Rudi Dikty-Daudiyan
Liberal Democrat candidate · full WATCH Sussex questionnaire response
Trackable commitments
- Minimum 10 publicly accessible ward surgeries per year.
- Maximum 48-hour initial response time for constituent casework.
- Initiate a formal council review of Queen’s Park pavement accessibility.
- Seek a 14-day Service Level Agreement for clearing weeds and trip hazards on key pedestrian routes.
- Commit 20–25 hours a week to council and ward work.
- Serve the remainder of the council term unless exceptional circumstances make that impossible.
These commitments are recorded for future tracking if the candidate is elected.
Full response
1. Why are you standing for Queen’s Park, and what makes you qualified to represent the ward?
I am standing because Queen’s Park deserves a councillor who is genuinely embedded in the community and committed to the fundamental principles of transparency and reliable public services, rather than political infighting. My professional background as a freelance translator for the past 16 years requires meticulous attention to detail and clear communication. Furthermore, my practical experience serving as a director for 37 Edward Street Ltd, representing local leaseholders, has given me first-hand experience in advocating for residents' rights.
2. What is your current connection to Queen’s Park, and for approximately how long have you lived, worked or been actively involved in the ward?
I moved to Brighton in 2024 from Surrey and have become involved in the local community which I feel privileged to call home. I play in the Parks League for Queen’s Park Tennis Club, regularly volunteer at the club and joined the BLAGSS tennis committee. I also represent leaseholder interests as a director of a local residential building.
3. If elected, will you commit to serving for the remainder of the council term unless exceptional circumstances make that impossible?
Yes, absolutely. Residents are exhausted by the constant political churn in this ward, and I am fully committed to serving the remainder of the term.
4. What are the three most important problems facing Queen’s Park specifically?
1. The persistent failure of basic council services, particularly missed refuse and recycling collections. 2. The deteriorating public realm, including inaccessible, weed-filled pavements and broken paving stones. 3. A lack of stable, consistent local representation due to consecutive resignations.
5. For each of those three problems, what practical action would you personally seek from Brighton & Hove City Council?
1. I will demand a comprehensive review of waste management routes and contractor performance to ensure reliability. The system for reporting missed collections is currently not fit for purpose and causes frustration among many residents. 2. I will push for a sensible, pragmatic pavement maintenance strategy that clears trip hazards and overgrowth. 3. I will provide consistent representation by holding regular, predictable surgeries and acting as a visible, full-time advocate.
6. Please identify three specific, measurable commitments that you are prepared for WATCH Sussex to record and subsequently track if you are elected.
1. Hold a minimum of 10 publicly accessible ward surgeries per year. 2. Guarantee a maximum 48-hour initial response time for constituent casework. 3. Initiate a formal council review into the accessibility of Queen’s Park pavements for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and residents with mobility issues or pets.
7. Where do you believe Brighton & Hove City Council currently provides poor value for money? Please give specific examples where possible.
The council currently provides poor value for money by wasting resources on the administrative costs of endless by-elections caused by internal party disputes. Furthermore, inefficiencies in waste management—where missed collections often cost more to rectify reactively than to execute properly the first time—represent a significant drain on public funds.
8. If additional spending is required for your priorities, what should the council spend less on, raise more revenue from, or do differently to fund them?
By stabilizing local representation and improving the efficiency of core contracts like waste collection and street maintenance, we can reduce the costs of reactive, emergency fixes. The council must prioritize statutory, basic services over vanity projects and ensure contractor management is streamlined before asking residents for more money.
9. What changes, if any, would you seek on housing, homelessness and the availability of genuinely affordable housing in Queen’s Park?
Drawing on my experience fighting for leaseholders at 37 Edward Street, I will push for stricter regulation of HMOs, better protection against unfair service charges, and the prioritization of genuinely affordable social housing within any new developments in the city.
10. What should the council do differently about refuse, street cleanliness, pavements and the general public realm?
The council must get the basics right. We need a return to reliable, on-time refuse collections and a practical approach to weed management that doesn't leave our pavements inaccessible or dangerous for residents to navigate.
11. What action would you support to address anti-social behaviour and community safety, recognising the respective responsibilities of the council and Sussex Police?
