About Andrew

Andrew Dakers grew up in Brentford, Chiswick, Hounslow and Isleworth and he still lives and works in the constituency. Andrew is a tireless campaigner on both local and global issues.

Read Colleen McDonnell's and Malcolm Richards' interviews with Andrew for The Hounslow and Brentford Times.

A winning candidate

The percentage swing at the General Election to the Lib Dems in Brentford & Isleworth Constituency was 5.2% in 2001 and 9.3% when Andrew stood for the first time as prospective MP in 2005. On the basis of the 2005 General Election results, the constituency became the sixth most winnable seat for the Liberal Democrats in the capital, after the seats we already hold.

When Andrew was elected as a local councillor in 2006 he increased the average Lib Dem vote in Brentford Ward from 355 to 1,106.

Real action – practical experience

Andrew has campaigned locally since 2000 and since his election as a councillor in 2006 has stepped up his efforts on a range of key local issues:
• Climate change: Called for the Council to establish a £1m climate change investment fund and successfully challenged the Council to sign up to the 10:10 campaign pledge to reduce its CO2 emissions by 10% in 2010
• Schools expansion: Supported local amenity groups that for many years were highlighting the pressure population growth would put on primary and secondary schools – eventually the Council listened and now has a managed expansion programme in place
• Health services: Queried the carryover of debt from the previous health authority and scrutinised dubious procedures around the retendering of counseling services
• Housing crisis: Suggested that the Council make the Locata housing allocation system easier to use by introducing ‘auto-bidding’ – he is still pushing for the Council to implement its promised pilot
• Historic buildings: Demanded action at Gunnersbury and Boston Manor Parks – and is now challenging the Council to find ways of funding the Gunnersbury regeneration that does not involve building on the corner of the park
• Sustainable urban development: Led drives for further design and environmental sustainability improvements to a number of major developments across the constituency - and established award-winning Brentford High Street Steering Group to fight the decline of the town centre and catalyse regeneration
• Responsible investment: Set out detailed proposals, now broadly adopted by the Council’s pension fund, to raise the responsible investment practices of the authority’s multi-million pound pension fund assets

Expenses pledge

In June 2009 Andrew ran a series of four well attended public debates in Brentford, Chiswick, Hounslow and Isleworth, under the banner of ‘Take Back Power Hounslow’. For more information see www.takebackpowerhounslow.org

If elected as MP he has always said he would not claim any of the £17,669 per annum that husband and wife Alan and Ann Keen MP are each claiming as an 'Additional Costs Allowance'. Living in the constituency, just 9 miles from the city centre, he will use public transport to go to work, like most people do.

Given the current crisis in confidence Andrew decided to go further in clarifying the value for money he wants to bring to the local community. He would not claim the London weighting allowance nor any food allowances. It is time to bring an end to this abuse of our political system and focus on the economic and climate crisis.

Professional career

Andrew’s career has spanned IT at the BBC, business change management at GlaxoSmithKline, campaigning for WWF-UK and most recently leading Public Affairs at corporate responsibility charity Business in the Community. He has worked in Fiji, India, Uganda and the USA, and gained an MSc Development Management from The Open University in 2002. Andrew undertakes a range of freelance consultancy focusing on ‘wicked problems’.

Council and community development experience

Elected Councillor for Brentford Ward and Leader of Hounslow Liberal Democrats in May 2006, he first ran as a Council Candidate for Syon Ward in May 2002. Andrew spends his evenings chairing the project to regenerate the historic heart of Brentford town centre, as a trustee of social landlord Ealing & Brentford Consolidated Charity and as a member of London Borough of Hounslow’s Pension Fund Committee.

Interests

Hiking, swimming, scuba diving

Memberships

See London Borough of Hounslow ‘Register of Interests’.