I am one of the three Labour councillors representing the Coleridge ward for the Cambridge City Council. I was elected in May 2023 to complete the last year of Lewis Herbert's term. It's humbling to take over from Lewis after his long and productive service to Cambridge. I will be standing again in May 2024 for a regular term of four years.
In my first year I have been focusing on casework on behalf of Coleridge residents. This has been a wonderful way to meet people and to gain more knowledge about the sometimes-mysterious workings of our local authorities. I've helped residents with repairs of social housing, planning-related issues and complaints, applications for grant funding, contacting county councillors about the three p's (potholes! parking! pavements!), complaints about dodgy landlords, attempts to resolve boundary disputes, fly-tipping, and reports of anti-social behaviour. I hope that I have made some small impact on an improved quality of life in Coleridge.
A bit about myself. I immigrated to the UK from the USA in 2003 and have lived in Cambridge since then. The day after I became a UK citizen in 2011, I joined the Labour Party. In the USA I had always been a Democrat, but constantly frustrated with how conservative most of that party remains.
I am currently a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of King’s College (both Emeritus since October 2023). I am particularly interested in education and in breaking down barriers between the University of Cambridge and Cambridge residents.