting Hackney moving again

Hackney is a great place in which to live, but under a Conservative government, Hackney would be better managed and local services would be more responsive to residents’ needs.

Helping Hackney’s communities

I want to see safer communities, help for young people and the unemployed, a real difference to local educational standards.

Securing Hackney’s future

Hackney has really suffered during this terrible recession under Labour. Only Conservative policies and support for local small businesses will deliver the prosperity to power future regeneration, renewal and growth.

Other pledges include:

Act now on debt to get the economy moving

Deal with the deficit quickly so that mortgage rates stay lower for longer

Get Britain working by boosting enterprise

Cut corporation tax rates, abolish taxes on the first ten jobs created by new businesses, promote green jobs, and get people off welfare and into work.

Make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe

Freeze council tax and raise the basic state pension, recognise marriage in the tax system and back couples in the benefits system, support young families with extra health visitors, and fight back against crime.

Back the NHS

Increase spending on health every year, and make the NHS work for patients not managers.

Raise standards in schools

Give teachers the power to restore discipline, and create smaller schools.

Change Politics

Reduce the number of MPs, cut Whitehall and quangos by a third, and let taxpayers see where their money is being spent.

Find out more about Simon Nayyar.

Other candidates.

Note: this article was originally published 30 March 2010 and was then re-published 25 April 2010.

Ben Rae, Liberal parliamentary candidate for Hackney South

Ben Rae is standing as a candidate for the Liberal Party in Hackney South and Shoreditch. He is a 75 year old retired security officer who has lived at the same address in Hoxton since 1994.

For Rae, “The essence of Liberalism is a belief in the equality of personal worth of every individual and a society which maximises the chance of all, regardless of colour, creed, race, gender and sexual orientation”.

Rae’s key policies:

Land Value taxation – an annual tax on the unimproved value of every land site, in order to address the current housing crisis by making property prices fall, and to address the financial crisis by reducing the need for budget cuts. The tax would be introduced gradually, starting at 10 per cent and increasing to 95 per cent.

UK withdrawal from the European Union. Rae says, “Britain can only once again be a truly free election if it withdraws from the EU, and repudiates all the more lunatic directives that have been imposed in a wholly undemocratic manner.”

Note: this article was published Wednesday 5 May 2010.

Other candidates.

Note: video added Sunday 18 April 2010: click here to see the video wall

Dave Raval was born and bred in London and currently lives in Hackney, although he has previously lived and worked all over the UK and in Germany and the USA.

With a professional background in engineering and experience in renewable energies, Dave Raval currently specialises in commercialising new technology developments, and leads a team of 50 people.

His political experience includes standing as the Liberal Democrats parliamentary candidate for Bexleyheath and Crayford.

Dave Raval has also been a trustee of a local arts council, and was chair of trustees for a charity providing assistance to people suffering discrimination at work. Until recently he also refereed in semi-professional football leagues.

Hackney Liberal Democrats’ top ten priorities for 2010

1. Clean and open politics in Hackney

No more secrecy about your money: Liberal Democrat councillors will hold the council accountable for every action

We will publish all information that can be legally revealed, in clear text

No more £30,000 overseas jaunts for Labour members nor Hackney Council’s £10,000 stall at the national Labour conference – all paid for by you

2. The best policies for the environment

Taking climate change seriously – like Liberal Democrat-run Camden and Islington whose environmental policies have won national praise, including ‘UK Sustainability Councillor of the Year’

Introduce polluter pays parking; so the most polluting cars pay more to park whilst the least polluting pay less – like Liberal Democrat-run Islington Council

Make Hackney plastic bag free – by encouraging local shops to provide long-life bags from sustainable sources

Preserving Hackney’s heritage – by locally listing key historic buildings

3. Cutting crime in Hackney

Stopping it before it starts – more funding for voluntary groups and mentors to target those most likely to offend, and greater roll out of initiatives that break the cycle of youth re-offending, such as Hackney Diamond

Provide properly-funded community payback schemes for minor crime, proven to reduce re-offending

Cutting anti-social behaviour – effective council action, working with the police, to deal with the worst offenders

4. A fair start for young people

Developing more community-led sports and leisure opportunities – creating safe spaces for young people to meet, and keeping them off the streets

Supporting local work placement schemes to get young people into work and training

Implementing our national policy to cut class sizes, improve discipline and phase out student tuition fees

5. Fair taxes for all – and cutting taxes for local people

The Liberal Democrats are the only major party that will cut taxes for people on lower incomes

Nationally, we will scrap income tax for people earning less than £10,000

We will replace council tax with a fairer system based on your ability to pay

6. A fairer deal for tenants and leaseholders

Liberal Democrat councillors will listen to leaseholders and tenants through meaningful local residents’ groups that have real power, not just talking shops

Better management of the repairs service, getting repairs done faster and right first time

