PADDY GRIFFITH

Who I Am & Why I'm Standing

South Richmond —The Hill, The Green, The River, The Park — is the jewel in the crown of the best borough in London. I've lived here for most of my childhood and adult life, and I could not be more proud to stand as its representative on the Council.
 

I'll be honest: I'm not a smooth-talking politician or a committee dweller. My working life has been in business — building companies, solving problems, making things happen. If elected, I will work my hardest to deliver for you. That's not a slogan. It's how I operate.
 

What I See

After 40 years in this place, I see both its extraordinary beauty and some worrying signs of decline. Our high street is hollowing out — serving day-trippers coffee, but failing the community that actually lives here. As visitor numbers grow, litter spreads, services creak, and nature struggles to repair itself. Rising house prices — driven partly by 'Brand Richmond' — are pushing out young people, workers, and artists. And beneath the surface, we are failing to provide the services our most vulnerable residents need and deserve: young people with learning difficulties, adults struggling with mental health, older residents feeling isolated and unsupported.

I suspect Richmond has started to believe its own hype. 
 

In our Council, I see complacency setting in. The Lib Dems hold eight of every nine seats, and that dominance has snuffed out debate. The emphasis is on the status quo, not imagination — and in a fast-changing world, that means drifting backwards.
 

We cannot rest on our laurels. We must fight to build this great community — the way the generations before us fought for it.

Why the Greens

I stand for the Green Party because nationally they are asking all the right questions — and daring to hope for better in a worrying world. Locally, I see their compassion for people and the environment, and their genuine love of this place.
 

How I'll Work

South Richmond doesn't need another politician who talks a good game. It needs someone who listens, rolls up their sleeves, and gets things done. I'll work with anyone — across parties, across interest groups — who shares a commitment to this place. The best ideas don't belong to any one party. They belong to people.
 

This campaign isn't mine. It's ours.

Real hope. Real change. Right here in South Richmond.