Andrew Boff: Conservative candidate for Mayor of Hackney

Andrew Boff lives near Broadway Market, and has been active in local politics and the local community for several years.

He was elected as a London Assembly member in 2008 and sits on several committees, and is the Conservative Group lead on the Olympics.

He is also a member of the Broadway Market Traders’ and Residents’ Association, chair of the RCC Youth Club and is the Mayor of London’s Ambassador for Cycling in London.

In his various public roles, Andrew has campaigned to keep Broadway Market run as a social enterprise, has got the London Assembly’s support for more family housing and has opposed the plans for the Bishops Place development in Shoreditch.

Boff has previously been a councillor for Queensbridge ward, and was leader of Hillingdon Council before moving to Hackney in 1993. He came second in both the 2002 and 2006 Hackney Mayoral elections.

A selection of Andrew Boff’s policies:

Hackney needs all the talents

“Hackney Council has been a one party state for too long. I will approach members of ALL non-racist parties to serve as Cabinet members.”

No more tower blocks

“Hackney, like Richmond, will not permit any new skyscrapers or tower blocks. Tower blocks belong in Hackney’s past, not its future.”

Hackney for families

“All publicly funded housing will be low rise family homes, preferably with gardens, to alleviate the severe problem of overcrowding in our estates.”

Trust the parents

“The Learning Trust has been a failure. Headteachers working with governing bodies will be given more freedom to deliver from the dead hand of the Learning Trust Bureaucrats.”

Cut the cost of the cabinet to zero

“The Mayor and his cabinet pay themselves £335,000 a year. The role of cabinet member should be a voluntary one. The honour of public service as a cabinet member should be reward enough. My cabinet will cost zero in salaries. I will not take a salary and the members of the cabinet will be appointed only if they agree not to take the salary.”
“In 2012 there will be a referendum to decide if Hackney residents want to continue to have an executive Mayor.”

Local control needs local funds

“Each ward will be allocated a £50,000 ‘Local Fund’ which will be spent on local projects by the local councillors sitting in open session. This will be increased throughout the lifetime of the next administration. Councillors need more power over decisions in their wards.”

Right the injustice of the property sales

“I will right the profound injustice of the small shopkeepers who … [have lost]…  their properties, including Spirit of Broadway Market, during the property sales programme of the early 1990s.”

End the neglect of our youth

“Knife crime and the death of Young people in Hackney is directly attributable to the lack of investment in young people in Hackney. I will ensure more support for regular activities for young people by scrapping the £1 million being spent on the council’s ‘free’ newspaper, Hackney Today.”

End the estates levy

“Residents on Hackney’s housing estates have increasingly had to pay twice for street lighting, twice for cleaning, twice for refuse collection. I will make sure that process is halted and reversed.”

Find out more about Andrew Boff on his website, ChangeHackney.

Other candidates.

Note: this article was originally published 22 March 2010 and was then re-pubilshed 24 April 2010