Everyone has their own story.
This is
mine.
My mother
was the illegitimate child, and I use that word deliberately because that is
how it was described in the 1930s, of a itinerant Irish labourer who she never
knew, and a waitress from Deptford.
She grew
up on the Crossfields estate, experiencing the stigma that sadly came with
single parenthood at the time.
My father
was the product of a one-night stand which led to a shotgun wedding and a
marriage that was characterised by domestic violence, alcohol abuse and neglect
and ended in acrimonious divorce and bleak poverty.
When my
parents first got married, they lived in a prefab in Berthon street.
I lived there
for the first 3 years of my life.
It was so
cold that ice used to form on the inside of the windows.
I ended
up getting pneumonia and almost dying.
The local
doctor told them that if they didn’t move straightaway, I would die.
So they
moved to a small terraced house in Crofton Park.
My Dad was
employed in poorly paid, white collar, non-unionised work well into his late
30s.
When I
was married with a family of my own, he told me how money was so tight and the
stress of this so great, that he would often feel very tearful.
The other
part of my story is about having parents who met in the Church at the top end
of Frankham Street by the High Street.
The were
leaders in that church all their adult lives.
They
devoted their lives to trying to help others.
I still
meet people in Deptford who remember them and express their thanks for the help
they gave.
For all
this, my memory of growing up is of being in a loving family,
Where the
values of work, honesty and respect for others were imbued through the power of
example.
Try to do
your best.
Be kind.
Do well
for yourself.
Then you
will be able to provide for your family
And be
better able to help others.
I have
been very blessed in my life.
A happy
family.
A
successful business.
A life of
public service including 24 years on the Council.
I owe a lot
my parents
But I
also owe a lot to the NHS, a good state education, and state support for
economic development.
I know
the importance of good social housing.
Of secure,
unionised work.
My life
has shaped my politics.
For many
people deprivation, disadvantage and poverty are life’s starting point.
But this
doesn’t have to be a life sentence.
Our job
is to make sure that it’s not.
If you
select me to represent you on the Council, this will continue to be my mission.
Working together to build a better future for everyone.
