Name: Robin Stott (Green Party)
Ward: Greenwich West
Please can you tell Greenwich.co.uk readers a little about yourself.
Im 67 years old, have lived in the Ashburnham triangle for 35 years and am active in the local Ashburnham Triangle Association.. I worked as a consultant physician in Lewsiham hospital until my retiremnt 5 years ago. Throughout my medical carreer, I have been active in the anti nuclear movement ( as Chairman of the the International Cttee of the International Physicians in the 1990’s against Nuclear war and as chairman of the local CND branch in the early 80;s ). And with the charity Medact, of which I was chairman for 8 years, I have worked to promote social , environmental and economic justice as a basis for global good health. I was for 6 years a member of The London Sustainable Development Commission, and now co-chair the Climate and Health Council, which seeks to engage health professionals in tackling climate change.
I am married with two grown up children, am a keen cyclist, tennis player and party goer.
Why does it matter that people vote in council elections?
The council have a major responsibility for local affairs, and should be responsive to local opinion.
Why are you standing to be a councillor?
Because I believe that the fair shares green perspective needs to be represented as forcefully as possible at all levels of government.
What do you like most about the area you wish to represent?
The Ashburnham triangle , where I live, is full of sparky and friendly people, and nearly every time I walk or bicycle around the triangle , I meet people I know. Its great to have the shops and cafes in Royal Hill, and Somerfields within walking/bicycling distance. The park is a jewel, particularly in the early morning, and with Greenwich theatre and Cinema gives me immense pleasure. And then there is the Thames, and the cammeraderie of the Ashburnham Arms.
If elected, what would be your priorities for the ward over the next four years?
My life long aim is to create local communities in which resources are shared in a more equal way, building a sense of trust and security which makes for joyfull living. Having all those things which make life worthwhile local and accessible means encouraging local shops, enabling more people to work locally so that commutes can be on foot or bicycle, encouraging local entrepreneurs, and encouraging people to meet and discuss issues in an open and non judgemental way. In the long term, this means devolving funds and responsibility from central govt to a more local level –In the short term, much can be achieved by the council devolving a proportion of the budget to the local level, for citizens assemblies to oversee.
In such assemblies I will argue for schools within walking/bicycling distance, and the safe paths to reach them, for a 20 MPH speed limit on our roads, for the council to actively support the Transition town movement, and innovative ways to provide local care for elderly people.