The Harrow Times has asked each parliamentary candidate to list five reasons why they should become MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner at the general election on May 7.

Here Green Party's Karen Pillai explains why you should vote for them.

I'm an activist, not a politician. My work largely involves fighting government on irresponsible and quite frankly, wrong, decisions that affect us all, both in the short and long term, and end up costing us more. I am here to give people in this constituency a voice in parliament and to ensure that we create a fair, just and safe, clean environment for future generations.

I don't believe that austerity and balancing the economy should be priority while there are 3 million people living beneath the poverty line. These people did not create the deficit; the banks did, and should be held accountable. We need more social housing, a living wage, affordable energy and everyone should be involved in decisions that affect them.

Education is a right and should be treated as such, with no more loans and debts. Employers should be supporting the education system more and restrictions on curriculum relaxed so that both students and teachers can get on with their jobs, rather than balancing books. Education should extend further than just the classroom and we should teach both adults and children that value is not merely monetary and that morality is important.

Healthcare should be free to everyone. Privatisation and selling off our NHS is causing a shortfall in services and quality care. The profit motive needs to be removed from healthcare permanently and more services, including holistic methods of healing made available.

We need to stop destroying our Green Belt and other green spaces. A switch to solar and other sustainable methods of energy production would make us healthier, create jobs and improve our economy. We need to address Climate Change urgently and create a feeling of social responsibility so that individuals as well as companies take responsibility for their socially and environmentally damaging actions.