Photo: www.towerhamlets.greenparty.org.uk

The Green Party has announced a candidate for the Spitalfields and Banglatown by-election on December 16.

Maggie Crosbie, a community health worker and campaigner, will be competing for the councillor position left vacant by Lutfur Rahman’s appointment as mayor of the borough.Ms Crosbie is “passionate” about the local area and worked as a health visitor in Spitalfields for many years. As a councillor she will prioritise issues concerning housing, health and engaging young people through the arts.

She says she is shocked to see that housing conditions in Spitalfields have not significantly improved since the early ‘90s, and attributes many of the borough’s health problems to poor housing.

She said: “As a health visitor you get to see families in their own homes, so you understand people and their problems a lot better. We are facing a crisis in housing with chronic overcrowding and damp posing serious health risks.”

The Tower Hamlets Green Party is urging residents to lobby the council to not implement the “savage cuts” proposed by the Con-Dem coalition. There will a local protest outside Mulberry Place this Wednesday at 6.30pm.

Ms Crosbie said: “As Banglatown and Spitalfields’ councillor, I will fight for the whole community in the face of unprecedented government cuts to public services.”

Abdul Alim is the Labour candidate, Matthew Smith the Conservative and Fozol Miah is standing for the Respect party.