The Arise political party, founded in August and backed by Jeremy Corbyn MP, held its first canvassing session in the Marlborough ward.
The party is led by Pamela Fitzpatrick, a community campaigner, former councillor from 2014 to 2022 and 2024 Independent parliamentary candidate, and director of the Peace and Justice Project.
Ms Fitzpatrick, who is standing as Arise’s lead candidate in Marlborough, said: “We’ll be out whether it’s raining or sunny because Harrow deserves better than what we’ve got.
“Whether it’s Labour or Conservative in council or in government, we have the same thing: people are struggling in Harrow and they need change.”
She is joined on the Marlborough ward slate by candidates Sheila Guhadasan and Asha Mohamed.
Arise describes itself as a “new movement” created by residents who feel Harrow has been “neglected for too long”.
The party’s canvass launch was attended by Husain Akhtar, co-ordinator of the Harrow Monitoring Group, who said: “There’s a real sense of energy and hope in this campaign, and it’s inspiring to see so many people coming together with a shared commitment to make Harrow fairer, stronger and better represented.”
Arise says it is campaigning for a range of changes including new community spaces, free council-provided home care, publicly owned and operated care homes, and a civic centre restored to the heart of the borough.
It also pledges to address the persistent lack of support for children with special educational needs and to convert empty flats into council housing.
Ms Fitzpatrick founded a legal advice centre in Harrow and has campaigned against developments she describes as unaffordable, such as the ‘Tesco Towers’.
Ms Guhadasan has lived in Marlborough for 20 years and has worked in charity and housing.
She led an anti-far right rally in North Harrow and is active in Palestinian human rights campaigns.
Ms Mohamed has lived in Harrow for more than 30 years and has 19 years of experience in the charity sector and community work.
