Ealing North Liberal Democrat candidate Craig O’Donnell on why he wants to become an MP – EALING.NEWS – Ealing Voice 7 Cities

On 4 July 2024, the UK electorate goes to the polls to vote for who they want as a Member of Parliament.

EALING.NEWS asked all the candidates in the three constituencies of Ealing Ealing Central and Acton, Ealing North and Ealing Southall 7 questions about who they are, what they hope to deliver and why residents want to vote for them.

Craig O’Donnell, who represents the Liberal Democrats in Ealing North, answers the 7 questions:

Tell us a little about yourself, your priorities for the constituency and why you want to be the next Member of Parliament for Ealing North?
Born into a working class family in Middlesex Central Hospital, I was an active community activist in the borough of Ealing for 13 years. My main achievements include leading the Liberal Democrat campaign to save Ealing Hospital from relegation.
As the son of a disabled parent, I understand how important carers and a good NHS are to us. So my priority is to rebuild and repair our precious NHS service. One of his pledges, if elected, is to push for the Liberal Democrat policy of a legal guarantee to see your GP within a week.
As a result of his upbringing, I am deeply passionate about caregivers being treated appropriately. It also means it will push for higher pay for carers by introducing a ‘Minimum Carers Wage’.

What motivates you??
As a working class person myself, I am aware that many people struggle to make ends meet and are often just a pay check away from homelessness. Craig will focus his energy on fixing the long-term homelessness of our generation.
The Liberal Democrats will continue to fight to scrap the cruel ‘Homelessness Act’ and decriminalize homelessness. He will also advocate a collaborative and integrated approach, working with the NHS, charity groups and the police to end homelessness.

What is your own personal connection to Ealing North or any other part of the borough?
I was born and raised locally in Perivale and have family ties to Perivale for three generations. As a community activist, causes that are important to Ealing residents are close to his heart, such as the fight to stop the relegation of Ealing Hospital and he tried to campaign to keep the Carlton Road Day Center open. I was also the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Ealing Common ward in the 2018 local elections.

What do you consider to be your 5 most important political or personal achievements and what impact did they have?
Saving Ealing Hospital from relegation by leading and supporting our Liberal Democrat councilors in the campaign;
Campaign to bring Ealing Cinema back to our borough after Ealing Labour’s decade of apologies and delays;
Attended Ealing’s Ward Forums (before Ealing Labour’s cancellation) and inspired ideas that improved community cohesion locally;
Local community rallying in bid to save Carlton Road Day Centre. Although this was not successful, it taught me how important it is to involve and consult local residents before making a decision that affects them; and
Working in politics and being a candidate to prove to myself and others that being from a working class background does not stop people from participating in democracy.

What do you see as the top 5 challenges facing Ealing North and how will you tackle them as an MP?
Bringing back proper community policing and reversing Labour’s police station closures;
People struggle to see an NHS GP and GP when they need one. The Liberal Democrats will provide incentives to recruit and retain GPs and dentists. The Lib Dems will also ensure that mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health.
Stopping water companies from discharging raw sewage into the Grand Union Canal and the River Brent. Last year alone, Thames Water dumped more than 10,000 hours of sewage into London’s rivers and waterways. As your MP I will ensure that Thames Water is punished for their deplorable actions.
The push for Perivale and Northolt tube stations in the Ealing North constituency to have step-free access.
Listening to residents and working with the Liberal Democrat Official Opposition on Ealing Council to ensure the ‘Local Plan’ is implemented. Metropolitan Open Land status must continue to be protected so that no tall towers can be built on them. The Lib Dems are also committed to 50% truly affordable housing and more stock of council houses, instead of excessively tall towers that only developers profit from.

What do you love about Ealing?
I love our local community, our vast parks and open spaces, and it’s a great place to raise a family. Like any community, Ealing has many challenges, but I believe the community can and will come together to make our borough an even better place to live.

How accessible will you be to the residents of Ealing North and how can they contact you now and, if elected, how will you ensure you are accessible to them in the future?
If I am elected, I promise to be a dedicated local MP without getting a second job. I will also open my constituency office with an ‘open door’ policy to ensure digitally excluded residents can still contact me when they need my help.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about my campaign, please email me at [email protected]

Click here for all Ealing North candidates.