Meet the candidate: Paul Anderson

On Thursday, 7 May, Ipswich residents will head to the polls for two local elections on the same day — one for Ipswich Borough Council, the other for Suffolk County Council. Paul Anderson is standing for Labour in Bixley ward, contesting one of 16 borough council seats up for election across Ipswich.

As an apolitical publication, we sent every candidate standing in the town the same five questions, and we're publishing every response in full, without editing, so that residents can hear directly from the people asking for their vote. No candidate receives more or less prominence than any other. This is what Paul told us.

Tell us a bit about yourself — who are you, what's your connection to your ward/division, and why do you want to become/remain a councillor?

I'm 66 and a retired journalist and academic. I worked for the Labour magazine Tribune for many years, first as reviews editor (1986-91), then as editor (1991-93), then as a columnist (1997-2015), with a gap when I was deputy editor of the New Statesman (1993-96).

I was also a subeditor on the Guardian for 20 years (2000-20), and throughout that time taught journalism, history and politics, at City University (2000-12), then Brunel University (2012-14) and then the University of Essex (2014-24).

My connection with Bixley goes back to the 1960s: my family moved into Dorchester Road on Broke Hall estate in 1965, which I thought of as home until long after I went to university in the late 1970s. I went to Britannia Road primary school – and, apart from a brief sojourn in Felixstowe, my mum lived in the ward, latterly in Sunningdale Avenue, until she had to go into a care home a few years ago (she is now 95).

I've lived in Woodbridge Road in Ipswich for 24 years and have been a Labour candidate for Bixley nearly every year since 2014.

What are the three biggest issues facing your ward/division right now, and what would you do about them if elected?

1. Maintaining decent bus services – so no more cuts, particularly in the evenings
2. Protecting the heathlands from insensitive and intrusive development – which means a more transparent planning system
3. Social care – we need to work with central government to improve what's on offer, particularly for old people.

Suffolk is in the middle of significant change — from the local government reorganisation creating new unitary authorities to ongoing pressures on housing, transport and public services. What's your view on how these changes should be handled, and what role do you see a local councillor playing?

I'm a strong supporter of the plans for three unitary councils for Suffolk. And I don't think the Tories, the Greens or Reform have credible solutions for what's wrong in the county – its shockingly poor public transport, its failure to build houses, its rotten and incompetent Tory political culture. And potholes, which are the responsibility of Suffolk County Council not Ipswich Borough Council.

What do you consider your most significant personal, professional or community achievement — and what does it tell voters about how you'd approach the role?

Writing and editing books well reviewed in the national press.

If elected, how will you make yourself accessible to residents in your ward/division? How can people contact you now, and how do you plan to keep in touch if you win?

Online, by phone and in person – but the ward has no obvious places to run surgeries to meet voters face-to-face.

Want to hear from the other candidates standing in Bixley ward — and across the rest of Ipswich? We're publishing every response we receive in full.

Polling stations open at 07:00 and close at 22:00 on Thursday, 7 May, with results expected on Friday, 8 May. To vote in person you will need a valid form of photo ID — if you don't have one, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate at gov.uk before 17:00 on Tuesday, 28 April. The last day to register to vote is Monday, 20 April. For a full breakdown of every candidate standing across Ipswich and all the key deadlines, read our complete guide to the May elections.

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