Voice of Westminster

LOUIE PLEDGES TO SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITY

Louie French has been elected as the new Conservative MP for Old Bexley & Sidcup. Louie gave up a high-profile job in the City to take up this role, with the aim of giving back to the community which has shaped his existence.

He says: “I was educated and raised in Welling and Sidcup, before being the first person in my family to study at university. I’m very proud to serve and give back to my local area, but I am not a career politician. My professional background is in financial services working in the City of London, where I specialised in sustainable investing and research.

“I have a track record of working tirelessly on issues that impact our local area. These include campaigning for better public transport and against cuts to local services, lobbying for step-free access at local train stations, supporting the police, community volunteering and opposing overdevelopment issues linked to Sadiq Khan’s London Plan. “The business improvement district (BID) does an excellent job. They’re really proactive in terms of supporting businesses and there’s a lot of excitement about the new cinema coming to the high street.

“I’m also pushing for more funding for the Queen Mary’s Hospital because we have an ageing and growing population and we need to improve services to local people. Because of the pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of people waiting for operations, so we need more funding to deal with this backlog.”

“I’m a local lad who grew up in the area. I understand the needs of local people and in 2014 I became a councillor in Bexley because I wanted to give something back.

“Four years later I became deputy leader of Bexley Council, serving as the Cabinet member focused on businesses, pubs and sports clubs across Bexley by launching a special grant scheme to get money straight into those businesses. I’ve also helped Bexley to become the number one borough for apprenticeships and I’ve done my best to promote the high street and the retailers that make it so special.

Louie is also doing his level best to end the tri-borough policing policy, which he believes doesn’t best serve the needs of the local community.

“We now have police officers spread across Greenwich, Lewisham and Bexley,” he says. “The result is that the higher crime areas absorb more police resources, which is not fair on Bexley. This needs to be changed.”