Meet the Candidates
Real people.
Real communities.
Real change.
Meet the candidates bringing community power back to Lambeth.
All around Lambeth, people think it’s time for a big change.
An emerging alliance of progressive independent candidates is planning to take over the council and introduce community-based democracy.
Lambeth deserves better.
This is the election to make it happen.
Come and meet us.
Mondays 6-7 pm
International House,
6 Canterbury Crescent, SW9 7QD
RUBY BUKHARI
Ruby Mahmood Bukhari is a programme leader, social justice advocate, and founder of Ruthless International, a global initiative advancing equity, inclusion, and grassroots-led change. A twice migrant, Ruby’s journey began working in hospitality before moving into community organising and international development.
Brixton is the first place Ruby truly calls home. It is where she began supporting local residents through a community advice centre, helping English- and Spanish-speaking families navigate housing, employment, and access to essential services. That experience shaped her commitment to practical, community-led solutions.
Ruby has since built an international career leading programmes across social justice, development, and civic engagement, working with charities, civil society organisations, and government ministries across multiple countries.
HARRY O’DONOGHUE
Harry O’Donoghue is an Irish immigrant. Having lived and worked in Lambeth for the past few years, he has been nominated to run in the Clapham Park ward.
He is deeply involved in the Irish community and with causes such as Palestinian solidarity.
A founder of Irish in Britain against political policing, he believes the people of Lambeth deserve better than this incompetent Labour one-party state.
In Ireland, he has seen That Community assemblies have been used successfully to drive major change and are the best local tool to hold your representatives to account.
TARA AMFO
Tara Amfo was born and raised in Lambeth and grew up in a large, close-knit family where speaking up and supporting others was always encouraged. From a young age, Tara has used her voice to advocate for the people around her and to help improve her community.
She studied International Business, gaining insight into how culture shapes communication and understanding how different perspectives influence the way people interact and work together. Tara now works as an Occupational Health Technician, where she continues to support people’s wellbeing in practical and meaningful ways.
Tara has always had a strong sense of justice and community responsibility. While in sixth form, she worked with her peers to encourage the school to introduce an in-school counsellor after recognising the need for better mental health support for students.
In early adulthood, Tara was diagnosed as neurodivergent, an experience that deepened her understanding of how systems can sometimes fail individuals. Since then, she has spoken with government representatives and hiring managers about the importance of recognising and supporting neurodiversity in workplaces and institutions.
Above all, Tara is deeply rooted in her community.
JOANNE SCOTT
Lambeth deserves better. This is the election to make it happen.
“I’ve lived in Windrush Ward for 22 years and raised my two children here. This community is home. For the past few years, I’ve been running a CIC called When We Talk We Heal, creating open mics and creative healing workshops across Lambeth to give people space to express, connect and grow.
Everything I do is rooted in community, compassion and the belief that real change starts with being heard. I believe in community power, true democracy, and leadership that listens as much as it speaks.
I joined Shake It Up Independents because our community deserves a real voice. After working in care I know how powerful it is when people are truly heard. I believe that setting up a Community Assembly is the best way to put decisions back into residents’ hands and build true community power.”
NEILA BAIGUZHANOVA
“I’m Neila, your Stockwell neighbour of 19 years. As a mental health counsellor and community advocate on Lansdowne Green, I’ve fought alongside families facing damp homes, ignored repairs, and council doors that slam shut. My child went to our local school – I live your daily battles and I’m ready to win them at the Town Hall.
I’ve joined Shake It Up Independents to break Labour’s grip. Time for real accountability: a Community Assembly where your voice shapes decisions, not party machines making decisions from the top.
Together we can make sure money, services and attention finally reach people who need them most.
Lambeth people running Lambeth – starting with our ward.”
EDUARDO SALGADO
“I’m Eduardo Salgado, a bus driver, translator, former immigration caseworker and ESL teacher with deep roots in this part of Lambeth. I’ve lived along Acre Lane for years; my family connections here go back to the 1980s.
I know our buses from the inside – the impossible rotas and exhausted drivers. I’ve helped Lambeth’s Latin American communities navigate a system that ignores them. I spent years as an immigration caseworker in Stockwell. I’ve done the invisible, low-paid work that keeps this city running.
I’m standing for Brixton North because I’ve watched housing, unemployment, and crime never get better under Labour. Our Latin American, Portuguese-speaking, Jamaican, and African communities feel invisible.
I don’t have all the answers. But I know what it’s like to be pushed out by rising rents. If elected, I won’t just be your voice – I’ll be your partner, ensuring every community finally has a say.”