Any questions for Kulveer Ranger?

Kulveer Ranger is the new Vice-Chairman of the Conservative with responsibilities for Cities. He was born in Hammersmith, London in 1975.  Educated at Latymer Upper School he went on to study University College London, where he graduated with honours in Architecture.  He has a business diploma from Kingston Business School.

Kulveer has worked as a management consultant for 10 years.  His work has concentrated on delivering major projects in key public services. He has built a strong reputation in industry for his effective management and communication skills.

Kulveer’s experience working with major organisations relating to transport and regeneration has informed his political thinking, specifically in city environments. At the last General Election Kulveer stood as the parliamentary candidate for Makerfield against the Labour incumbent Ian McCartney. He built on this experience in the 2006 Local Elections when he stood in Hounslow, increasing the Conservative vote in his ward by 40%.

Further to this Kulveer has been extensively involved in the Conservative Party. He has been an advisor to Alan Duncan (Trade & Industry) and Dominic Grieve (Diversity). He was a member of the Quality of Life Policy Review Group and he has been appointed a Champion of the Conservative Women’s Organisation. Kulveer has been involved in a number of other groups, helping to advise and build support for the Conservative Party. He has also written several papers for political think tanks.

If you have any questions for Kulveer please leave them in the thread below.

Comments

[Jennifer Wells]

Congratulations Kulveer on your new role.

Please describe your new responsibilities and examples of where the Shadow Ministers twinning with cities has worked.

[Rajesh Dost]

Yet another joke appointment and meaningless. What's net? A peerage? It worked for Warsi!

Heaven help us! Where is this party going?

[HG]

To Rejesh wow not that you are envious!!! why dont you join a worthy party like the BNP.

[Umbrella man]

Have you encountered discriminatory attitudes in your search for a Conservative seat?

[Bradford Lad]

Mr Kulveer Ranger, you must be aware of the bitterness felt by the host population in cities which have suffered from excessive immigration.
What are your suggestions for controlling immigration into Britain and rooting out the rackets and racketeers involved with illegal immigration?
Being a member of an ethnic minority gives you an excellent chance to make sensible suggestions without the unhelpful comments often make against those who raise these matters.

[Tony Makara]

Kulveer, how would you feel about the state hiring the long-term unemployed to provide the manpower to regenerate cities and other urban areas?

A system like the 1980s COMMUNITY PROGRAMME could provide the long-term unemployed with waged work, not degrading workfare, and could be a real factor in cleaning up eyesores and derelict areas.

[Dan Hamilton]

Congratulations on the new role - very much deserved.

[anon]

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN BY THE EDITOR BECAUSE COMMENT-MAKER CONFUSES KULVEER WITH ALI MIRAJ.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

Kulveer, congrats on your appointment - ignore all the negative remarks. Gordon Brown has ordered all constituency Labour parties to select candidates by October. We in Tottenham have a number of people who wish to stand but CCHQ won't let us select. Is it really surprising that we're behind the Lib Dems in so many seats when we parachute somebody in a few weeks before polling day? The way that CCHQ view so many ‘majority seats’, often in our cities, is disgraceful.

[Derek Johnson]

Leaving Rajesh's pathetic comments to one side, as a Birmingham Conservative I am delighted to see Kulveer getting this role. I look forward to seeing him up here on a regular basis. I know having met him, that he understands how cities like Birmingham should work.

Outside of London, Birmingham is one of Europe's most popular places for businesses to invest in. At present it is being thoroughly messed around by the government over the Birmingham Gateway project (incorporating the rebuilding of New Street Station). Thus my question to Kulveer is..how will a Conservative government enable cities such as Birmingham to improve its infrastructure and thus fulfil their economic potential?

Moreover, does he agree with me that in a city where 11 of 12 MPs are from the Labour Party, is it not a legitimate belief on the part of Brummies to expect their local MPs to back the city rather than playing stupid games with the government designed to undermine the Conservative council.

Good luck Kulveer!

[Jessica Salter]

Kulveer - I heard you speak at the RPCA selection night and was greatly impressed. Congratulations on your well deserved success and I am sure that you will bring energy, enthusiasm and enlightment to your new role.

Regarding London, there seems to be an opaque relationship between Transport for London (TfL/Ken Livingstone) and the Borough Councils affected, especially where funding is concerned. TfL has significant control over the commissioning of bus lanes for instance and appears to be using this power to fly in the face of common sense.

