Vikas Aggarwal, prospective parliamentary candidate for Islington North, was born in Chatham, Kent. His parents, originally from India, settled in Gillingham after his father's move from Tanzania and his mother's direct move from Delhi. Vikas embarked on his career in the Ministry of Defence, serving in the civil service for 12 years, with diplomatic assignments culminating in his tenure at the Foreign Office. Currently, he focuses on government affairs and international development. As a sitting Magistrate, Vikas brings a robust understanding of national challenges, from crime and small business to climate change, at all levels of governance.
In an interview with Asian Voice, Vikas discusses pressing issues in Islington North, his candidacy in competition with Jeremy Corbyn, and more.
What do you consider the most pressing issues in Islington North today, and how do you plan to address them?
I think the biggest challenge people are facing in Islington North, but actually across the whole of the UK, is the cost of living driven by rocketing house prices and energy prices. The Labour run council has missed its housing targets by 25%.
Islington is already one of the most expensive boroughs in London for housing, and this failure is making it far worse. Even those in council housing are being let down. Leaseholds are facing increasing service charges, and council tenants are suffering from poor quality homes.
Even the Housing Ombudsman Special Report found “severe maladministration” in dealing with anti-social behaviour, complaints, leaving a disabled resident without use of their bathroom, and others with unliveable levels of damp and mould. The councils need a lot more resources to deal with these issues, but there has been a clear lack of scrutiny by both Islington MPs, and a lack of accountability by the Labour Councillors. Our society's most vulnerable are increasingly neglected—struggling with access to dental care, mental health services for children, and rising homelessness. Anxiety about safety has heightened due to increased incidents of knife crime and phone snatchings, affecting daily life for many.
Lib Dems propose building 380,000 homes annually, including 150,000 social homes, along with a £750m dental rescue plan for improved access. We oppose Labour's two-child benefit cap, criticised as cruel and inhumane by numerous think tanks and lobby groups.
Given Jeremy Corbyn's long-standing tenure and popularity in Islington North since 1983, how do you plan to compete against him and persuade voters to support you?
Voters want a better choice at the upcoming election. It's clear from countless conversations on the door that voters are looking for change, both locally and nationally. We’re not even talking about the Conservatives anymore as its clear they are on their way out. What residents are concerned about locally is having a progressive candidate that will fight for meaningful change. Many voters in Islington North have felt let down by Jeremy during his tenure as leader of the Labour Party, but also don’t feel able to vote for this current Labour Party which is lurching further and further to the right, in many cases echoing Conservative policy. Our progressive policies have a strong appeal to voters, including our recent record Gaza, on sewage, on housing, and on increasing support for carers. Jeremy has served the constituency for a long time, but there’s a strong desire for change, for someone new and fresh. Not only do we have policies that support people’s wellbeing, but ones that match their views on supporting the most vulnerable, at home and overseas; they see as has having the most progressive view on our relationship with Europe and reversing the damage done by Brexit; and they see us as having a strong record on the environment and climate. 9 out of the top 10 councils for recycling around England are Lib Dem run councils. People value that sort of thing.
In the last election, the Liberal Democrats placed second. How do you plan to bridge the gap and secure a win in the upcoming election?
We’re going to do what we do best and take our message to the doorstep. As a National Party we don’t have anywhere near the same resources as the Conservatives and Labour, and so we are much more heavily dependent on our ground force to get out and knock on doors. And when we speak to people about our policies, we get very positive responses from people across the political spectrum, whether they be Green, Tory, or Labour.
As I said, people want a strong progressive option to vote for, and they aren’t seeing that in Labour. Of course, there is a strong contingent of former labour voters that will have to choose between Jeremy and Labour. But in equal measure, people saw what happened with the dysfunctional Labour selection process. Their candidate didn’t bother turning up for the housing or climate hustings and faced proper scrutiny, and refused to attend the now cancelled health hustings. It’s no wonder though as he’s on record stating he wants to increase healthcare privatisation. Its issues like that that residents respond to. It’s their vote, but it has to be earned, and not taken for granted. And this is why people are responding to our commitment to accountability and action, rejecting Labour's complacency and failures: inadequate housing, crime issues, and support for the two-child benefit cap.
What personal qualities or experiences do you believe make you well-suited to represent the people of Islington North in Parliament?
Apart from my experience working with young people, and as a Magistrate, I think it’s probably my compassion and willingness to listen to people from different walks of life, even those that disagree with my politics. I’ve been lucky in life, in as much as I’ve got two parents that love me and have supported me. But not everyone has that luck. Kids don’t pick where they live, who they are born to, or the conditions they grow up in. And yet we expect so much of them when they turn 18. This isn’t about handouts or victimhood. It’s about creating the conditions for everyone to succeed. Ensuring that kids are fed properly and get a good education. That people with mental health issues have quick and easy access to support. That migrants to the UK, like my parents, are treated well and given an equal opportunity to succeed and contribute to wider society. I’m not a professional politician. I don’t come from a particularly political background. And so I think we need much more change in our politics to engage others like me that want to do good for wider society, and to ensure that elected representatives stay connected with the issues the people they represent face.
