A PASSIONATE social activist and UKIP GLA candidate believes it is his duty to stand up for the people of Ealing and Hillingdon as he seeks to win the seat for the area.

As a lifelong Ealing resident, Alex Nieora, 32, is well known to the people of Perivale having spent the past few years waging a successful battle to stop homes being bulldozed by the HS2 development in North Ealing.

His experience in grassroots campaigning has given him a taste for politics and, after missing out on the chance to become a Perivale councillor in 2014, he now hopes to take a seat on the GLA by ousting Labour’s Dr. Onkar Sahota.

“I feel I have the skills and the know-how to make a difference to the people of Ealing,” Mr Nieora said. “Someone has to do the job and I think it’s time for me to step up and do my duty.”

Mr Nieora is backing Brexit in next month’s referendum as he believes regaining control of our borders in essential in tackling London’s spiraling housing crisis.

He said: “Housing is the biggest single issue facing Londoners today and that is why UKIP is committed to creating a golden age of social housing throughout the city.

“But if we are to stand a chance of delivering homes and protecting our greenbelt the answer to the London housing crisis — and indeed the London transport capacity crisis, school places crisis, policing crisis, and public services crisis — must also involve slowing demand. 

"That means reducing the immigration rate.”

While his views on immigration may toe the party line, Mr Nieora insists he is not a typical UKIP candidate, describing himself as a passionate environmentalist who opposes a third runway at Heathrow.

He also wants to crack down on private hire vehicles like Uber by ensuring they meet the same environmental standards as black cabs.

One issue that is of particular concern for Ealing residents during this election is the increase in knife-related crimes — which have risen 12% in the past 12 months.

Mr Nieora believes the best way to tackle the problem is to encourage police to use intelligence-led stop and search checks — particularly around tube stations.

He said: “We need stop and search powers to make sure people who are reasonably suspected of carrying a knife and similar equipment are stopped. 

"We need to have zero tolerance when it comes to knife crime and we need to get the message out to young people that it is not an acceptable way to behave.”