CANDIDATES
These candidates have committed to fighting for the coalition’s demands and working collaboratively with us if elected.
We’ve interviewed them to ask about their reasons for standing, their background, their material interests, and how they plan to advance the demands if elected. This is followed by two votes — one by members of the local ward group, one by the WFCC core organiser group — to decide to back them.
If there are no candidates from your ward in this list, we have not interviewed in your area! We’d recommend checking out other great campaigns like The Muslim Vote, We Deserve Better, My Election Map and Vote Palestine for guidance in those wards.
Debs Hollingsworth
Chingford & Woodford Green Community Independents
Standing in Larkswood
Deborah has lived in the Highams Park and South Chingford area for over 15 years and is deeply embedded in local community life. A teacher for more than 20 years, Debs is standing to ensure local decision-making works for everyone.
Jennifer Larbie
Chingford & Woodford Green Community Independents
Standing in Larkswood
Jennifer is a local resident, mum and member of St Edmund’s Church. She brings extensive experience in trade union organising, policy development and campaigning; and currently leads advocacy, policy and campaigns at Christian Aid.
Sarah Chaney
Chingford & Woodford Green Community Independents
Standing in Larkswood
Sarah brings over a decade of experience campaigning for better housing and tenant rights. With a background in arts, education and health union work, Sarah has also helped establish youth provision and supported a wide range of community wellbeing activities.
Liz Biggs
Green Party
Standing in Lea Bridge
Liz is a documentary maker who has lived in Lea Bridge for over a decade. She is also involved in local community work, which includes scrutinising development plans, organising community forums and street parties, and campaigning for council action. Liz wants to push back on the broken promises made by previous councils, and stand up for a liveable, affordable ward for all.
Solene Fabios
Green Party
Standing in Lea Bridge
Solene has lived and worked in East London for over 17 years and has long been vocal in campaigning with and on behalf of local resident groups. She has become increasingly frustrated with politicians who fail to properly represent the people they were elected to serve. She wants to do a better job of addressing residents’ concerns than the current unengaged Labour councillors.
Rosie Rowlands
Green Party
Standing in Lea Bridge
Rosie is a Londoner who has lived in the Lea Bridge ward for over a decade. She is a mum and has worked in the entertainment industry as a circus artist for 20 years. Rosie wants to push back against big business and monied interests to put resident’s needs and concerns first. She hopes to scrutinise all plans affecting Lea Bridge residents, and advocates for a joyful community approach to local politics.
David Berrie
Green Party
Standing in St James
David is a Waltham Forest local who works in the NHS as an art psychotherapist for CAMHS. As a Unite rep, he doubled union membership in his workplace and was elected to the London and Eastern Regional Industrial Committee for Health. David has been organising in this community for years, inside and outside of party politics. He believes this ward deserves better than what Labour has delivered.
Martin Edobor
Green Party
Standing in st James
Martin is a GP who grew up in Newham and now calls Waltham Forest home. He is running for councillor after seeing how poor housing, inequality and lack of access to care affects people’s health directly. If elected, he wants to get the basics right: GP services, planning decisions made openly, and public money used to build long-term resilience rather than short-term profit.
Anna Rose Kerr
Green Party
Standing in St James
Anna Rose grew up in Aotearoa / New Zealand, and was drawn to St James’ long history of artisans and makers. She owns a small business, where she uses creative practice to imagine better futures — redesigning parks, recruiting teachers and helping women advocate for better outcomes. She is advocating for long term community engagement, with the council investing proactively in the next generation.
Simon Deville
Chingford & Woodford Green Community Independents
Standing in Valley
Simon lives locally and works in higher education supporting student wellbeing. A lifelong trade unionist, Simon wants to promote community-led politics and tackle growing inequality. He supports the development of local People’s Assemblies to give residents a direct voice in South Chingford and the wider area. As a councillor, he would work to strengthen community connections and ensure residents’ priorities are clearly represented.
Saqeeb Howlander
Chingford & Woodford Green Community Independents
Standing in Valley
Saqeeb, a new father and local resident, is standing to help build a community where everyone can thrive and feel a genuine sense of belonging. With a professional background in financial planning and analysis, he brings expertise in governance, financial oversight, and accountability. His experience as Chair and Treasurer of local sports clubs equips him to help protect vital services and ensure the responsible use of public resources.
