Thirty-four-year-old Richard Banks is a student at the University of Lincoln and is a candidate in Abbey Ward for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) in the local elections.
With his work as a community care worker, and as the vice-president of the Lincoln Trade Union Council, Banks believes he can bring a combination of experience, maturity, and dedication to the post of councillor.
“Unfortunately, many councillors aren’t interested in listening to the needs of the community. But one of the key skills in my work is being able to listen to other people, which is something I will push for more of if elected.”
Banks is a big promoter of community, even going as far as to print his leaflet in both English and Polish. “The main parties seem to forget that we have a much more diverse community to cater for, and it’s difficult to want to participate in things like the elections when you aren’t being acknowledged as a voter.
“I want to see more done to promote the community in Lincoln, and Abbey ward is a great place to start,” he said.
He also wants to work towards more for young people in Lincoln, with plans to push for a new youth centre for the youth of Lincoln. “There’s just not enough provided to young people to keep them busy and entertained. With a new youth centre, they would have somewhere to go during their free time, which can get them involved in activities, connecting with other people and even learning new skills.”
The ever worsening traffic problem is another area Banks wants to tackle. “Trying to park in Lincoln is ridiculous, and Lincoln’s students and workers face having to pay stupidly high rates just to commute here. I want to push for better parking, and a decent park-and-ride system for everyone who commutes to Lincoln.
“Plus, Lincoln has a really bad road system, where traffic is just funnelled through the centre of the city. If we had a proper ring-road in place, we would ease the amount of congestion going through Lincoln.”
He says he will push for all of his pledges, but has a realistic outlook on his capability. “I’m not promising that I will be able to achieve everything that I’ve said. But I will definitely try. One thing I can guarantee is that Abbey ward residents’ voices will not go unheard – I don’t do magic. I’ll leave that to Harry Potter.”
Good luck Rich!
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition supports the immediate abolition of all tuition fees AND the reintroduction of a living grant for all students. It is the only party which stands up for the idea that education is a right, not a privilege. Even the Lib Dems say they won’t abolish tuition fees straight away. They obviously think that paying for bankers’ bonuses is more important than supporting students through higher education.