Ahead of local elections on May 22nd, and our Vote Jesmond 2014 elections husting event on May 19th, JesmondLocal is profiling each of the 10 candidates for councillor in North and South Jesmond. Starting our five days of profiles, the Labour party.

Peter Smith

Labour (and Co-op) candidate for North Jesmond

Early career

Peter Smith is not new to the hectic world of campaigning and elections.  With a Labour membership dating back to his student years, Smith decided to first stand in local elections a little over three decades ago.

His campaign was unsuccessful, and beginning work as a teacher in a school ran by the local authority meant that he was not an eligible candidate anymore. Things took a quick turn in 2010 however, when the former Gosforth High School became Gosforth Academy, thus enabling Smith to begin reconsidering local politics.

Why Labour?

In terms of political ideology and what Labour stands for in particular, Smith agrees with “the idea of working together […], the idea of a civic society, and people doing things together.”

Aside from a sense of togetherness and community, there are many arguments that he brings in favour of his party of choice, but concludes enthusiastically: “the idea of social democracy that Labour stands for, that’s what I agree with in a nutshell!”

What North Jesmond needs

Aware of the several issues that need immediate attention in North Jesmond, such as road safety – especially around the West Jesmond Primary School area, he says – bin collection times, antisocial behaviour etc, Smith promises to discuss them all in depth during the JesmondLocal hustings event.

A topic that Smith has brought to attention several times during his campaign is the DIY Streets project, launched by the environmental charity Sustrans, which he believes to be a brilliant and successful idea that aims at, once again, listening to the community’s needs and delivering what is asked for in return.

On a national level

However, he does not forget to consider the broader picture of politics. Despite the good intentions of any local councillor, Smith notes that “there are lots of issues you’d like to tackle, but they are not within the council’s power. The councils have a lot less power than people think”.

Acknowledging that Central Government still exerts a lot of control even on a smaller, local scale, Smith tells JesmondLocal that “everything in the media is focused on Westminster and shouting at each other at Prime Minister’s Questions, and ignoring to a large extent what’s going on in local councils”.

Voter turnout

Thus, for Smith, political disengagement is no surprise, and suggests that it is a parliamentary responsibility to change this apathetic atmosphere, while local councils will continue to do as much as they can to improve the situation within their limits.

New to the fast-paced and ever-expanding world of social media, he hopes that his recent Facebook and Twitter accounts will bring him closer to potential young voters, who might have turned their backs on politics “it’s a shame because their voices aren’t heard. I’d rather people get involved and vote for another party, than not vote at all.”

Arlene Ainsley

Labour candidate for South Jesmond

Early career

Similar to North Jesmond’s Labour candidate, Arlene Ainsley made her first step into the political sphere in the late ‘80s, when she became a member of the Labour party. She explains that she saw the inequality prevailing during those times: “ I thought I needed to do something about it, so joining Labour was the option.”

Her resumé shows a 10 year-long period of being councillor for North Tyneside. Her recent move to Newcastle in 2013 did not, however, mean the end of her involvement in politics, as she immediately engaged with the local council which led to her current campaign for the South Jesmond ward.

What South Jesmond needs

She tells JesmondLocal about the improvements South Jesmond requires, but acknowledges that the situation there is in great shape thanks to the current councillors “David and Felicity have done amazing work over the last three years” Ainsley points out. “They are really committed to the area, as am I, to improve it for residents.”

Ainsley also touches on the topic of limited local council power, as she tells us of her plans to engage with residents as much as possible and deliver what they want. She explains that because of budget restrictions imposed by central government, local councillors can’t always deliver everything that is being asked for, but in such cases Labour gets back to the residents with an explanation.

A specific focus

One big aspect of Ainsley’s campaign for Labour has been her activities aimed at increasing young voters’ interest in local politics. The young residents of Jesmond, mostly students, are a constant topic of debate.  Ainsley suggests that the vibrant nightlife in Jesmond attracts “people from all over who sometimes might not treat Jesmond with the respect it deserves” and does not agree with attributing antisocial behaviour solely to students.

This becomes evident through her involvement with Newcastle University and Northumbria, where she took part in discussion panels about local politics,and answered students’ questions in hopes of raising awareness about the upcoming elections. Over the last five years, South Jesmond has had the third-lowest electoral turnout out of all wards in Newcastle. As well as her colleague, Peter Smith, Ainsley’s desire is to see a change, to inspire young people to take an interest in politics, whether they vote for Labour or not.

Nonetheless, when asked about her chances of winning in the upcoming local elections, Ainsley gushes at the idea of being able to support David Hardman and Felicity Mendelson, current councillors for South Jesmond, and shared with JesmondLocal that “I’m quite quietly confident, although I would never become complacent.”