I would support much closer liaison between the council's community safety teams and Sussex Police to ensure visible, targeted neighbourhood policing in known hotspots, ensuring that incidents of anti-social behaviour are recorded, tracked, and actioned swiftly.
12. What is your position on transport, parking, walking and cycling policy in the ward, and where would you change the council’s present approach?
I support active travel, but policies must be fundamentally inclusive. The council's present approach often overlooks pedestrians. We must prioritize repairing uneven pavements that pose hazards to pedestrians, wheelchair users, and those of us walking dogs, ensuring active travel infrastructure serves everyone safely.
13. What do you believe the council should be doing about the pressures caused by falling pupil numbers and the future of local schools?
We are opposed to school closures, wherever possible, preferring to reduce PANs (Published Admission Number) instead. Reducing the maximum number of pupils a school must admit into a relevant age group is an effective strategy to manage falling student populations and budget pressures. The increased space in our schools can then be used to the advantage of pupils, with more space available for physical activity, music making and other extra-curricular activities. There are opportunities for schools to be places for lifelong learning. Adult education, early years, apprenticeship training, increased SEND facilities can all be incorporated creatively with revenue increased by maximising commercial opportunities as well.
14. The current by-election follows the resignation of Milla Gauge. Without asking you to comment on matters you cannot personally verify, what principles should govern the council’s handling of safeguarding concerns when they are raised by elected members, staff or residents?
Safeguarding concerns must be handled with total transparency, professionalism, and compassion. They must be independently investigated based on evidence and never shut down behind closed doors or weaponised for political gain.
15. If the position of your political party conflicted with what you believed to be in the interests of Queen’s Park residents, which would take precedence?
The interests of Queen’s Park residents will always take precedence. I am running to be a local champion first and foremost.
16. How accessible would you be as a councillor? Please describe the casework, surgeries and other contact arrangements you would intend to provide.
I plan to hold monthly ward surgeries, conduct regular community walkabouts, and guarantee a 48-hour response time for email and telephone casework. I want to be a highly visible and approachable presence in the ward.
17. What employment, business interests, paid positions or significant voluntary roles would you expect to continue if elected?
I will continue my freelance translation business, my directorship representing leaseholders at 37 Edward Street Ltd, and my committee and volunteer roles.
18. How much time each week would you realistically expect to devote to council and ward work?
Because I operate as a freelance translator, I generally control my own schedule. This flexibility will easily allow me to dedicate 20 to 25 hours a week to council and ward work.
19. Are there any financial interests, organisational memberships or other roles which you believe voters should reasonably know about when assessing your candidacy?
Beyond my translation work, my directorship at 37 Edward Street Ltd, and my involvement with local tennis, I have no other financial interests or roles to declare.
20. Is there anything in your previous public statements, professional history or political activity that you think requires clarification before we publish our candidate profile?
No, there is nothing that requires clarification.
21. You also contested the Queen’s Park by-election in September 2025, receiving 98 votes. What have you done in or for Queen’s Park during the year since that election?
Over the past year, I have deepened my community involvement. I have continued my volunteer work with the homeless charity St. Mungo’s as well as the Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association, joined BLAGSS tennis committee, play in the Parks League. I have also continued my ongoing work advocating for local leaseholders as a building director, dealing directly with the real, everyday housing issues residents face.
22. What have you learned from the 2025 result, and what is materially different about your candidacy this time?
The main lesson from 2025 was that residents felt national political narratives were overshadowing local, street-level decay. What is materially different now is the overwhelming frustration with the constant turnover of councillors. Voters are looking for a reliable, hard-working alternative with a proven track record of local advocacy who will actually stay in post and do the work.
23. You have highlighted issues including street cleanliness, pavements and anti-social behaviour. What specific council decisions or actions would you seek on those issues?
I would seek a binding council commitment to a 14-day Service Level Agreement (SLA) for clearing weeds and trip hazards on key pedestrian arteries. For anti-social behaviour, I would request a formal review of the coordination between council community wardens and local police to ensure faster response times.
24. Public reporting describes you as a freelance translator and Queen’s Park resident. Is that description still accurate, and is there anything material about your professional background or local involvement that you would like us to add or correct?
The description is accurate. I would simply add that alongside being a resident and translator, my governance experience with local leaseholders and my active, daily involvement in local community sports and neighbourhood life are central to my understanding of what Queen's Park needs.