By way of example, there is a proposed bus lane which is to run 24/7 on the Mortlake Road section of the Sth Circular which will also mean that the Lib Dem Council stands to benefit from being able to issue penalty notices even at 4 am when there are no buses running! The proposed bus lane is to service a bus which carries very few passengers, runs every 15 minutes and for which the travel time gain along the proposed stretch would be no more than 1 min 50 secs (according to TfL stats) in the rush hour and negligible in normal traffic flows. It will reduce the road to a single lane each way and have an impact both on the local rat runs and Kew Bridge for which there is also a proposal to reinstate a previous bus lane which had proved to be a disaster. I could go on...

My question is this: Given that London Borough Councils already fund TfL by means of a surcharge included in Council Tax, and that proposals such as the one described above are further funded by additional specific contributions from individual Councils when requested by them, do you think that local Councils should make the final decision in schemes proposed by TfL?

At the moment, TfL have the final say.

[Mark Wadsworth]

Would you consider imposing a surcharge on empty and derelict buildings?

[Robert McIlveen]

Dear Kulveer,

given your extensive experience in London, how can you reassure Conservatives in cities where we are in danger of being (or have been) wiped out that you understand the very different situation in London and, say, Sheffield?

[Stephen Warrick]

Firstly, congratulations and best wishes in your new role Kulveer!

Come up here to Newcastle (Number of Conservative Councillors = ZERO) to see how far behind our great party is in some of the major metropolitan cities.

What would you do to strenthen and revitalise interest in the Conservative party in Cities like this?

[Praguetory]

I echo the congratulations. Can Kulveer describe some examples of community work in cities that he would like to use his position to promote?

[601]

What do you think needs to be done to improve turnout at local elections?

What policies have voters in cities (not just London) shown great enthusiasim for?

[anon]

Congratulations:

Given the importance of reengaging in the culturally diverse inner cities, do you believe that these areas should be shortlisted for like candidates and secondly remembering your comments on the problematic attitudes of local associations (not the natinal party)to minotity candidates (below at 5.30), what more can be done to get the right candidates selected in these areas.

Regards

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_westminster_hour/6910969.stm @5.30min

[Floating voter]

The closing statement of the subject piece infers that Mr.Ranger, will respond to the questions put to him.
Where will I find these responses, and will Mr Ranger answer those of a tricky nature as well as the purely complimentary ones?

[Russell King]

Congratulations Kulveer.

Question - What can we learn from successful Inner London Conservative Boroughs like Westminster and Wandsworth?

(I had better declare an interest as a Wandsworth Councillor).

[CCHQ Spy]

And happy birthday Russell!

[Good luck!]

Kulveer, congratulations. As a spokesman/vice chairman for the party in respect of cities I think you will be excellent. Having interviewed you, you were very very strong on presentation and research - you would be excellent representing the party in many areas. However please do not over look substance, it is not simply a matter of qualitive statements, people are interested in how we are going to get things to happen rather than you/us saying what the result will be.

Crime in the city I live in is an enormous issue and therefore prisons, police and sentencing as well. We need to consider radical options and whilst considering rehabilitaion aspects there is a genuine need for punitive sentencing, a more responsive attentive police force and making prisons tough - ie no plasma screens, no pool tables, stopping drugs getting in. Cities need safer streets.

[Paul Roberts]

Kulveer I notice you lost the party almost 2ooo votes when you stood in the last election , do you think the Party should be appointing people with track records of failure to high ranking posts - can you justify your position ?

[leonardo ciccarone]

Kulveer, how would you deal with Conservative Councillors who openly are racist, to minority supporters,beeing yourself of a minority group? Would you just accept the insult??

[Jean James]

As a member of the Board of TfL and someone who I understand took an interest in the redevelopment of Kings Cross, please take a moment to look at the website http://www.kxrlg.org.uk/ where you will see a petition has been set up by local residents and workers to try to counteract the Network Rail decision to shut off all access to Kings Cross from the North East corner. This entrance is currently used by hundreds of people as a secure route from the major transport interchange of Kings Cross St. Pancras and this will increase rapidly once the Guardian Newspaper group moves into its new premises on York Way. Ironically, I understand that Network Rail is also moving staff into Kings Place on York Way, so they too will be affected by the closure. Please add your weight to the plea to retain the N.E. entrance and for a safe bridge/walkway from York Way to St.Pancras. Thank you in anticipation of your support.

[Tom Waits]

don't you miss roger?