Alan Debenham

49 Clifford Avenue, Taunton, Somerset TA2 6DL Tel: 01823 321304 !mail: alande"en#am$#otmail%&om ' #ave "een a mem"er of t#e (nlo&) Demo&ra&* Coun&il and its ante&edents &ontinuousl* for over 1+ *ears no, and m* meetin-s. attendan&e re&ord is /ro"a"l* se&ond to none% ' ori-inate from 0un-a* Suffol),1+ miles sout# of 1or,i&#, "ut #ave "een livin- for t#e /ast 4+ *ears in Taunton Somerset, ,#ere ' #ave s/ent 6 *ears on t#e Taunton Deane Distri&t Coun&il from 1923 as a La"our Coun&illor, follo,ed "* 12 *ears from 1991 as a 3reen So&ialist and latterl* 3reen 4art* Coun&illor 5 dum/ed "* La"our "e&ause of m* leadin- massive lo&al /rotests a-ainst T#at&#er.s ini6uitous 4oll Ta7 8% ' am &urrentl* a "oard mem"er of 9odell 4ro/erties and no, )no, ,ell its im/ortan&e and vital &ontri"ution to (D.s ,ell!"einfrom t#e inside, also "ein- a"le to &ontri"ute from m* lone7/erien&e of Distri&t Coun&il #ousin- and /lannin- and /ro/ert* redevelo/ment% :n t#e t#eme of .real demo&ra&* starts at street;/aris# level. ' #ave s/ent some 30 *ears as a Coun&illor on various lo&al /aris# &oun&ils and various s&#ools. -overnin- "odies% T#e reall* sad t#inin m* area is t#at for t#e ,#ole of Taunton Deane t#ere are some +0 /aris# &oun&ils and *et ver* rarel* are t#ere more t#an ten or a do<en &ontests for seats at four!*earl* ele&tion times% ' #ave "een a &andidate in nearl* all lo&al ele&tions for t#e /ast 40 *ears% 6uall* ' #ave "een ! sin&e leavin- universit* in 1963 ! and still am, a&tive in /oliti&s at lo&al, re-ional and national levels, &urrentl* ,it# t#e 3reen 4art* sin&e 1998 and &urrentl* fi-#tin- #ard, from street stalls u/,ards, to ,in our first Sout# =est > 4 in t#e uro/ean ele&tions on >a* 22nd, ,#ere ,onderful /ro/ortionalit* rules t#at ,e need around 10? of t#e total vote and ,#ere ,e.ve "een ,it#in a ,#is)er of -ettin- t#ere in /revious *ears%

@et anot#er damn -ood reason ,#* ado/tion of 49 for -eneral ele&tions and for lo&al -overnment is somet#in- ,#i&# must remain #i-#!u/ on our (D a-enda des/ite t#e set!"a&) of t#e AA referendum t#ree *ears a-o% =e must tr* our #ardest to -et a fres# &ommitment from La"our in its &omin- manifesto for t#e 201+ s#o,do,n to add to ,#at s#ould "e &ertain su//ort from t#e Li"Dems and t#e 3reens% ' stron-l* su//ort (D.s &urrent strate-* and /ro-ramme, &ertainl* "elievin- t#e Lo""*in- 0ill ,as ,ell ,ort# t#e fi-#t to ,in a fe, im/ortant "attles, des/ite endin-!u/ losin- t#e ,ar% :ur "attle for mu&# fairer and more "alan&ed /art* fundin- ,it# #eav* restri&tions on individuals. and &om/anies. donations is somet#in- &lose to m* #eart 5 /lus, in m* o/inion, si-nifi&ant state su//ort 8, as is -ettin- at least an 80? ele&ted Bouse of Lords and t#e a&#ievement of a ,ritten &onstitution% ' #ave "een a #umanist and a .&o!o/erator. all of m* life, ver* mu&# su//ortin- t#e .t#ird ,a*. of &o!o/eratives and mutual so&ieties% 'n fa&t ' mu&# su//ort demo&ra&* s/readin- its ,in-s ,ell outside of -overnment into industr*, "usinesses, s&#ools, #os/itals, famil* life, et&%,et&% T#is is ,#* ' #ave "een for man* *ears, and still am, t#e Bonorar* Se&retar* of t#e 0uildin- So&ieties >em"ers Asso&iation, &urrentl* fi-#tin- a &am/ai-n to .Demo&ratise 1ation,ide 0uildinSo&iet*. ,it# m*self tr*in- to stand a-ain as a &andidate for t#e &omin- "oard of dire&tors annual ele&tions and tr*in- to -et a /a&)a-e of demo&ratisin- resolutions voted on for t#e Cul* A3> D see ,,,%"uildin-!so&ieties!mem"ers%or-%u) D and also &urrentl* a "oard mem"er of t#e Somerset Co!o/erative Communit* Land Trust redevelo/in- an em/t* s#o/ in Taunton to /rovide flats for t#e need* and s#o/ and offi&e s/a&e for &o!o/ enter/rises D e%-% m* lo&al &redit union%% ' am a lon-!standin- su//orter of 9ed 4e//er, C1DEE, Sto/ t#e =ar, Fo , :7fam, =ater Aid, Soil Asso&iationEE, Somerset =ildlife, and (nitin- for 4ea&e 5 EE /revious 1ational Coun&il mem"er 8% 4L AS A:T F:9 > AS A A:T F:9 .39 1 9@., L:@ALT@ A1D C:1T'1('T@ %G