Danny Beales

Danny Boy Beales (born 1988) is a British Labour politician. He has been a member of Camden London Borough Council since 2014.[1][2]

Cllr
Danny Beales
Member of Camden Borough Council
for Camden Square
Cantelowes (2014–2022)
Assumed office
22 May 2014
Preceded byPaul Braithwaite
Personal details
Born
Danny Boy Beales

1988 (age 34–35)
Political partyLabour
EducationLondon School of Economics (BSc, MSc)

Beales was the party's candidate for the 2023 Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, the seat previously held by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He lost the election to Conservative Party candidate Steve Tuckwell

Early life

Danny Boy Beales[3] was born in 1988[4][5] and grew up in West London. Beales was raised by his mother as a single parent. He was made homeless twice while a teenager, both times after his mother was made redundant from work, living for a while with his grandparents in Northampton, and then in a council house in the area. He benefitted from an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), allowing him to complete his A-Levels. He joined the Labour Party around this time, frustrated by the financial difficulties his family faced.[6][7] Beales studied politics and social policy at the London School of Economics.[7]

Political career

Camden Council

Following his studies, Beales went on to work in campaigning and communications with the Labour Party.[7]

He was first elected at the 2014 Camden London Borough Council election, and was re-elected at the next two subsequent council elections. Beales was initially elected to represent Cantelowes, unseating the ward's sole Liberal Democrat councillor. Cantelowes was abolished for the 2022 elections,[8] and Beales was subsequently elected for the Camden Square ward.[9] He was a governor at Torriano Primary School, on his local street.[10][11]

Since his election, he has been one of the most high-profile councillors, with the local paper writing of him, "With an ever-expanding brief, Cllr Beales has been there for every Camden policy, every flashpoint."[12] He is quoted nearly every week in the local press.[13]

He is currently Camden Council's Cabinet Member for New Homes, Jobs and Community Investment. In this role Beales is responsible for the Community Investment Programmes which is Camden's estate regeneration and property development programme.[14] CIP - and Beales personally - has been criticised on a cross-party basis for failing to meet its own target for building council homes and for allowing private developers to 'seize' part of sites for their own use.[15]

He supported adding a pedestrian crossing in Camden with the transgender flag, the first of its kind in London.[16]

Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election

In December 2022, Beales was selected as the Labour candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip to become the candidate at the by-election, which was announced less than a day after the constituency's MP, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, had resigned. This was just prior to the publication of the Commons Privileges Committee investigation into Johnson's involvement in Partygate.[17][4] Beales then began campaigning with the party's national campaign co-ordinator, Shabana Mahmood.[18] He remained (and remains) a Camden Council Cabinet Member.

During campaigning, Beales challenged the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's policy to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone into outer London, including Uxbridge and South Ruislip. Beales suggested the scheme should be delayed, while the Conservative candidate, Steve Tuckwell, wanted to scrap the scheme completely.[19][20]

Candidate controversy

The Uxbridge and South Ruislip Constituency Labour Party was overruled in its original choice of candidate, Connor Liberty, a 22 year old described as "inexperienced",[21] by the party's London Region, which replaced him with Beales.[22]

Following Beales' by-election defeat, the Labour chair of the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency party, David Williams, resigned from both his post and his membership of the Labour Party, and praised Jeremy Corbyn, Labour's former national leader.[23]

Personal life

Beales is openly gay.[24][25]

