Conservative Moni Kaur Nanda is a former business owner and sports volunteer, as well as a town councillor for Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire who says she is ‘on the good side of 40’
What's your connection to Slough, or why do you want to represent Slough? Childhood imprints really do last a lifetime. Slough was the place that gave me my lifelong friendships. I worked on the Windsor Road for almost a decade, I married a Slough boy, bought a home here and gave birth here.
I want to represent Slough because I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for this place. I can’t bear to see what’s happened to this town now, enough is enough, it is time for us to pick ourselves back up, dust ourselves off and bring back Slough’s sunny spirit!
What are the three biggest challenges facing Slough? Knife crime, a broken High Street, the cost of living and littering.
What issues are you campaigning on, and what causes will you be championing if elected?
- Having unity, (this strengthens our town, any division weakens our resolve).
- High Street, sort it out !
- Knife crime. Zero tolerance.
- Health and Social care - from birth to old age, to create a system that aligns all medical matters with a single point of contact and intervention.
- Education - push for SEND needs and local school spaces for our children.
- Bring business back to Slough, demand apprenticeships for our home grown talent.
I will champion all of the above as much as humanly possible if elected. It will take time but I am determined to do what it takes to demand more for our town, for all our residents, our families and our elderly members of society. That IS the job of the MP.
How will you help struggling high streets and town centres? A broken High Street is a poor representation of who we are. It is the core of a town, it’s the heartbeat of a place. It MUST be restored to something better.
I will bring the investors back to the table first and foremost, rebuild that trust and negotiate a deal and a structure that supports ALL residents and the town. Working with local business and creating community engagement is vital. It takes a village. WHOEVER this town choose as YOUR next MP I will pass on all the works and contacts I have undertaken on this project so far, because having that High Street back on its feet, having families shop there again, having investment back in THIS town is more important and bigger than politics…
How can you help make sure people can afford to live here while protecting our green spaces and countryside from development? First time buyers must take advantage of the strong discounts when the Conservatives are in power. (Eg stamp duty).
Developers must adhere to a strict code of conduct, a home should be aesthetically pleasing, built correctly and in line with the outlook of the vicinity, rather than chuck a concrete structure around, the approach with any building development must be carefully and duly considered with a helicopter view.
We are so lucky to be in the middle of many towns and villages on our doorstep, so we must preserve those green parts of our county and build on brownfield sites to protect those green spaces.
How will you help councils struggling with their finances? Can you help them to deal with the special educational needs crisis? Will you want the government to continue the Household Support Grant? When it comes to finances I lean into my own 20 year business experience here in Slough as well as overseas; our Council is now Conservative run and making careful and considered decisions whilst dealing with a previous Labour administration bankruptcy. When a council is struggling with finances it must explore alternative revenue streams, engage communities more, and foster public-private partnerships. This is vital and we are so fortunate in Slough because of our geographical location as well as the companies that open up shop here. But nobody has taken advantage of that and demanded more participation and partnerships from international businesses based here on our doorstep. Additionally, effective asset management, lobbying for better funding, and involving residents in budgeting decisions also plays a huge role in ensuring financial sustainability and efficient services for our residents.
SEND is a huge issue up and down the country. We need resources, we need classrooms, we need more care and that is a priority, one that will make me push hard because I feel deeply emotional about the needs of our vulnerable.
I will also absolutely support anyone that is vulnerable and needs help, we must, it’s vital and it is human to do so, we must always have that safety net in place for the most vulnerable members of our society.
I also know, from my own experiences that we need a ladder for those that are able and want to achieve something different in life too, and perhaps, like me, they will want to return to serve the town that made them.
What car do you drive? A Fiat 500 - with a real gear stick too! (I have a family car as well but most days you’ll find me zooming about in my loyal Fiat friend)!
What's your favourite film or TV show? Titanic (and Jack could have easily got on that raft if Kate budged up a bit..;)
When was the last time you cried? Last night, when I got home. (A local resident told me how he struggles with the loss of his wife).
Have you ever taken illegal drugs? Never.
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