Election Addresses: London and South East Index Finola Kelly ............................................. pages 2-3 Jack Maizels ...........................................pages 4-5 Andrew Blick .......................................... pages 6-7 Stephen Carter ....................................... pages 8-9 James Grindrod ..................................... pages 10-11 Note: candidates’ names have been randomised on the ballot paper and in this booklet to minimise any unintentional bias.
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2014 Internal Elections - London & South East Constituency Elections Addresses
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Note: candidates’ names have been randomised on the ballot paper and in this booklet to minimise any unintentional bias.
Election address:
Finola Kelly, March 2014
I would welcome the opportunity to continue serving on the Governing Council of Unlock Democracy. I am a passionate supporter of Unlock Democracy's campaigns for a stronger and more accountable parliament and greater transparency in government. The skills and experience I can bring to this role include parliamentary, equality and human rights expertise, management experience in the private andpublic sectors, and fundraising experience in the voluntary sector.
For many years I have specialised in the fields of equality and human rights and I would hope to employ those skills and experience in the best interests of Unlock Democracy.
I believe that the years ahead present Unlock Democracy with many challenges and opportunities and I want to play my part in helping Unlock Democracy manage these in the best interests of Unlock Democracy, its members and the country. In particular I would like to dedicate resources to ensuring that the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 (aka the Gagging Act) is repealed.
I also want Unlock Democracy to protect the Freedom of Information Act and to support extending it to private companies providing publicly funded services. I also want to oppose any moves to monitor private use of the internet.
Biographical details:
My areas of particular interest are increasing participation and transparency in Government.
I became involved with New Politics Network in 1995 and have served on both the NPN and UD Council and Management Committee.
I'm an active member of my trade union PCS and I am Vice Chair of our Branch Executive Committee. I'm also an elected member of the PCS Public SectorGroup Committee.
I am currently the Head of Parliamentary and Public Affairs at the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Vote Jack Maizels #1 for Unlock Democracy Council
Experience and Enthusiasm Unlock Democracy is an organisation I've both worked and volunteered for and I hope to continue my contribution by serving on our Council. Although I'm one of Unlock Democracy's younger members, I have experience of working through the details of all our major campaigns. I engage in local activism as a member of Unlock Democracy London and my professional work involves forming public policy in London, including in depth analysis of data. Through all this, I hope to bring experience, enthusiasm and a different set of skills to our Council.
Campaigns I want to help shape the campaign for reform in the run up to the 2015 election and beyond. Even though I'm not associated with any political party, I've long held firm views about the democratic problems the UK faces. I believe we should prioritise campaigns that strike at the heart of these problems - but also those we're most likely to achieve. We must use our limited resources to maximum effect.
If you have any questions at all about my candidacy, please get in touch at
Priorities: Lords Reform - the promise of patronage keeps MPs in check and provides them with a lucrative retirement home. My work at Unlock Democracy highlighted dozens of peers claiming thousands a year while barely casting any votes (see right). If elected to Council, I'd like to help research more public data to expose flaws in the UK’s democratic systems. Party Funding and Lobbying - key issues, tied together through the influence they have on our politics. We need a cap on donations and a lobbying law that gives transparency, not gags the third sector. Your Issues - Council should represent our membership. I'll look to be easily contactable so Council can keep in touch with the issues that are important to our members and react quickly to any that arise suddenly.
The Earl of Rosslyn, one of the Peers whose voting and expenses records were exposed by my analysis for Unlock Democracy in 2012