Labour councillor Chris Gonde's steps down in South Camberwell ward anyone know why?

[trinidad]

Just received my poll card in South camberwell ward, as Labour councillor Chris Gonde has stepped down. Does anyone know why???

We go to the polls on 15th October 2015.

The candidates are as follows (in alphabetical order):

Benjamin Maitland, Lib Dems

Christopher Mottau, Conservatives

Eleanor Margolies, Greens

Octavia Lamb, Labour

Stephen Govier, All People's Party.

The polling station has also been changed to Amott road baptist church in Armott road se15

[James Barber]

This is what he is quoted as saying to Southwark News http://www.southwarknews.co.uk/news/by-election-called-after-labour-councillor-steps-down/ :

"

A second Labour councillor has stepped down in less than six months, citing a poor work-life balance in his resignation statement.

Chris Gonde, who was elected eighteen months ago to the South Camberwell ward, admitted that he found it ?increasingly difficult? to balance his many business responsibilities with his family life.

"

I wish him and his family well.

Bit surprising he couldn't wait until next March when the by-election could have taken place alongside the GLA elections avoiding the council spend ?20,000 to run this by election on standalone basis.

[Mustard]

I sent him several emails and never received a reply. He is a doctor.

[trinidad]

my experience is different, he intervened for me on an issue, i will miss him dearly

[ratty]

I also wish him well, but will refrain from having a little dig at him along side it!

[trinidad]

Just as a afterthought, i wonder if the election of the new labour leader had any affect on his resignation???

[Abe_froeman]

If he can't serve his constituents as fully as he feels he should (for whatever reason) then it's only proper that he should stand down.

Putting money before democracy might seem ok on Tooley Street but for the sake of ?20,000 it's better that his ward has a new councillor now rather than hanging on for six months with no representation at all. And the cost of the standalone by-election is only ?10k more than will be squandered on the Melbourne Grove segregation barrier study.

[James Barber]

Hi Abe_Foreman,

The ward does have two other councillors. We also have rules to support councillors being unavailable for up to 6 months or longer. So to suggest South Camberwell wouldn't have representation is to suggest the other two councillors aren't available - which they are. it is a shame to spend ?20,000 when money is quite so tight. But if he felt he really couldn't wait and was told the cost to our community in hard cash then he is obviously has to leave.

And I'm sure he found this decision really hard. Good luck to him.

[Alex K]

Chris is a good man. He lives in my road and we worked in the same laboratory at King's. I like him. Although our politics don't coincide, I was pleased that he was my councillor. I met him by chance at the Sainsbury's superstore the morning after I learnt that he was stepping down -- we chatted. He hopes to continue to be active in politics, he told me, but he can't at the same time do justice to both councillor duties and his two girls, who are under ten. (Maybe his failing to respond to Mustard's e-mails is part of being too thinly stretched.)

I suppose there's no knowing how much of your life being a councillor will devour till you are sworn in.

[ellabrunswick]

There will be a hustings for the South Camberwell by-election this Thursday 8 October at the Albrighton Centre, 7.30-9.30pm. All welcome.