General Election 2024: Meet the Labour candidate for Brighton Pavilion - Tom Gray

The eight candidates are Steve AI (Independent), Siân Berry (Green), Carl Buckfield (SDP), Tom Gray (Labour), Mark Mulvihill (Reform UK), Ashley Ridley (Liberal Democrat), Citizen Skwith (Official Monster Raving Loony) and Sarah Webster (Conservative).

Each candidate answered questions submitted by voters. Here are the answers from the Labour candidate Tom Gray, a musician, chair of the Ivors Academy and director of UK Music, who tweets @MrTomGray and posts on Instagram as @tg4pavilion. His Facebook page is Tom Gray for Brighton Pavilion.

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Why do you want to be an MP and how are you qualified for the role?

I’ve lived in our city for 25 years where I’ve grown my family and built my life. I love this city deeply but I’ve seen it suffer from neglect and mismanagement.

I’ve dedicated years to fighting for the creative industries and have a proven track record of delivering for my community. As a result, I am established in Westminster.

When Caroline Lucas stood down, friends from both inside and outside politics encouraged me to stand.

Seeing the world through my 16-year-old son’s eyes, I felt compelled to step up in this generationally important election to deliver the change he, and all of us, need.

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If elected, how would you deal with performance and pricing problems in privatised utilities such as the water companies, railways, energy companies and the Royal Mail?

The cost of living is crippling our city, and public services desperately need improvement.

Labour will establish GB Energy, a publicly owned clean power company to reduce bills, funded by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants.

We will fully nationalise the train network within five years, lowering fares as part of a major overhaul.

For water companies, we will criminalise offending water bosses and prohibit their bonuses. The Royal Mail, a British institution, needs a sustainable business model that benefits both workers and customers.

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What would you do to help people who are struggling to rent or buy a home? Should second homes or Airbnb-style holiday lets be banned?

We’ve got to fix our housing crisis. We’ll protect renters: ban “no fault” evictions, enable renters to challenge unreasonable rent increases and hold landlords to high standards to protect the welfare of their tenants.

We’ll build 1.5 million new homes – with first dibs for first-time buyers and a mortgage scheme so they won’t need a huge deposit to get started.

Airbnbs have significantly reduced housing availability in Brighton, driving up rents and making it difficult to find affordable housing.

I have always advocated for a licensing scheme and commend our Labour council’s work to license landlords.

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What steps would you take to improve hospital performance, community care and access to GPs for patients in Brighton and Hove?

We need to ensure the NHS can serve us now and in the future.

Labour will cut NHS waiting times by creating 40,000 more appointments a week and restoring the 18-week referral to treatment standard.

We will add 8,500 new mental health staff and launch Young Futures hubs for open access mental health services for children and young people.

Additionally, we aim to build consensus for a National Care Service. We must focus of prevention to stop every part of the system being overwhelmed, as it is now.

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Events in Israel and Gaza have affected many members of the community here. What can people in your constituency expect you to say and do as an MP?

Recent events have been harrowing and extremely difficult to bear witness to. I have long backed an immediate ceasefire.

The International Criminal Court guidelines must be followed. The offensive must stop.

It’s imperative that the UN Security Council-endorsed ceasefire resolution is agreed and implemented immediately.

Once it has, leaders must restart the peace process. That means sovereignty and security for Palestine and Israel in a two-state solution.

Labour will recognise Palestine. We must commit time, energy and resource to finding lasting, sustainable peace in the region. This cannot go on.

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Do you support the Royal Mail plans for Patcham Court Farm despite the threat posed to the aquifer there that provides much of the drinking water for Brighton and Hove?

I have never expressed support for the Patcham Court Farm development.

Live planning applications are guided by process and regulation, not by politics.

I am concerned about potential noise, pollution and flooding risks.

Southern Water must be held to account for the area’s unfit foul sewers.

Drinking water is treated and cleared before it is supplied to our taps.

Significant construction on the aquifer, like the A27 and much of Patcham’s housing, has never damaged our water supply so I’m concerned our community is being made to feel anxious and fearful unnecessarily.

If elected on Thursday 4 July I will do everything in my power to protect Patcham residents.

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Polling stations are due to be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 4 July. Photo ID is required for those voting in person.