A musician and activist hoping to oust the Greens in Brighton Pavilion wants to reverse the “spiral of neglect” that he says the city has experienced for over 14 years. Labour candidate Tom Gray says he hopes to make people’s lives “definitively” better if he is elected MP and make the city “shine like a pin” once again. He said it will take two Labour governments for Brighton to no longer “feel like a place of unrealised potential”.
“It has really felt like a mad spiral of neglect the last 14 years at least,” he said. “There are all these fantastic opportunities with a city like ours. “I want it to be a shining beacon and a creative, cultural capital where small businesses are thriving, more of the national creative sector are here.
“It's too easy to be cynical and just look at the negative of it and ‘go look what we had’. “ ‘Look what we've lost’. Read more: Feargal Sharkey backs Labour's rock star candidates as they bid to become Sussex MPs “This is the reason I'm standing because there is every reason to be hopeful.
There is every reason to think we can turn this around. It's a brilliant place, full of brilliant people.” Mr Gray, formerly guitarist and vocalist of the band Gomez and now chairman of the Ivors academy, behind the Ivor Novello music awards, first came to Brighton in 1997 at the age of 20 to play a gig with his band and has stayed ever since.
The 47-year-old, who is originally from Southport, said he cannot stand inju.
