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I was born in Berlin in 1993, four years after German reunification. As the son of a German mother and an American father, I quickly learned what it means to juggle different identities and how hard it is to develop a sense of belonging. I made Brighton & Hove my forever home and greatly appreciate the diverse makeup of our city. Diversity is ubiquitous and of great value - and I want to ensure that the Council reflects this.
Being a councillor is not another job but a real passion for making a positive difference in our communities and the people I seek to represent. Through my upbringing, I inherited from my mother a strong work ethic and important life values: tolerance and respect for other cultures and lifestyles and a sense of fairness and doing right by others. I believe values have given me a firm foundation for serving my community.
Brighton & Hove is a shockingly beautiful place, but also shockingly governed by the previous Green administration. Not only is the city not utilising its full potential as the capital of diversity and the UK's Silicon Valley by the sea. Before we talk about such ambitions, the city needs to get the basics right:
Rubbish collection, clean streets and beaches, reliable and affordable bus service and infrastructure that allows families to grow and businesses to thrive.
“Julie and Leslie are hardworking, community-focused people who will really get stuck in on the issues that matter to you. I really hope they are elected so I can work with them to make Hove better." - Peter Kyle MP
I have a passion for improving infrastructure because, without affordable and integrated public transport and a clear vision for the city's holistic infrastructural future, we will not be able to solve either the housing crisis or the existential environmental threat.
My passion lies in infrastructure, a new plan for our public services and a new approach to the design of our roads. The Mini Holland project and the Western Road project are good examples of how I envision the infrastructure of the future: accessible, integrated and green. Transforming our concrete deserts into future-proof environments will also help us strengthen our High Street and spur the development of promising areas like Portland Road.
It's a myth that businesses thrive because of cars and traffic congestion. They thrive in spite of these factors.
As someone with American-German roots, a BAME, and an LGBT+ community member, I know how it feels not always to be accepted. If we win a majority in May, which is very much achievable with your help, I would strongly advocate a process by which it is made possible to integrate more, fully funded community-led initiatives into the city’s basic service framework.
Brighton & Hove also has a large European community. As an elected Labour councillor, I would look to reach out to you and give you a voice.
Rubbish collection, clean streets and beaches, and reliable and affordable bus service are the basic services we need to sort out to protect our environment. As a City Council, we can't turn the big wheel, as that's the government's job, but we can limit the pressure, create an inclusive city where everyone can participate, and empower residents to protect the places they love.
I also want to champion renewed disaster resilience plans to protect our coastal communities from the devastating impact of the inevitable flooding that climate change could bring by 2050 to Brighton & Hove.
