Rejoin on the Assembly
The Rejoin list is the only proper pro-European list
The Long Road
The path to Rejoining the EU is a long one, but it is something deep down we all know we need to embark upon.
It’s becoming more and more clear now, Brexit just isn’t working. The London Elections are run using a form of proportional representation meaning that this is the best election shot we have at showing the country that we are still European without splitting the vote.
We will hold the Mayor to account.
Whoever is elected must listen to Londoners. In 2016, 2017 and 2019 London overwhelmingly voted for an open, tolerant and European city.
The new Mayor must collaborate and connect with Europe to:
- Rebuild London’s financial services after their Brexit shock to ensure jobs are available for our future generations
- Assist our unique performing arts sector to make sure they can keep on performing globally
- Restore London’s reputation as a tolerant, open and welcoming city in the face of rising xenophobia.
- Demand that Erasmus is restored at the first opportunity and until it has been support London’s student population make the most of their education
Our Joint List is:
Cross-party
We are a list of people from across the political spectrum supported by people from many other parties like Volt UK.
Deeply Committed
People may say that Brexit is over. We know we have a hard fight but Britain must be European again.
Diverse
London is diverse and so are we. We have encouraged people of all backgrounds to run.
Our Candidates:
- Richard Hewison
- Deborah Iliffe
- Charlotte Blake
- John Stevens
- Brendan Donnelly
- Rory Fitzgerald
- Bernd Rendic
- Philipp Gnatzy
- Karol Babol
- Raj Kumar
- Javern Pond
Richard has lived in London for 28 years, since arriving as an LGBTQ+ rights activist working with NUS in the 90s.
He has worked for the past 25 years in the capital’s financial services industry and is both a Chartered Accountant and holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation
Richard is an openly gay man and he is the biological father of 12 children, as part of the UK’s IVF programme in conjunction with the London Women’s Clinic and cites the rights of those children as a major factor in his campaigning for freedom of movement.
Originally born in Portsmouth, he was raised in and around the Hampshire/Berkshire area.
During his life, he has been lucky enough to live, work and love in some of the greatest cities on Earth : London, New York, Hong Kong and Norwich.
When Deborah moved to London from New York City 22 years ago she was immediately struck by 2 things. Deborah loved how well the city was maintained physically, the efforts to plant flowers, to create pedestrian friendly streets and outdoor markets with proud vendors. Secondly she was struck by the wonderful way people from so many different countries and cultures come here and mix and come together, for short visits or a lifetime. London is the most global city in the world and even after Brexit and Covid we can’t allow London to lose these
aspects.
Deborah has experienced different sides of being a Londoner. She came to London to work in finance in the City of London and stayed on as a mother, raising her children here, and as a volunteer with several of the many international conservation charities that also call London home. She have been an active member of both the Tories and the Lib-Dem parties but today Volt UK is the party that feels right. Volt is a party that recognises the need to reform the EU and most of our governing organisations and to ultimately fight to rejoin the EU, if only for the sake of our children’s futures.
Volt is also a party that prioritises the environment which is a major focus for Deborah. Deborah’s careers span across journalism in which she learnt about topics such as urban studies, legal studies, politics, economics, and later finance in which she came to understand the needs of businesses.
Charlotte is a Londoner born and bred, growing up in Paddington and going to school in South Kensington. Her ‘high streets’ were the West End and Kensington High Street. She was able to enjoy the open spaces, being able to walk home from school through
Hyde Park and Sunday afternoon trips to Hampstead Heath, pleasures which still mark out London as an exceptional city for living. London was then and still is a vibrant and multicultural city. She has always enjoyed hearing the many languages around
her. Not only did Charlotte grow up here, she also spent her working life in London, as a lawyer and
an accountant, bringing up her children in North London. It is truly a great city to call home.
Charlotte’s political journey is from a Young Conservative, in the 1970’s, supporting our entry into the EEC and campaigning for the remain vote in 1975 referendum, through a long period in the wilderness, until joining Volt UK. The EU referendum of 2016
and the rise of populism pushed her to move back into active politics, initially avoiding party politics by becoming involved in Make Votes Matter (MVM), and then with Volt UK. “Discovering Volt UK has been like a breath of fresh air, and I look forward to being able to bring Volt UK’s inclusive values, ambitions and objectives to the GLA.”
John Stevens is a former bond and currency trader. He was a Conservative MEP between 1989 and 1999 and became Vice Chairman of the European Parliament’s Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee, overseeing the creation of the euro. In the 2010 General Election, he ran as an Independent candidate, beating Nigel Farage into third place.
Brendan Donnelly has worked in the Foreign Office, the European Parliament and European Commission. He was Member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1999 initially for the Conservative Party and later as an independent. He now runs an educational charity.
Arriving in London 24 years ago, coming from a small city in the west of England, Rory was struck by the great energy and atmosphere of London. This city has always been an open, tolerant and forward-thinking community that he is proud to call home.
With the UK now sadly having turned its back on Europe we desperately need new political thinking. Brexit is hitting the city’s economy hard with London’s financial centre particularly impacted. The Assembly must push the government for a better deal for London. In addition to protecting our economy we need better housing, cleaner air, proper action on climate change and safer streets.
Rory’s academic career has revolved around measuring public opinion and the social situation across 30 European nations. The people of the UK share many of the same concerns as fellow
Europeans yet we could find solutions to our problems if we reflect on the successes and failures in neighbouring countries. That’s why Rory is a committed member of Volt and is standing up for Rejoin in this election
Bernd came to London as a refugee from the Yugoslav wars of the 90s. Being of half-Croat origin living in Serbia, he has seen first hand the consequences of a society dividing against itself.
London became the home he loved for it’s tolerance, diversity and acceptance of those from other cultures.
He feels the same dark forces he saw play out in his country of origin are now being felt in the UK, is compelled to stand up for liberal, outward focused values.
Philipp Gnatzy is a lawyer in the city of London. Philipp is the former president of Volt UK has overseen much of the development of the party here in Britain. Philipp is committed to the European idea and remains a committed member of Volt.
Karol is an EU citizen who made her home in London based on the promises given that EU citizenship guaranteed freedom of movement between London and her original home.
Angered at the betrayal this represents Karol, who is not a political activist, is putting herself forward to represent others who find themselves in her position.
Raj is a British citizen who grew up in the Midlands and made his home in London 36 years ago. As a child of immigrants to the United Kingdom, Raj understood the true meaning of the freedoms afforded by the EU and was particularly saddened by the loss of freedom of movement and the economic impact of Brexit. Raj has put himself forward to represent people who are angry at the loss of their freedoms.
Javern was born in the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat, and has made his home in London since the age of 3.
Having first hand experience of the gig economy with the media broadcasting industry, he is particularly concerned at the loss of worker protections that EU membership guaranteed us, including the working time directive.
Be bold – Vote for London – Vote Rejoin EU
FAQ – We’re not Splitting the Vote!
A. No, for this you indicate just one party to represent your views on the London list, and a candidate to represent you in the London constituency ballot
A. By voting for ANY party other than the Tories on the London list! London uses a supplementary vote system meaning seats will be allocated based on the total cast for each party. Any non-Tory vote reduces the chance of them being allocated a seat.
A. Then you should vote for the Labour candidate on your CONSTITUENCY ballot slip. We are NOT standing in these seats, which are counted under the first past the post system. It’s not a perfect system, but again you effectively get 2 votes. You can send a strong Pro-EU message by voting for us on the London list election, and a Labour candidate if you so choose on the constituency ballot.
Check out our London Assembly Seat Simulator.