Herne Bay, and Heron Ward in particular, where Tom Mellish is standing as the Labour candidate, has serious issues around unemployment, health, and housing. All issues that he feels need to be priorities for both a Labour-led Canterbury City Council and a Labour government.
He believes that affordable and plentiful local authority social housing is key to ensuring that people have a decent and secure place to live and that this gives them the best opportunity to build their lives.
Tom’s in-depth knowledge of economic development will be useful in helping to revive the economic fortunes of Herne Bay. He was regional economic policy officer at the Trades Union Congress, and a member of both the government’s European Social Investment Fund Monitoring Board and the European Commission’s equivalent. He has worked with Local Enterprise Partnerships at national level, as well as with the Confederation of British Industry and the Federation of Small Businesses and was a member of the Canterbury Economic Development Group.
Tom is chair of the local Coastal Community Team, which succeeded in securing government funding for its initiative to establish the Neptune Co-working Hub. This currently supports 30 local small businesses. Despite his packed schedule, Tom is also involved in local groups, including the Herne Bay Christmas Lights team and the Beach Creative community arts hub.
He loves painting (he went to art school), jazz and R&B (he helps with the Herne Bay Jazz Festival), and playing his ukele. When he’s not making music, he’s often found on the dance floor doing the Lindy Hop. He is also a member of the local cactus club.
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