Brent will be going to the polls next month to elect the next government and a candidate to represent them at Westminster for the next five years. Boundary changes mean the constituencies of Brent South and East disappear. Here the Observer takes a look at Brent's prospective parliamentary candidates to help you make the right choice when you vote on May 6.
BRENT NORTH - BARRY GARDINER - LABOUR
BORN in 1957 in Glasgow. Educated at Glasgow High School and St Andrew's University. Cambridge councillor between 1988-1994. Senior partner in a company of marine arbitrators in the City. MP for Brent North since 1997.
Mr Gardiner said: "The key choice at this election is securing the economic recovery. The Conservatives are poised to make drastic cuts in services that local people value and need. I am backing Labour's costed programme to reduce the deficit by half in four years. We will not endanger economic growth by cutting the investment that is needed now. I have made the following five pledges to safeguard the future of families in Brent. * Invest in local jobs and skills * Reject a Tory wage freeze for Brent teachers * New school buildings for Copland, Alperton and Byron Court * Bring digital screening for breast cancer to Brent * Protect and improve our local parks and global environment."
HARSHADBHAI PATEL - CONSERVATIVE
BORN in India. Brent councillor since 1996.
Against the decision to cut £4million worth of funding to Brentin2Work which helps people find employment.
Mr Patel said: "I shall work to maintain and increase training for the unemployed so that young people are helped to get a decent start.
"Over the years Brent has lost many major manufacturers of foods and other products, despite the fact that we have excellent transport links and potentially a willing and capable workforce. I shall try to bring about change by encouraging companies to set up production in Brent.
"When elected, I shall work to ensure that GP surgeries are kept open in Brent so patients can continue to see the GPs that they are used to, rather than having to go to large impersonal polyclinics which are likely to be rolled out.
"A Conservative government will give people the certainty they need: our 2010 manifesto includes plans to change GPs' contracts to ensure that everyone has access to a GP in their area from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week."
JAMES ALLIE - LIBERAL DEMOCRAT
BORN in Sierra Leone and works as a lawyer.
Started his political campaign in 1987 while at Leicester University.
Campaigned against poll tax, apartheid and lobbied for reform of international aid.
Has been the local councillor for Alperton ward in Brent since May 2002. Contested Brent South in 2005.
Mr Allie said: "This is going to be an important election campaign, with much of the electorate rightly angry about the MP expenses fiasco. Barry Gardiner did not come out of that episode well and I think voters will show their anger towards him.
"The Liberal Democrats have been making Brent cleaner, greener and safer over the last few years - with more Liberal Democrat MPs we can do even more."
MARTIN FRANCIS - GREEN
BORN in 1947 in Kingsbury and now lives in Wembley.
He has recently retired after spending 32 years teaching, latterly as headteacher of a Wembley primary school. He is a governor of two Brent primary schools and a trustee of the Brent Play Association. He runs an environmental children's project, Brent School Without Walls, in Fryent Country Park.
He is also chairman of Brent Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Mr Francis said: "We will protect essential public services such as health, education and policing, and end expensive privatisation schemes. Scrapping the redundant Trident nuclear missile system, withdrawing from Afghanistan and abandoning ID cards will save money. We will ensure that the rich pay higher taxes, impose a tax on bankers' bonuses and end tax avoidance. We are for a higher national minimum wage and a Citizens' Pension that would end the current means-testing of pensioners."
BRENT CENTRAL
DAWN BUTLER - LABOUR
BORN in 1969 in Forest Gate. Prior to her election, she was a civil servant and computer programmer.
First elected as MP for Brent South in 2005, which disappears because of boundary changes. Government whip 2008.
Minister for young citizens and youth engagement since 2009.
Ms Butler said: "One of my first roles as Brent South MP was to improve the legislation around violent crime.
"Increasing penalties and closing criminal loopholes. Although violent crime has fallen, more needs to be done.
"I would now like to see one extra PCSO on the streets of Brent.
"In order to help the economy we need to support small businesses and get people into jobs and on the housing ladder.
"I intend to invest in jobs and protect frontline services.
My personal portfolio has always been the investment in young people. Now as the minister for young citizens and youth engagement, I can confirm that Brent's young people will have a choice of a job or training and somewhere to go and something positive to do."
SACHIN RAJPUT - CONSERVATIVE
BORN in 1978 and brought up in Barnet. Educated at the College of Law. Barrister.
Barnet councillor and a cabinet member for adult services. Formerly a member of the London joint health overview and scrutiny committee.
School governor since 2002. Former vice-president and holding trustee of the Shree
Vishwakarma Association of the UK. Former Hindu Council Brent and Brent Indian Association representative.
Mr Rajput said: "As a lifelong north west London resident, I am familiar with the issues affecting Brent Central residents. Having worked in Brent and served on the board of a national Hindu UK charity with its membership predominately coming from the Brent Central constituency, I am well placed to tackle the issues that matter most to local residents.
"I will fight to control the spiralling misspent finances of this country and give power back to the local people.
"I will fight to keep local GP services rather than polyclinics. I will fight to ensure cancer drugs available in other European countries are made available to Brent residents on the NHS.
"I will work hard towards tackling unemployment, particularly among the youth. I will work with the Mayor of London and the Conservatives in Brent to commit to freeze council tax for two years."
SARAH TEATHER - LIBERAL DEMOCRAT
BORN in 1974 in London. Educated at Cambridge University. First elected to Brent East at the 2003 by-election, becoming the youngest MP in the House of Commons.
Liberal Democrat Education spokeswoman 2006-2007. The outgoing MP for Brent East, which disappears under boundary changes. She lives in Willesden Green.
Ms Teather said: "Brent is a remarkable place and it is a huge privilege being MP for the area where I live. Helping local people has been the most rewarding part of my job. My constituency office is open to the public five days a week and is here to help people on a huge
range of problems. In parliament, I have voted to cut taxes for those on lower and middle incomes, for an investigation into the Iraq war and against Labour's post office closures. I campaigned against London MPs being allowed to claim a second home allowance long before the scandal broke. I feel passionately about representing all communities in Brent and fighting against discrimination.
DR SHAHRAR ALI - GREEN
DR SHAHRAR Ali has lived in Brent for 10 years and teaches philosophy in adult education. He cultivates an allotment at Birchen Grove and chairs his local residents' association.
He pursued Green politics after working in the European Parliament in
2000, and this year published Why Vote Green. He is against housing on Welsh Harp Metropolitan land and campaigned for Asda Wembley to redesign their loading bay after pedestrians were forced to walk on the main road.
Dr Ali said: "For 10 years I have fought to improve the lives of local people. Many of our collective problems result from a lack of political will at national level that elected Greens would correct.
"If elected to parliament I would push for affordable housing, decent transport, better public services and action on climate change. We face extraordinary challenges at the present time."
