Concerned residents from Windsor for EU recently contacted the WWRA’s approved candidate Wisdom Da Costa. Here are Wisdom’s responses to their questions about how Brexit affects Windsor and, what the Council could and should do to prepare.

---

Clare Quarman from Windsor for EU recently wrote to Wisdom and asked three questions about the how Brexit affects Windsor. Here are Clare’s questions and Wisdom’s responses.

NB Wisdom Da Costa is the Independent candidate, approved by the West Windsor Residents Association, for the by-election in Clewer North Windsor on 4th May 2017

• Click here for more information about the by-election and the WWRA’s approved candidate.
• Click here to find our who Rev. Louise Brown MBE thinks “will learn, listen and achieve for the people of Clewer North, Windsor?“

 

Claire’s letter and questions

Click here to read Windsor For EU Local Election Questions in full

 

Here are Wisdom’s responses

[color-box]

Dear Clare,

Thank you for your letter. Your excellent questions help shed light on a number of important issues and the steps that the Council could and should be taking to secure as rosy a future as possible for all Windsor residents & visitors.

Wisdom’s backgruond

As an immigrant of Portugese-Indian descent, with a multi-cultural European family, I understand the struggles of integration, acceptance and racism and, continue to fight for justice for everyone. As a Councillor, I have always been available to help all local residents, irrespective of race, gender, nationality or even political colour.

For your information, I am also something of a Europhile, who speaks French, spent more than a decade working at senior levels for the Franco-Belgian giant Suez, and is a frequent visitor to European Countries.

Crime in West Windsor

The data you quote on hate crime seems to encompass areas such as Slough and Reading in addition to West Windsor. When you look at local figures from the Thames Valley Police, reported crime levels in the area has remained fairly constant since May 2016 – see graph below.

Graph of levels of crime in West Windsor (Clewer North) before and after Brexit

https://www.police.uk/thames-valley/N396/crime/vehicle-crime/stats/#crime_trend  

Our growing Partnership with the Police

Never-the-less, that is not a reason for complacency and, I will continue to work with community groups, such as the West Windsor resident Association WWRA), to promote community cohesiveness and, progress our partnership (as announced by the area’s Police Inspector and Sergeant at the WWRA’s recent AGM) to report, solve and, reduce crime of all types.

With that in mind, I await specific data from our local Police Officers with regard to hate crime and race crime and, will report back to you when I receive it.

Planning for a better Windsor for all

Windsor is a wonderful town and, in fact, a world-class tourist attraction. The Council’s local Plans to face the future should be constructed to enhance Windsor’s beauty and viability, for tourists, locals and businesses; to improve the infrastructure including  roads, parking, public transport, provision for schools, GPs, fire cover, police cover, street hygiene, tourist embassadors and, planning and building  control; to provide the vision and framework to allow Windsor to prosper visually, commercially, and community wise.

Windsor has a fundamental financial problem caused by years of Conservative Council management; stripping out valuable staff; selling and outsourcing assets in return for narrow service contracts; reducing council tax contrary to impending, and more demanding, legal requirements.

Windsor (RBWM) is now having (going to have) to borrow money to pay for services – something I warned about two years ago i.e. though they completely missed the issue, the Conservative Council should have at least listened to myself and Cllr Lynne Jones (your elected representatives), and planned to strengthen Council resources and staffing to manage the problems ahead.

Planning for people is a long term game so, you need Councillors with a heart for the people, the skill and ability to recognize the issue and plan for the future and, the time availability to achieve the changes required. I hope you recognize that you will only get this from me and other Independent candidates who put people (you) first, rather than their political party.

Will Brexit be good or bad for Windsor?

Whether Brexit will be a good thing or a bad thing for Windsor, will depend on A) Whether Brexit actually happens – there is an argument that If Theresa May loses her majority in Parliament, then there is a chance that Brexit won’t happen and, B) what are the commitments of the final exit contract/deal, the governments pursuant response in terms of obligations and laws imposed upon local authorities, C) the effect on tax revenues (tax pays for services) and, D) how RBWM can maintain Windsor as a premier tourist and economic destination for the world.

Either way, if elected, I will continue to do fight for the interests of all residents in West Windsor;

• You can find out more about my key campaign points at “Clewer North By-Election: Wisdom’s Election Leaflet“, where you can download a copy of my Election Leaflet
• You can find out more about me, and what I have already achieved for Windsorians, at www.wwra.org.uk

Why voting Independent is best

Many local leaders will tell you that, I am a local man with a heart for people and, a track record of serving and leading people both in the community and professionally, for decades. Helping people is in my blood.

And not without reason has the largest residents association in the area, with 1,100 member households, selected me to stand as an Independent candidate to represent the residents of the Clewer North Ward.

I would encourage you to vote for me and, tell others to vote for me on 4th May 2017.   

Thank you for reaching out to me; don’t hesitate to contact me again; together lets work for a better Windsor for all.

Kind regards,

Wisdom

Wisdom Da Costa B.Sc, FCCA, AMCT, QTS

[/color-box]

Caveat

The views expressed in this article are not necessarily the view of the West Windsor Residents Association (WWRA)

 

Additional Imprint

We add this to prevent certain individuals from getting too upset with the WWRA or our approved candidate:

Printed, published and promoted by C Da Costa for W Da Costa both of 90 Pierson Road, Windsor, SL4 5RF