No more exorbitant service charge increases for leaseholders, without the quality of service improving, and no ‘major works’ imposed upon leaseholders at way-above market costs and without proper consultation

7. Cut the Mayor’s budget

The Labour Mayor’s salary and expenses have so far cost local people over a million pounds, including a recent pay rise despite the recession

The Liberal Democrats will slash the Mayor’s budget in half – and put your money back into your services

We will make the Mayor fully accountable by holding regular Mayor’s Question Times open to the public

8. A cycle scheme for Hackney

We will introduce a bike hire scheme in Hackney, for Hackney, run by the community

Create more secure parking spaces for bicycles

The Liberal Democrats were the first to successfully introduce city-wide 20mph speed limits on residential roads in parts of Britain and we intend to do the same in Hackney

We will offer training to cyclists and to lorry drivers to help reduce accidents

9. Strengthening community groups

The Liberal Democrats have always supported voluntary groups in our budgets as they provide best value for money services, use local expertise and builds local communities

We will provide more matched funding for community groups and work with the voluntary sector to create a future for Hackney, decided and delivered by Hackney residents

We will cut red tape and provide council officers’ time to community groups to secure funding from outside Hackney

10. Make the Olympics work for local people

Fight to make sure Hackney gets its fair share of jobs

Create opportunities for local residents to build the skills through volunteer and employment opportunities available

Support and develop grass-roots sports facilities for the long term – sport is not all about international competition, it is about local participation too

Create an enduring legacy for Hackney by putting Olympic land [that lies] within the borough into a community land trust

Find out more about Dave Raval on his website.

Other candidates.

Note: this article was originally published 30 March 2010 and was then re-published 25 April 2010.

Michael Spinks, independent candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch

Michael Spinks is standing as an independent candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch on a platform of ‘Justice for Victims of the Olympics’.

Spinks read Land Economy at Cambridge before joining his family food business, where he has worked his entire career.

During that time he has also launched new business initiatives in the spheres of catering, biofuels and leisure. He is married with two children.

His candidacy is designed to draw attention to the plight of his company, whose main operating base is adjacent of the Olympic site.

“There comes a time when you are running short of options and you press the only available button, the ‘nuclear’ button.

“The security lockdown during the entire summer of 2012 (not just during the Olympic and Paralympic Games) will prevent our vehicles from operating, effectively closing this business,” says Spinks.

Spinks would like to move his firm and sell the site for residential use, but claims that planning restrictions prevent this. As an alternative, he is seeking compensation from the Olympic authorities.

“We would like to move away to enable this company to continue commercial operations not impeded by security and congestion issues in 2012 and to give the residents of this area relief from the noise and inconvenience of our presence daily in their otherwise quiet streets.

“We need assurances and a plan from the Olympic and security authorities with proper arrangements for the free access of neighbours to the Games such as ourselves and/or compensation from the Olympic authorities enabling us to lease alternative premises for the duration of the Games.”

Other candidates.

Note: this article was published at 6.00pm on Monday 3 May 2010

Jane Tuckett, independent parliamentary candidate for Hackney South

Jane Tuckett is a housewife who is happy to admit that she has “no previous political experience”.

She has a law degree, however, and she has entered politics for the first time as an independent candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch “to represent those like myself, who feel that they have been ignored by the system.”

Ms Tuckett has lived in Dalston for 25 years, has three grown children and she helps to look after her grandchildren.

Her key policy pledges include:

Regular consultation with constituents to identify their major concerns

Identification, promotion, and support for the founding of local consultation/working groups. These will be composed of representatives from all concerned political parties, organisations and sectional groups that have a particular interest in, knowledge of or skill in the subject under consideration. The members of these groups will be required to co-operate, working across all party and sectional interest lines, to devise and implement sensible, practical solutions with the overriding objective of benefiting as many Hackney constituents as possible.

In Parliament, she will support any legislation that assists in these initiatives and oppose any that hinders them, irrespective of which party is introducing the measure. Where there are national issues that have a special impact upon her constituency, such as the 2012 Olympics, she will campaign to ensure that constituents derive a lasting benefit.

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“I believe that the candidates from the established parties are restricted by party policies from having the freedom that is required to adopt solutions that are suitable for Hackney’s unique circumstances,” says Jane Tuckett.

“What is needed is an approach that cuts across party boundaries – an approach founded upon objective, commonsense principles to be applied in the true spirit of co-operation. Such an approach needs to be engineered by someone that is independent of the established parties and who has no sectional interests to represent.

“As an independent MP, I will be able to take regular soundings of constituents’ major concerns and promote the establishment of local consultation/working groups that will be empowered to devise and implement sensible, practical solutions with the overriding objective of securing the maximum benefit for the maximum number of constituents,” she said.

Other candidates.

Note: this article was published at 10.30pm on Friday 30 April 2010