Meet the Doxford candidates standing in the Sunderland City Council elections

This year’s local elections are just around the corner, and we’re turning the spotlight on Sunderland’s candidates in the run-up to polling day on May 2.
Top row (l-r): Richard Peter BRADLEY, Colin ENGLISH
(Labour Party), (Green Party candidate), John DEFTY
(UKIP)
Bottom row (l-r): Heather FAGAN (Liberal Democrat), John Scott WIPER (The Conservative Party Candidate)Top row (l-r): Richard Peter BRADLEY, Colin ENGLISH
(Labour Party), (Green Party candidate), John DEFTY
(UKIP)
Bottom row (l-r): Heather FAGAN (Liberal Democrat), John Scott WIPER (The Conservative Party Candidate)
Top row (l-r): Richard Peter BRADLEY, Colin ENGLISH (Labour Party), (Green Party candidate), John DEFTY (UKIP) Bottom row (l-r): Heather FAGAN (Liberal Democrat), John Scott WIPER (The Conservative Party Candidate)

Each one will be given the opportunity to tell readers why they’re standing and why people should vote for them. Here are the candidates for the Doxford ward:

Richard Peter BRADLEY (Green Party candidate)

One Green councilor – that’s all it takes.Green councilors up and down the country are making a nuisance of themselves and forcing councils to think differently, I am asking you to make me that person in Sunderland.I’ve done my homework, attended council meetings, put questions to the council, taken part in consultations and, most importantly, knocked on doors to get your views.This election isn’t about Brexit, national politics or what you think of the party leaders, it’s about the people who run the city, one more Labour councilor won’t make any difference, one Green will.John DEFTY (UKIP)Green belt/field sites have been granted planning permission.Brownfield sites are laid to waste.Money is squandered on vanity projects such as the new bridge and now a new Civic Centre is being built.Massive pay offs and gagging orders are reportedly used.Not a single head rolled when the Social Services failure was finally exposed and still there is no improvement.It’s time to stop this madness.It’s time to do what’s right for the people instead of toeing a party line as our Labour councillors do.UKIP councillors do not have to toe a party line.They do what’s right for the people.Colin ENGLISH (Labour Party)The Doxford ward faces a number of challenges through housing development and the erosion of council services as local government austerity continues to bite.I have tried my best over the last 4 years to pull the community together, keep housing development in check much of it the result of decisions taken a long time ago, resolve car parking issues, maintain local services and promote community and youth services.We have had some successes and believe Doxford is a better place to live. Help me continue the fight. Heather FAGAN (Liberal Democrat)I live locally and am fed up with Sunderland Council.Doxford & Tunstall deserves better from the Council and we deserve better local councillors.If elected I will campaign to cut councillor allowances and expenses, to end the likes of free meals given to councillors after meetings, and to stop wasteful spending on vanity projects and expensive managers.Local people want a real alternative to the out-of-touch councillors who have run Sunderland Council for decades.This time please lend your vote to me and the Liberal Democrats so I can get things done for our area and so I can stand up to Sunderland Council at the Civic Centre.John Scott WIPER (The Conservative Party Candidate)A retired senior policeman, John has experience as a dedicated and hard-working councillor.The declining state of the city and the Labour Party’s failures have motivated him to return to frontline politics in a bid to offer the people of Doxford a strong voice on the council.We support cutting councillors’ allowances, ending free meals for councillors and passionately oppose a second EU referendum.The Conservatives were only 59 votes behind Labour last year.If Lib Dem and Green voters lend us their support, we can oust Labour and give residents the representation they deserve.

By James Harrison, Local Democracy Reporting Service