He is a eager Crystal Palace supporter and sometimes DJs on a soul music radio present, however he is additionally keen about London and about defending Londoners from hurt.
Election hopeful Chuka Umunna desires to see extra police on the streets to assist clamp down on the “violent crime epidemic” within the capital which sees the Cities of London and Westminster constituency going through one of many nation’s highest charges of knife crime.
The Liberal Democrat is hoping to win the seat of the Cities of London and Westminster which was held by Conservative Mark Discipline earlier than he stood down this 12 months.
Mr Umunna mentioned his celebration would inject more money into policing to assist sort out knife crime.
In response to police figures knife crime in the entire of Westminster (break up into two constituencies) went up 52 per cent final 12 months.
And two folks lately misplaced their lives after they had been stabbed in a terror assault on London Bridge simply over two weeks in the past.
Mr Umunna has campaigned for it to be handled as a public well being situation, following the mannequin in Glasgow which noticed dramatic reductions in violent crime and is a member of the Youth Violence Fee, and sits on the Residence Workplace’s Critical Violence Taskforce.
He instructed the Native Democracy Reporters Service: “You can not hope to get a grip on the crime epidemic, notably the violent crime epidemic, until you give our police the sources they should do the job. The actual fact of the matter is the Met’s price range had been lower 12 months on 12 months since 2015 and so they’ve been requested to cope with increasingly.”
He mentioned his celebration would “put an additional billion kilos into native policing which might be sufficient to fund an additional two officers in each ward and on this constituency would see greater than 20 additional law enforcement officials to assist cope with the crime epidemic in a constituency which has the very best fee of knife crime within the nation.”
He criticised the cuts of greater than 90 per cent to Westminster Metropolis Council’s youth companies, which the authority blamed on reductions of cash from central authorities.
“No surprise we find yourself with numerous these points,” he mentioned.
“The extra you put money into youth companies is the extra you really save yourselves in the long run.”
And he mentioned extra money can be wanted for the NHS – along with his celebration asking sufferers to contribute extra.
He mentioned it was considered one of their “hottest insurance policies.”
“We expect that everyone’s going to should contribute a little bit bit extra to keep up our NHS, not solely on the stage that we wish to but additionally to have the ability to meet rising demand. A penny on the pound earnings tax.”
When requested about issues that US President Donald Trump may have his eyes on the wealthy pickings the NHS may provide US enterprise alternatives he mentioned: “I feel you are taking something that man says with a lorry load of salt. When he first talked a few UK-US commerce deal he was completely clear that all the things could be on the desk together with the NHS.”
Mr Umunna is not any stranger to the Sq. Mile did his authorized coaching with a Metropolis regulation agency earlier than changing into an employment lawyer.
He is likely one of the excessive profile former Labour politicians who left the celebration earlier this 12 months to kind The Impartial Group in Parliament, which grew to become Change UK earlier than becoming a member of the Liberal Democrats.
He defined on his web site that he left Labour over his issues that: “The Labour Occasion failed to offer opposition on Brexit, and developed a poisonous tradition of antisemitism and bullying, focusing on anybody who disagreed with the management.”
He had been thought of a management contender for the Labour celebration and was MP for the south London constituency of Streatham for the final 9 years.
Mr Umunna was Labour’s shadow enterprise secretary between 2011 and 2015 earlier than returning to the backbenches.
He mentioned he joined the Liberal Democrats following the EU and native elections this spring.
He mentioned: “It grew to become clear to me that, for these of us who wish to change our damaged politics and share liberal progressive values, we should come collectively underneath one banner – that banner have to be the Liberal Democrats.”
And the voters will resolve whether or not the eager Crystal Palace supporter and music fanatic will return to Parliament – or have extra time to look at the soccer and spin the decks on his occasional radio present on Mi-Soul radio.
The candidates for the Cities of London and Westminster are
Nickie Aiken , Conservative
Jill McLachlan, Christian Peoples Alliance
Gordon Nardell, Labour
Zack Polanski, Inexperienced,
Chuka Umunna, Liberal Democrats
Dirk van Heck, Liberal Occasion
When you have an election story for us, please electronic mail julia.gregory@reachplc.com
Author: " -- www.mylondon.news "