Meet the candidate: Paul Daley

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 Daley is standing for the Green Party in the Priory Heath 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 was born in Ipswich and have lived in East Ipswich all my life, so some 56 years so far. I worked for a long time in Insurance and then spent around 7 years as a Volunteering Coordinator for a local Charity TWAM (Tools with a Mission). I have got involved in a range of volunteering over the years as well, and I am currently a churchwarden at the church I attend.

Having lived in East Ipswich all that time I have a good understanding and empathy with the Priory Heath area and its needs. It is an area of the town which has sometimes felt neglected, but which offers significant potential. I would therefore love to be given the opportunity by the residents of the area to help bring about that potential. I am always an advocate in anything, in trying to do much more than just sustaining the status quo and if elected I would be trying to do that for the residents of Priory Heath.

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

Priory Heath is amongst the areas of Ipswich with most poverty and is within the top 20% for deprivation nationally. It also has higher crime levels than many other parts of Ipswich and thirdly many residents have raised concerns about poor environmental maintenance including overgrown weeds, pavements, and general street maintenance.

If elected, I would look to champion and work with groups who support people in poverty, looking also to try and bring in additional funding which could help these groups do more. I would look to strengthen the community bringing in a Good Neighbours scheme and regular community meetings across the area.

A strong cohesive community empowered to bring about change, will be motivated, and own the change, bringing improvement from within, using people's skills and knowledge. This is essential in an environment where funding is more difficult to obtain. I would encourage these community meetings to bring about more social activity as, if people are integrated and involved in activity, they will be less likely to turn to crime. I would also look to improve the limited green spaces within this area and try to work with local people and other groups to introduce new spaces.

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?

Change needs to involve the people so that their voices are not ignored and that change works for them. If money and effort is going to be spent in changing the way local Government is managed, people want to see that they will make a difference, and will improve things for them, and make it easier to get things done rather than the opposite. As a councillor you have a duty to make sure their voices are heard and that services change for the better rather than being cut back.

As a Green party candidate and potential candidate I believe that there is an opportunity to strengthen communities and to bring about improvements to the environment, underwritten by the need for these changes to be done in a long term and sustainable way, rather than simply being a sticking plaster to what is there.

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?

This came during the Covid pandemic. On furlough from work, I was motivated to do something to help so I led the creation of a Good Neighbour Scheme covering the IP3 area including Priory Heath.

We engaged volunteers, obtained funding and supported residents in need of shopping, or prescriptions to collect, or just someone to talk to. I was successful in obtaining substantial funding to make things sustainable and this developed into a Charity. We were able to engage with the local authority and other voluntary groups and were awarded a High Sherrif's award.

As we came out of Covid I led the organisation of a fun day in Murray Road Park which gave other groups the chance to have a voice and engage with locals. This shows that I am a person who if elected would look to get things done. I will always try to bring about what is needed and believe I have the motivation and the skills to do this well for the good of the residents.

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?

It is imperative that residents can easily contact their councillor and they would be able to do so by email pauldaley13@gmail.com or through my social media, particularly Facebook Paul Daley Politics.

I would look to hold regular community meetings and surgeries for people to speak to me about issues on a one-to-one basis. I would also try to attend local events so people could see that I am active in the community and am easy to contact and approach.

Want to hear from the other candidates standing in Priory Heath — 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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