Matt Romo
Chingford & Woodford Green Community Independents
Standing in Valley
Matt was born at Whipps Cross and raised in Chingford. He has worked across health and social care in the NHS, local authority and third sector, supporting people with disabilities, learning difficulties and complex needs. Matt is committed to amplifying lived experience and strengthening community engagement. As a disabled person, he brings a strong focus on access, inclusion and tackling isolation.
Alex Muhumuza
Independent
Standing in Wood Street
Born and raised in the borough, Alex has called Wood St home for 20+ years. He is an education professional and governor who has firsthand experience working with young people from a range of backgrounds. He volunteers locally for the likes of Salaam Peace and Wood St First and is connected to a range of local social justice groups. Alex supports investment in accessible public spaces and more social housing, and wants to serve Wood St as a councillor who listens, acts, and puts residents first.
John Donegan
Green Party
Standing in High Street
John grew up in Waltham Forest and has lived in the area for most of his life. He is a gardener who has volunteered with a range of community organisations in the area, including Organic Lea and the Leytonstone Community Library. John is standing for councillor to help make Waltham Forest more liveable and affordable, and to protect our diverse and abundant green spaces.
Lisa Bryan
Green Party
Standing in High Street
Lisa grew up in Walthamstow and has lived here all her life. She’s a mum, co-secretary of her PTA and has worked on the High Street for the past 20 years. She wants to give local people a voice in decision-making to help bring back the community spirit she grew up with, with a real focus on supporting small businesses, regenerating public spaces and fighting for more affordable housing.
Marcelo Hart-Camus
Green Party
Standing in High Street
With a background in creative arts practice, health & wellbeing and inclusive policy, Marcelo believed Waltham Forest deserves leadership that is rigorous, ethically grounded and unafraid to redesign systems that are failing us. he has lived In the East End for 20+ years and has a wealth of experience that turns policies into meaningful frameworks and protections for local communities
Paul Perkins
Green Party
Standing in Forest
Paul is a local resident of 10 years and is deeply involved in the community. He is a volunteer football coach, has worked extensively in London councils, and is the Co-Chair of the Waltham Forest Green Party. Paul hopes to champion a collaborative and inclusive way of working. Being present, listening deeply, caring for the community and being honest are the values that will guide his approach if elected.
Simone McNichols-Thomas
Green Party
Standing in Forest
Simone was born in Hackney, grew up in Oxford and returned to London a decade ago. With a background in communications in higher education, Simone cares about ensuring local people’s voices are amplified when it comes to policy changes that affect them. Simone is passionate about social justice and believes local government should work for everyone — not just those who already have influence.
Yuksel Gonul
Green Party
Standing in Forest
Yuksel has lived in Waltham Forest for more than two decades, and brings a wealth of practical experience in forecasting, budgeting and operational efficiency thanks to his background as a finance co-ordinator in environmental management. His focus is on creating cleaner, safer streets, pushing for more affordable and social housing, and advocating for the wellbeing of local residents.
Daisy Richards
Green Party
Standing in Leyton
Daisy is deeply connected to the local community — she was born in Whipps Cross, lives in Leyton and is involved in a number of social justice groups in the borough. She was a teacher for eight years before becoming a therapist, where she helps people navigate mental health challenges with empathy and practical support. Daisy wants to give residents more of a say in local decision-making and is committed to ensuring everyone’s basic needs are met, enabling our community to thrive.
Rob Gardner
Green Party
Standing in Leyton
Rob has been involved in community organising supporting small and independent businesses across East London, alongside divestment campaigns to prevent universities investing in fossil fuels and the arms trade. Having worked for other London councils, he will bring vital experience and support to a councillor role . Rob wants to make sure the community is properly represented in the council, and be a part of transformative change which supports the needs and values of local people.
Charlotte Lafferty
Green Party
Standing in Grove Green
Charlotte has lived in Grove Green for more than 15 years and is actively involved in a range of community projects and local campaigns. She has worked for the Green Party for 7+ years in membership growth and engagement, before which she worked in a range of service and hospitality jobs. Charlotte believes residents must be at the heart of decision-making and is committed to prioritising genuinely affordable and social housing and community-led projects for safer streets, and fighting for a fairer, greener future that works for everyone.
