Community Group Manifesto
Phil Andrew's biography and policy statement
PHIL ANDREWS (43) is an independent councillor for Isleworth and is contesting the election on behalf of the Community.
Phil was born in Isleworth where he has lived all his life. He is married to Caroline and has twins, Joseph and Rosina, who will be eight the day following Polling Day. “I just hope I get back from the count before they wake up for their presents,” he says.
As a teenager and into his twenties Phil was a member of the far-right National Front, something he now deeply regrets. He has publicly renounced his former views and has for many years been a dedicated anti-racist. However he believes that his former associations do give him a unique insight into racism, and is contemptuous of politicians who peddle their anti-racist credentials whilst exploiting race for political gain.
Today Phil is Organiser of the Independent Community Group (ICG), an independent community-based action group which claims over 1,500 members.
As far as the “political spectrum” goes, he refuses to be pigeon-holed. “I believe in conserving what is right and changing what is wrong. Whether that makes me a conservative or a socialist is for others to decide,” he comments.
Phil would like to see the housing crisis in the South East addressed by reversing the trend towards centralising the economy around London. In the IT age with so many people able to work from home, there is no reason for everybody to gravitate towards one small corner of the country.
He believes that government should be honest with voters and accept that advances in health care and improvements in education have to be paid for. ”Spending cuts have become the Holy Grail with some politicians and of course if they can be achieved by ending unnecessary bureaucracy then they should be,” he says. “However as an advanced and civilised society we must not compromise the quality of our essential services.”
He also wants to see more honesty on asylum, as a counter to the fear and scaremongering which often surrounds the issue . “There should be an agreement between the parties to work together and take the politics out of the equation. If the detection system can be improved then it must be, but victim protection must be the priority and that can’t happen while some are scoring points.”
Whatever his views on the major national issues, Phil accepts that as an independent MP he will never be in a position to determine government policy, so the main thrust of his programme is on local issues. Quite simply, as an MP representing his community rather than a political party he will be free at all times to fight for the local interest rather than having to follow a party line.
“Why should local people want to be ‘represented’ by lobby fodder?” he asks. “An MP from a political party, whether in government or opposition, will almost invariably follow the Official Party Line, which may or not serve the people of our community. As its own MP, the community itself will be my party.”
Phil has been vocal in his opposition to some of the more excessive housing developments which have proliferated locally. “I am all for regeneration where it is needed,” he explains. “But any new building must compliment the existing community, not threaten it. The well-being of those already here are of more interest to me than the profits of fat-cat developers.”
He believes in encouraging community action rather than entrusting all the decisions to politicians, and is a founder member of one of the most successful resident-led groups in the area – the Mogden Residents’ Action Group, which has exerted pressure on Thames Water to control the odour problem at Mogden sewage works . “The politicians disliked MRAG when it was formed because they didn’t control it,” he says, “but now there’s an election they all want to be photographed outside the plant with members of the group.”
In 2002 it was pressure from the Independent Group on the council, led by Phil, which forced a rethink over plans to trim the education budget at the expense of our school nursery nurses. Thousands of parents, children and school staff marched through Hounslow and the cuts programme was drastically revised.
Phil and the ICG believe they have a real chance of winning on May 5 th. “Wherever we’ve been active and people have got to know us, our vote has increased every time,” he points out. “In Isleworth after we had held one seat for four years we won more votes at the next election than the three major parties put together. People liked what they had seen.
“If you want to know what kind of MP I will be for the people of this constituency, just consider the kind of councillor I have been for the people of Isleworth.”
April 22, 2005