Tom Stanford – Welsh Labour candidate Maesydre by-election

We have offered all candidates the (free) chance to promote themselves ahead of the Maesydre by-election, below is an unedited submission from this candidate.

You can view all the candidates standing here, and read all of their Q&A’s from the main Maesydre by-election page.

The Q&A

Tell us about who you are, any political history and why you have the political leanings that you do.

I am Tom Stanford and proud to be standing for Labour in the Maesydre by-election, an area close to where I grew up and attended school in our town. After gaining a degree in Government, I returned to Wrexham and live in Acton where I represent Maesydre for Labour on Acton Community Council. I’m a strong believer in social justice and have been active in campaigning for many issues both here and elsewhere since the mid-1980s including serving on the board of Wrexham Supporters Trust at Wrexham AFC from 2010-2016 as supporters gathered together to safeguard the future of football at The Racecourse by re-gaining control of the club and seeing the departure of unscrupulous former business owners.

What are the three key local issues in this ward and why?

As the former councillor, Paul Jones, was instrumental in getting the bus service re-routed to go through Maesydre, I will work to maintain this service which links the area to the town centre and has made a difference to the accessibility of many residents.

The planning decisions around the Groves Site and Nine Acre field have caused a considerable amount of anxiety to the Maesydre residents. The failure of the Tory/Independent Council to implement a Local Development Plan has meant haphazard developments and poor decision making. The Groves site should be used to benefit both Maesydre residents and the wider area. Labour has supported the Groves redevelopment as a skills centre which be beneficial to the local economy and help sustain our local businesses.

As a community councillor, I have a strong belief in the value of people working positively together to better their community and this is something I hope to take forward if elected. My endeavour would be to work with groups such as residents’ associations, neighbourhood watch schemes, voluntary organisations, faith groups and PCSOs so that we can ensure our ward is as safe as possible and continue to be proud of this part of Wrexham. The environment is an important issue and recognising this fact, Paul Jones designated a day each year as an environment day. I want to develop this idea further and organise an environment group which maps the areas of the ward which need attention and works together to ensure that our streets and green spaces are well kept.

What would you do to resolve each of those, and what would be your desired outcome for each?

By developing the key strategic site of The Groves, Wrexham County Borough Council together with other groups should be able to work towards a much greater sense of community in the area by supporting residents wherever possible in balancing the need for economic regeneration with that of maintaining green spaces and existing services.

I feel sure that there would be good support for the establishment of an environment group in Maesydre which would enhance the work of the community council and bring residents together to do something positive to improve their environment.

What is your view on the local and national pandemic response, and what role will you as a councillor have in the future recovery?

I support the Welsh Government in its approach to dealing with the pandemic by following the science and taking important and difficult decisions during these challenging times. Community groups across Wales have worked magnificently in supporting their communities and in Wrexham AVOW’s role has been great. Councillors have a responsibility to ensure economic conditions detrimental to the recovery of vulnerable families and other groups are balanced with policies and support from statutory bodies.

Would you put the ward first in any vote, even if that clashed with your political group or alliances on the council?

If I am elected to represent the people of Maesydre, my priority will be to those people in the ward, so the answer would be YES. Labour is in opposition on WCBC and, if elected, one of my key roles would be through the scrutiny process and holding lead members to account. You cannot be political in scrutiny. In the Labour Group, ward issues are discussed as this helps to develop policies which are relevant and actually benefit the people we represent. If there ever was an issue whereby a current policy was detrimental to the people I represent, then I would fight hard to change and improve the policy. However, I am confident in the support of the Labour Group as this is how they operate.

If you change political allegiance from what you are currently seeking election for (eg. resigning from, or joining another group) will you trigger a by-election? If not, why not?

My answer is YES. I am a principled person and my conscience would demand this of me, however, I must point out that it is highly unlikely that I would change my political allegiance. I have been a member of the Labour Party for over 30 years and I am totally committed to its core beliefs of fairness, equality and social justice.

What local activity have you taken part in over the last few years or months to improve your ward? Regardless of if you win, will you continue ?

My work within the community council has been varied and interesting with initiatives such as installation of various CCTV points in the area proving important. Personally, I really value living so close to Acton Park where our family and many others benefit in many ways and have supported many initiatives at Ty Pawb. The creative arts are really important to me and I’d be fully supportive of community arts projects from the Art College, Ty Pawb, Focus Wales and elsewhere in the future. Following the by-election, I fully intend to continue as Maesydre’s representative on Acton Community Council.

To wrap this up, why should people vote for you?

The fact that I sought to be a part of Acton Community Council and represent Maesydre ward sums up my interest, enthusiasm and belief in the value of local communities. I am seeking this office in order to develop this work further and recognise how an active and strong voice on the county borough council can make a difference to the lives of all the people in the ward. Already, I appreciate that there are so many people who want this ward to maintain its unique character but also seek resolutions to some of the outstanding issues and make it an even better place to live. I will listen, understand and work for all residents of this part of our town by drawing on my personal, academic and practical experience of living in Wrexham. Please trust me with your vote on 18th March.
Thank you

Contacts and Leaflets

The candidate has supplied the below election material that you should be able to click to make larger, and has a Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/groups/1160960354317119