Paul Treacy
Green Party
Standing in Grove Green
Paul has lived in Waltham Forest since 2014 and works in the charity sector with a background in disability advocacy. From a working-class background, he understands the pressures the cost of living crisis brings, and as a councillor would work to alleviate inequality. Volunteering for Faiza Shaheen showed the power of community-led politics and inspired him to stand. If elected, Paul will fight for a council that is open, transparent and accountable: one that serves the needs of residents, not political parties or the interests of property developers.
Richard Wild
Green Party
Standing in Markhouse
Richard has lived in Markhouse ward for more than two decades. he is a criminologist and university lecturer, with a strong background in human rights activism and trade unionism — he is a board member for Amnesty International and the co-chair of his university’s union branch. If elected, Richard hopes to champion a transparent, honest approach to decision-making, prioritising more ambitious solutions to make Waltham Forest a greener, more accessible and affordable place to live.
Chanté Johnson
Green Party
Standing in Markhouse
Chanté is a lifelong Londoner who wants to ensure local needs and priorities are at the forefront of council decision-making. Having held a range of service and hospitality roles, Chanté is no stranger to hard work, and her more recent roles in project management make her well-placed to hit the ground running as a councillor. Chanté is passionate about social justice and environmental issues, and wants to prioritise prosperity, not austerity, for the people of Markhouse ward and Waltham Forest.
Connor Rosoman
Independent Socialist
Standing in Cathall
Connor Is a young renter who has lived in Waltham Forest for 4+ years. He is a founding member of Leyton & Wanstead Your Party and a proud socialist. With a decade of activism under his belt, he has organised with working people throughout the borough on issues including renters’ rights, the genocide in Gaza, and workers’ strikes. He is standing to help build a movement rooted in local campaigns, organisations and trade unions – and to bring those campaigns into the Town Hall.
Susan Catten
Independent Socialist
Standing in Cathall
Susan is a fearless local campaigner and socialist who has been a Waltham Forest resident and trade union rep for over 40 years. She successfully challenged the Council’s illegal bailiff use and helped establish health and safety case law. She is fighting for better SEND funding, investment in social housing, improved private renting standards, fair council tax support, and greener streets and cleaner air, and if elected, will donating her Councillor’s allowance to local campaigns and food banks.
Peter Richardson
Green Party
Standing in Cann Hall
Peter is a designer, researcher and educator who has lived in Can Hall for more than 15 years. Through organising and advocating for local change, he helped establish a residents’ group which successfully campaigned for long-overdue improvements on Harrow Road, and petitioned to help a stalled School Street scheme over the line. By valuing inclusion, consistency and constructive dialogue, Peter hope to bring stronger accountability to our local government.
Eva Tabbasam
Green Party
Standing in Cann Hall
Eva is a committed member of the Cann Hall community and has supported neighbours with issues ranging from immigration to healthcare access. She runs an NGO that challenges the government on peace and security, and has a legal background which enables her to scrutinise policy and contribute to informed decision-making. Eva believes local people deserve to be properly heard, and is driven to ensure the council reflects the real concerns and priorities of residents.
Tom Hainge
Green Party
Standing in Cann Hall
Tom is a product manager from Leyton who has worked in education for the last eight years. Connections with local schools have given him a grounding in engaging with difficult problems and a lifelong commitment to the value of listening to people. Tom is committed to fighting to help residents get the rights and support they’re entitled to, and wants to be one more voice shouting against the flow of money out of communities and into the pockets of the super rich.
Brian Capaloff
Green Party
Standing in Hale End + Highams Park South
Brian is lifelong local government employee with extensive experience working in homelessness and housing. He has seen firsthand how council services can become faceless and uncaring, unfit to meet the needs of local residents. Brian is driven to change this culture, ensuring services work effectively, efficiently and always put local people — especially those whose basic needs aren’t being met — first. Brian is a passionate advocate for human rights and is committed to prioritising the council’s divestment from genocide from day one if elected.