Ashley Wassall
A Strong Voice for Hextable
I'm Ashley Wassall, and I'm standing to be your next District Councillor for Hextable. As a proud local resident raising my two young children here, I care deeply about our wonderful village and want to ensure our voice is heard at the District Council. First and foremost, I want to pay tribute to Darren Kitchener, who served this community with true dedication for over a decade on both the District and Parish Councils. His steady approach and willingness to help residents made a real difference to Hextable. Now, Hextable needs an experienced local champion who will put our community first - and I'm ready to be that voice.
I bring nearly two decades of experience in business journalism and financial services, having worked with organisations including the Financial Times Group, The Week, HSBC, and Schroders. In recent years, I've held senior leadership positions overseeing external communications and strategic marketing for global businesses.
This background has given me strong grounding in:
- Clear communication and listening to people's concerns
- Problem-solving and strategic thinking
- Scrutinising decisions and holding power to account
Beyond my professional experience, I'm actively involved in village life - volunteering as an assistant coach for Sutton Athletic under-10s football team, supporting local shops and businesses, and being a familiar face around Hextable.
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Fighting for Hextable on the Local Plan
- I'm fighting for the Local Plan to reflect local priorities. Any developments in Hextable must be supported by adequate infrastructure - the right size, right price, and right location for our community's needs.
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Demanding Fair Waste Collections
- The Conservatives broke their promise to protect weekly bin collections. Now our public bins are overflowing, causing litter problems across the village. I'll campaign for fairer waste services that actually work for Hextable residents.
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Campaigning for Better GP Services
- With our village surgery only open three days a week, and plans to build more housing, we need to ensure adequate capacity for GP appointments. I'll fight for more local access to healthcare services when people need them.
What Liberal Democrat Councillors Deliver for Sevenoaks District
The 14 Liberal Democrat District Councillors are the largest opposition group on Sevenoaks District Council, holding the Conservative administration to account and fighting for better services. Here's what having Lib Dem councillors means:
- Demanding better value for money: The Lib Dems are fighting for better value-for-money bin collection contracts, even as Conservatives break promises on weekly collections
- Fighting for fair housing: Pushing for developments only where infrastructure can support them, and demanding more affordable housing for local families and key workers
- Improving social care: Working to enhance social care provision to help patients return home safely and relieve pressure on the NHS
- Cross-party collaboration: Unlike the warring Conservatives, Lib Dems prioritise transparency, good governance, and working together when it benefits residents
- Active across all levels: Lib Dem councillors work at Town, District, and County level to deliver for local communities
- Challenging Conservative chaos: While the Conservatives fight among themselves (10 councillors have left their group since 2023, with multiple no-confidence votes in their own leaders), Lib Dems focus on what matters to residents
Help Ashley Win
Can you help Ashley win against Reform UK in this by-election by putting up a poster or delivering leaflets?
This Conservative administration is no way to run a council or to serve the public. Our priority is what works for residents. If the Conservative factions cannot settle their differences, they should step aside and let the good people of our district benefit from new leadership.
Cllr Alan Leaman, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Sevenoaks District Council.
