Former Sun editor set to stand as councillor

1:26pm Monday 10th March 2008

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Former Sun editor Kelvin Mackenzie is thinking of standing for election as an Elmbridge councillor.

The Weybridge resident says he is so sick of the treatment he is receiving from Elmbridge Council that he intends to stand as an independent candidate to "protect local voters from the corporate machine."

"I haven't had a 43 per cent pay rise recently and I doubt any other Elmbridge residents have."

Kelvin MacKenzie

His anger is based on parking charge hikes that are set to kick in from April 1 which will see the daily parking fee at train station car parks rise 43 per cent, from £3.50 to £5.

Mr MacKenzie contacted the Elmbridge Guardian after learning about the increases when he visited Weybridge station.

He has since dedicated his Sun column to the subject and said he wants to stand as a councillor in South Weybridge to "protect the consumer who is being taken for a ride."

"The council does not have a clue," he said. "They want us to get out of our cars and on to the trains and yet they push up the charges at stations by 43 per cent.

"I haven't had a 43 per cent pay rise recently and I doubt any other Elmbridge residents have.

"If I was to get elected I would protect the interests of residents, not councillors who vote in their own massive pay rises and pen-pushers who want to protect their final salary pensions."

Mr Mackenzie has until April 4 to declare if he is entering the election race, with residents voting on May 1.