Lindsey Garrett
Lindsey Garrett is a British social housing campaigner, National Health Service care co-ordinator and political activist. Garrett is currently the Chair of the New Era Tenants Association. She is also the Something New candidate for Mayor of London at the 2016 London mayoral election.
New Era estate
When Westbrook Partners attempted to evict 93 families from the New Era estate and double the rent of those left, Garrett was instrumental from preventing that from happening. Garrett was responsible for first contacting the Daily Mirror with the story and was later elected the first Chair of the New Era Tenants Association.[1] She campaigned alongside political activist and comedian, Russell Brand. Garrett presented a petition to 10 Downing Street alongside Brand that had almost 300,000 signatures. Garrett helped lead a demonstration outside Westbrook Partner's offices in London.[2]
London Mayor campaign
Garrett has said that she is a traditional Labour voter and has always voted for Labour, but said that she feels let down by the party, in particular her local MP Meg Hillier, and that she does not think that the Labour Party care about people like her anymore.[3]
On 14 May 2015, it was announced that Garrett would be standing as Something New's candidate for Mayor of London in the 2016 London mayoral election.[4][5] She is standing on a platform of further devolution to London, electoral reform including votes at 16 and also reducing the privileges of the City of London Corporation.[6] However, on Monday 30 November 2015, it was announced via the Something New website that she had withdrawn as candidate.[7]
References
- Garrett, Lindsey (21 December 2014). "With Russell Brand and the public on our side, this is how I helped my family and countless others from being evicted this Christmas". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-06-14. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- Booth, Robert (1 December 2014). "New Era estate: residents stage protest at US investment firm's office". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- Benge, James (22 March 2015). "Lindsey Garrett: they would "have had to drag me out"". East London Lines. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- Church, Brian (14 May 2015). "New Era estate campaigner Lindsey Garrett to run for Mayor of London". 24dash. Archived from the original on 16 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- Harris, Simon (14 May 2015). "Campaigner who fought housing evictions to stand in mayoral race". ITV News. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- Garrett, Lindsey (15 May 2015). "I don't want to be London mayor, but who else will do what needs to be done?". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- Williams, Andrew (30 November 2015). "REBOOTING SOMETHING NEW". Retrieved 30 November 2015.