Electoral results
2014 Camden local election - Cantelowes ward (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Danny Beales 2,002 56.1 +23.1
Labour Phil Jones * 1,966 55.1 +16.1
Labour Angela Mason * 1,899 53.3 +13.2
Liberal Democrats Paul Braithwaite * 725 20.3 -17.2
Green Fran Bury 639 17.9 +3.7
Green Fiona Ann Firman 632 17.7 +8.8
Green Victoria Green 546 15.3 +9.1
Conservative Robyn Gardner 375 10.5 -3.0
Conservative Robert Anthony Ricketts 361 10.1 -3.2
Liberal Democrats Margaret Jackson-Roberts 355 10.0 -22.0
Conservative Will Timmins 346 9.7 -2.3
Liberal Democrats Catherine Felicity Jane Sinclair Jones 344 9.6 -19.1
Turnout 10,221 40.6
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
2018 Camden local election - Cantelowes ward (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Angela Mason * 1,829 59.8 +6.5
Labour Danny Beales * 1,780 58.2 +2.1
Labour Ranjit Singh 1,503 49.1 -6.0
Liberal Democrats Catherine Wakefield Hays 804 26.3 +6.0
Liberal Democrats Christopher William Hattam 488 16.0 +6.0
Green Fran Bury 449 14.7 -3.2
Liberal Democrats Max Karasinski 442 14.5 +4.9
Green Catherine Anee Keshishian 435 14.2 -3.5
Green Trevor O'Farrell 301 9.8 -5.5
Conservative Ben Tansey 276 9.0 -1.5
Conservative Robert Fox 270 8.8 -1.3
Conservative Alexi Susiluoto 240 7.8 -1.9
Turnout 36.19
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
2022 Camden local election - Camden Square ward (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Danny Beales† 1,309 74.0
Labour Sagal Abdiwali 1,275 72.1
Liberal Democrats Anne Wright 244 13.8
Liberal Democrats Lawrence Nicholson 218 12.3
Conservative Catherine McQueen 180 10.2
Conservative Jack Tinley 146 8.3
Turnout 1,769 31.8
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
2023 Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election[26][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Steve Tuckwell 13,965 45.2 -7.4
Labour Danny Beales 13,470 43.6 +6.0
Green Sarah Green 893 2.9 +0.7
Reclaim Laurence Fox 714 2.3 New
Liberal Democrats Blaise Baquiche 526 1.7 -4.6
SDP Steve Gardner 248 0.8 New
Independent Kingsley Hamilton Anti-Ulez 208 0.7 New
Count Binface Count Binface 190 0.6 +0.5
Independent No-Ulez Leo Phaure 186 0.6 New
Rejoin EU Richard Hewison 105 0.3 New
Let London Live Piers Corbyn 101 0.3 New
Independent Cameron Bell 91 0.3 New
CPA Enomfon Ntefon 78 0.3 New
UKIP Rebecca Jane 61 0.2 -0.4
Climate Ed Gemmell 49 0.2 New
Monster Raving Loony Howling Laud Hope 32 0.1 -0.2
Independent 77 Joseph 8 < 0.1 New
Majority 495 1.6 -13.4
Turnout 30,925 46.2 Decrease17.3
Registered electors
Conservative hold Swing -6.7

References
  1. Osley, Richard (4 August 2022). "Danny Beales: 'I've been homeless… I know what it's like – that's what drives me'". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  2. "... ULEZ if you want to". Camden New Journal. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  3. "New MPs elected at July by-elections". UK Parliament. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. Topping, Alexandra (12 June 2023). "Labour's candidate in Uxbridge 'not taking anything for granted'". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  5. Rafray, Nathalie (28 December 2022). "Camden councillor Danny Beales on facing Boris Johnson". Ham & High.
  6. "Danny Beales: I'm fighting for Boris's seat in Uxbridge". The Times. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  7. From homelessness to the House of Commons? Meet Danny Beales, the man looking to unseat Boris Johnson. Big Issue. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  8. Teale, Andrew. "Cantelowes Ward". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  9. "Local election results 5th May 2022". Camden Council. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  10. "Danny Beales". Camden Labour. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  11. Rowlands, Jenny (5 April 2022). "Statement of Persons Nominated – Camden Square". Camden London Borough Council. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  12. "... ULEZ if you want to". Camden New Journal. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  13. Osley, Richard (4 August 2022). "Danny Beales: 'I've been homeless… I know what it's like – that's what drives me'". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  14. Osley, Richard (28 October 2022). "Cabinet councillor in bid to take over Boris Johnson's seat". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  15. Osley, Richard (21 March 2022). "Left and right – and the rest – join in a rare alliance to hammer Camden's estates strategy". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  16. "Trans crossing unveiled in Camden to 'show everyone is welcome'". LBC. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  17. "Camden's regeneration chief Danny Beales selected to take on Boris Johnson at general election". Camden New Journal. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  18. "Uxbridge by-election date set as Tories announce candidate for Boris Johnson's former seat". ITV News. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  19. "Uxbridge by-election: Issues explored ahead of vote". BBC News. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  20. "'Going to be close': nerves fray before byelection in Boris Johnson's old seat". The Guardian. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  21. Fletcher, Martin (21 February 2023). "Uxbridge takes umbrage". The New European.
  22. Neame, Katie (2 December 2022). "Labour takes control of Uxbridge and South Ruislip selection process". LabourList.
  23. Belger, Tom (21 July 2023). "Uxbridge and South Ruislip CLP chair quits party after defeat, praising Corbyn". LabourList.
  24. Thomson, Alice (20 July 2023). "Danny Beales: I'm fighting for Boris's seat in Uxbridge". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  25. Strudwick, Patrick (25 January 2023). "Meet the man who beat homelessness to become Labour's pick to unseat Boris Johnson". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  26. Rufo, Yasmin (23 June 2023). "Uxbridge by-election full candidate list revealed". BBC News. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  27. "Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election 2023 results". Hillingdon Council. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
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