Liberal Democrats candidates for the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council elections on 1st May

2.17.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 27th Apr 2008

Liberal Democrats have the following candidates standing in the Basingstoke and Deane wards of North West Hampshire for the Borough Council elections on 1st May.

Tony Davies - Burghclere, Highclere & St Mary Bourne Ward

Tony Davies is aged 58 and runs a small management consultancy based in Newbury. He lives in Whitway, at the southern end of Burghclere, with his wife Vicki and two daughters: Rosie, who is reading Chemistry at Oxford University, and Zoe who is at secondary school. He was educated at Manchester Grammar school and Kings College, Cambridge and has an MBA business degree. He is a lifelong Liberal Democrat, and is standing in his fourth election campaign. He is also a churchwarden and a school governor; and a keen runner and long-distance walker. He believes in traditional liberal values - freedom; personal responsibility; service to others.

Pauleen Malone - Burghclere, Highclere & St Mary Bourne Ward

The Malones moved to Highclere eighteen years ago and have put down deep roots. Their children attended the local schools and have done well. Pauleen has been the editor of the Parish Magazine for sixteen years and is active in the community and enthusiastically supports local activities. Her garden has been used on a number of occasions for fund raising events and she was on the commitee which organised the Queen's Golden Jubilee Picnic in Highclere Park. She says "I have seen rapid change in the village, some good - the increase in young people coming to live here, some not so good - namely the almost complete absence of local amenities and the inexorable rise in traffic which is a blight on our village".

Lucy Sloane Williams - East Woodhay Ward

The Liberal Democrats have selected hard-working campaigner Lucy Sloane Williams to stand for East Woodhay on May 1st. Lucy is married with one daughter and lives in the north Hampshire village of Overton. Previously she lived and campaigned for many years in the Newbury area. She has experience of sitting on a Parish Council, running a youth club and as a charity trustee.

She is currently studying for a post-graduate qualification in environmental management. She believes the Borough needs to act on pollution from litter and poor traffic management. Lucy is adamant that we must protect and conserve our precious natural resources. She believes further encroachment into the countryside around East Woodhay is not necessary and if elected she would resist it strongly.

Roger Ward - Kingsclere Ward

Roger Ward is a Chartered Civil Engineer who has lived at Haughurst Hill near Kingsclere for over 35 years. He takes a keen interest in country life. His priorities for this election are for better highway maintenance in Hampshire and for planning policies to provide for more affordable homes for purchase.

Jean Watts - Kingsclere Ward

Jean Watts is a retired Executive Secretary and Administrator who has lived in Hampshire for 17 years. She is married with three children and her third grandchild is expected imminently. Jean is a school governor and Secretary of the Whitchurch Association.

Jean was formerly a Member of Wokingham District Council and Chairman of the Plans Committee of Woodley Town Council in Berkshire. Her objective in this election is to oppose Conservative plans for dispersal of major housing developments across the district to small communities like Kingsclere and Whitchurch.

John Burbidge-King - Oakley & North Waltham Ward

John has lived in Oakley since 1995. He is married with 4 children. After serving in the royal marines he worked for many years in De La Rue.

John was invited by the Parish Council to lead the Village Design Statement team. The VDS was adopted by the Borough Council and now influences planning in our area.

When the Oakley surgery was threatened, John brought the community and the Oakley & Overton Partnership together to ensure the survival of the doctor's surgery.

Robert Cooper - Oakley & North Waltham Ward

Robert lives in North Waltham with his wife Nicola and three children. Since moving to the village five years ago he has enjoyed the community spirit, and wishes to put something back into the community.

Robert has worked in Business Process Management for over ten years, and is currently working for a Hampshire based specialist Consultancy. He feels strongly that in order to preserve the fine quality of life in the area, an active, positive local person is needed.

Caroline Statham - Oakley & North Waltham Ward

Caroline Statham is married to Colin and has two children. Her daughter attends Oakley Junior School. Caroline is involved with local school, church and social groups.

Caroline worked for HCC in the Economic Development department on an IT and business start-up facility. This has led her to believe that some public computer access could be right for Oakley.

She believes in politics that are forward thinking and creative. This is why she joined the Liberal Democrats.

Paula Baker - Overton, Laverstoke and Steventon Ward

Paula has been a Borough Councillor since 1987, serving in many roles including as Mayor and as Council Leader, For the past two years she has been Leader of the Opposition. She is also an Overton Parish Councillor and a Trustee of Laverstoke & Freefolk Millennium Green, the Overton Community Association and HART Wildlife. She has a particular interest in environmental issues and is keen for the Council to be more ambitious in its Climate Change Strategy.

Jacky Lessware - Overton, Laverstoke and Steventon Ward

Until retiring Jacky worked in the tourism industry locally. She has lived in Hampshire for 25 years and in Overton for 10 years. From 1994 to 1998 she represented Highclere & Bourne on the Borough Council and she is currently an Overton Parish Councillor. Jacky is concerned that a Conservative Borough will not put the well-being and safety of local communities first. Her priorities are to keep the Community Wardens, increase the number of Police Community Support Officers, maintain weekly bin collections, and last, but far from least, protect our villages from unsustainable development.

Eric Dunlop - Whitchurch Ward

Eric Dunlop was elected to represent Whitchurch in a stunning by-election victory in October 2007. Eric had first been elected as Borough Councillor for Whitchurch Ward in 1986 after serving two years as Town Mayor. He served for eight years but stood down in 1994 because of pressure of work. He continued his public service as a School Governor and as a Trustee of a pre-school group until returning to the Council last year.

In the six months since his election Eric has progressed the revision of traffic management and parking controls for Whitchurch that are now published for public consultation. He says "I hope that everyone will take this opportunity to make their opinions known about this important set of proposals".

Keith Watts - Whitchurch Ward

Keith Watts was elected as Borough Councillor for Whitchurch in May 2007. Keith has lived with his wife, Jean, in Whitchurch for seventeen years. For the first eleven years he had to travel a lot for his work. After taking early retirement, Keith helped in various voluntary organisations where things needed doing in Whitchurch and supported the local Liberal Democrat Councillors in their campaigns.

In the past year, Keith has taken up a wide range of issues for local people. In Council meetings he has focused on the need for good forward planning to protect Whitchurch and its surrounds from over-development while providing sufficient new housing for local people.