CLLR ROBERT THURSTON - MARK HALL WARD

Contact Cllr Robert Thurston

Cllr Robert Thurston

201 Pennymead, Harlow CM20 3JE

tel 01279 864777

About Robert

I was born in Tottenham London N17. My parents split up when I was young, and my father moved to Chelmsford and then Devon with his second wife. Although my father is now dead I still keep in touch with and visit my step mum. My mother moved with us (me and my two sisters) and her second husband to Hoddesdon. I moved to Harlow when in my twenties, now over twenty years ago now. My mum and both sisters are all now in Ware (my step father is also now dead).

I have only had three employers in my working life, firstly a biscuit company (Burtons) where I worked as a 'picker' and also as a stock control clerk in a distribution depot for about seven years. I then worked for London Underground as a guard and booking clerk for about 3 years; and lastly I've been working for Royal Mail for over twenty years now, starting there within a year of moving to Harlow.

I love TV sci-fi and some films; my only real hobby is playing Diplomacy on the internet and I can't do that as often as I wish. I love relaxing and varied holidays.

Roles and responsibilities

Deputy Leader, Harlow Council Liberal Democrat Group
Chairman, Audit & Improvement Committee
Member, Environment & Community Committee
Conference representative, Harlow Liberal Democrats

Why I'm a Liberal Democrat

From as far back as I can remember I have 'felt' a Liberal, that people need to be free to make as many choices as possible for themselves, but those choices should not be taking freedom from others. You cannot be truly free if you don't have enough money to give you some real choices in your life, you're not free if you are not educated enough to be able to take up the opportunities that come before you, you're not free if your health is not good or you are crippled with debt etc. Balancing 'freedom to' and 'freedom from' is not as easy as it might seem, but I'm willing to try!

So why become a councillor? I'm not sure why I started, but I continue because I know I have helped people and I know I can play my part in making Harlow Council a better council than it was before I got elected.

Current issues

It seems to me that the main issues for me as a Harlow district Councillor are to keep the council on course out of recovery and into being a 'good' or 'excellent' council; and to make sure that we control the rise in council tax while improving the services that people care most about.

Here in Mark Hall, ensuring we keep the special character of Mark Hall North's conservation areas; making the Stow a more lively place, bringing the current shops and any future ones together for the benefit of them both; and controlling local anti-social behaviour are what I see as the area's pressing issues.

These are a few of my favourite things ...

My favourite ... film: The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
My favourite ... TV programme: The West Wing or Babylon 5
My favourite ... book: Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson
My favourite ... song or piece of music: Life on Mars (David Bowie)
My favourite ... holiday destination: Devon (have family there) or Barcelona, also love the smaller cruise ships!
My favourite ... food: any Chinese
My favourite ... drink: Old Krupnik (brand of Polish honey vodka)
My favourite ... hobby: Diplomacy (game)
My favourite ... subject at school: Maths
My hero: Paddy Ashdown - the first leader of a political party to ask the interviewer what is wrong with being gay, in a TV interview (Newsnight) which was attempting to put him on the spot about the Lib Dems' policy. In the same week Neil Kinnock failed to answer without sounding completely apologetic for his party's policy. Not sure I'd use the word hero, but it got this liberal to vote Lib Dem, and I've never stopped since.