About me:
My C.V.

Name: Leslie Sibley
Present constituency: Banbury & Bicester CLP
Labour Party Membership No. A211397

• Member of the Labour Party since 1980
• Selected as an approved National Party Parliamentary Panel Candidate for the 2001 and 2005 General Elections
• Selected in 2008 as Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate at the next general election for the Banbury, Bicester and North Oxfordshire Villages constituency.

Labour Party experience:

• At the 2001 and 2005 General Elections, I was proud to serve as the TGWU (now UNITE the UNION) Labour Party Candidate in the Banbury, Bicester & North Oxfordshire Villages Constituency. With the support of the local Labour Party, I gained two excellent results by finishing second in both elections in a strong Tory area.
• I regularly attend the National, Southeast and West Midlands Labour Party Conferences.
• Elected in 2001 as a County Councillor representing the Bicester North Division on the Oxford County Council.
• Chair of the Environmental Scrutiny Committee at County Hall 2003–2004.
• Elected as a Cherwell District and Town Councillor for Bicester West in 1995.
• Elected Vice Chair of the Cherwell District Council from 1997 to 1999.
• Chair of the Direct Services Management Board from 1996–1999.
• Served on the Recreation, Development, Environmental, Policy and Planning Committees of the Cherwell District Council.
• Elected Mayor of Bicester 1997–1998.
• Chair of the Bicester Town Council Policy & Resources Committee 1995–1997.
• Chair of the Banbury & Bicester Constituency Labour Party.

Other life experience:

• Trade Union TGWU (UNITE): Member of the Midland Regional Committee and its Financial and General Purposes Committee.
• Chair of the Race & Equality Committee in the Midlands region for four years.
• Chair of the Regional Public Services Trade Group.
• Chair of the TGWU Regional Industrial Service Sector Committee.
• Local School Governor.
• Mayor of Bicester 1997–1998 (specialised in charitable fund raising and improving the quality of life for young people).
• Worked for over 25 years at MOD Bicester as a civil servant and as an industrial relations representative (TGWU).
• Served in the Armed Forces and qualified as a physical training instructor.
• In 1998 presented with the first ever Oxford Mail/Fox FM Radio Local Heroes Award for Services to the Community.
• Lived and worked in North Oxfordshire for the past 38 years. Happily married to Mary for 35 years and have two daughters.

Knowledge:

• I am particularly interested in the Environment, transport, culture, sport and tourism.
• I am a strong proponent of post-16 and University education.
• I have a deep knowledge of trade union representation and the workings of the Labour Party.
• I have worked hard to stimulate links between local businesses and the local community. This requires skills of negotiation, diplomacy and vision, in order to promote a successful partnership.

Communication skills:

• I have developed skills in working with the media on television and local radio, and I am a regular contributor to local newspapers.
• I enjoy meeting members of the public on the doorstep.
• I have given presentations and interviews on the successful impact of Bicester Village International Shopping Park and Banbury's new retail outlets on the local economy.
• As Mayor of Bicester and as a local councillor, I have met numerous U.K. and European delegations in order to promote the town's cultural and economic activities.
• I have helped forge links with the local Chamber of Commerce, Town Council and twinning towns in Germany and France.
• I regularly meet with and correspond with government ministers, MPs and MEPs.

Campaigning and party development skills:

• I have strong campaigning skills including meeting members of the public on doorsteps and in surgeries.
• I am experienced in preparing detailed election manifesto, designing election leaflets and organising election campaigns at Town, District and County level.
• Campaigns include support for keeping open to patients the health facilities provided at Banbury's Horton Hospital, and help in organising a petition in support of providing a new 32-bed community hospital for Bicester.
• Opposed the introduction of Sunday car parking charges in the town centres.
• Championed and won funding from Cherwell District Council for Bicester's new Street Warden Scheme following the successful introduction of the Banbury scheme by local Labour Councillors.
• Successfully campaigned for Cherwell's Residents 50% Bus Pass and welcome the introduction by the Labour government of the FREE National Bus Pass from April 2008.

Representational and problem-solving skills:

• For many years I have been the liaison person between the Trade Union membership and officialdom.
• I have successfully represented Union members at Industrial Tribunals, Civil Service Appeal Boards, Disciplinary Hearings and Medical Boards.
• Outside the workplace I also have considerable skills negotiating with the various factions in local town life. For example, I chair a number of forums and committees whereby team spirit and leadership is vital in bringing together the separate parties.

Interpersonal, teamwork and liaison skills:

• I have gained the support of the community in Bicester by raising record levels of charitable funds for local causes. I did this through a direct approach, good humour and by leading from the front.
• I have excellent facilitation skills and I am able to find the appropriate compromise in difficult confrontational situations.

Statement of intent:

It was an honour to be re-selected last year (2008) as a UNITE/Labour Party candidate for the Banbury constituency at the next General Election. Having lived and worked in North Oxfordshire for 40 years, I believe I understand the many different needs of our constituents – as people I live with day in and day out - and my record in working for those I represent in challenging situations stands for itself. I will represent people with tact, integrity, enthusiasm and energy. I would welcome the opportunity to make a difference in a strong Labour Government seeking a historic fourth term.

Read My Vision for our community