Being a candidate in the upcoming local elections in Redbridge in east London is a thrilling experience. Labour has never won the council before and there is a chance to do so on 22 May this year. We believe that winning in our ward will prepare the ground for our parliamentary candidate Wes Streeting to be elected member of parliament for Ilford North in 2015.
Our ward, Fulwell, has always been in Tory hands, so it is a breath of fresh air for local residents to see a young team of Labour activists knocking on doors and campaigning on local issues like the potential closure of Barkingside Post Office, or the cuts to the police station which worries many residents who see a rise in burglaries in their area.
In the last local elections in 2010, the three Tory councillors won with 2,700-3,000 votes, while Labour candidates got 1,700 votes on a turnout of 63.2 per cent. That has encourages us because we think that with hard work we can get Labour councillors elected here.
We have met Liberal Democrat voters who will be backing us because they feel betrayed by all the broken promises of Nick Clegg (there were 1,000 Liberal Democrat votes in 2010). We also spoke to voters who voted for the Tories in 2010, and are now affected by the cost of living crisis – they will be voting for us too. But the most interesting thing is that there are many Labour voters who did not vote in the last election, but now they feel they are going to have a voice and someone who will represent them in the council.
Our local party ensured we have action teams who are representative of the wards, and the diversity of our team really helps. Our team consists of one Jewish candidate, one Sikh and one Muslim candidate. This is truly representative of the population in our area and we believe that it can be a key in winning our ward for the first time.
This is key as well for a One Nation Labour victory in 2015. Unlike some parties who try to divide the population along racial lines, the Labour party speaks for millions of people regardless of their background. Recent statistics show a growing number of ethnic minority voters who shun the Tories. We should be proud of the inclusivity and the diversity we have in the Labour party and we should speak out more about it. For my part, I was happy to campaign and help Rushanara Ali to get elected as a member of parliament in 2010 and I am proud to be a member of a party that cherishes diversity and multiculturalism.
We should celebrate the modern Britain we are living in and continue to campaign and work hard to improve living standards up and down the country. Whether you are rich or poor, whether you follow a particular faith, whether you are straight or LGBT, the Labour party is for you. Victory in 2015 depends on foundations that will be set on the local level in May 2014. We have a hard task but we strongly believe that we can do it and get a Labour majority in Redbridge.
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Tal Ofer is a Labour council candidate for Fulwell ward in the London borough of Redbridge
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Photo: Louisa Thomson