Interview: Monika Juneja Says Why She Is Speaking Up for Travellers

Published on: 21 Jul, 2015
Updated on: 21 Jul, 2015

Martin Giles of the Guildford Dragon NEWS recently corresponded with former councillor Monika Juneja about her attendance at a meeting at Guildford Borough Council Offices at Millmead. The meeting had been called to discuss conditions at at Gypsy and Traveller site in Effingham.

These are her complete answers to some of the questions posed:

Monika Juneja when she was the lead councillor for planning.

Why did you attend a meeting in Millmead last Wednesday (Jul 15) representing two ambassadors from the Gypsy and Traveller community in Effingham?

Having been a councillor for four years, I had championed opening up the way by which the services Guildford Borough Council provided were developed across different communities.

In doing so I built relationships with a number of different people and I have retained those relationships.  Whilst I have done something wrong outside the council and been punished for it, I am sure that no one is saying that I am unable to believe and understand the needs of different communities?

With that in mind, I was asked by the two Traveller ambassadors – both of whom I have a lot of time for – to attend a meeting on a subject that they felt was not progressing.  I did fully understand this issue and I was the councillor who started that particular agenda at Home Farm, so I felt that I could help.

I do wonder why my attendance seems to be such big news?  Surely, what should be asked is why these two ladies feel that they had to ask for my help?

One of the ‎ladies has to go the local sports centre to wash and has to wash her nine-year-old boy in a Flexi Tub; these points should be the news not me.

The council has a duty to provide Traveller pitches and it is not doing so.  The council also has a duty to look at all members of the communities who need to live in a reasonable way rather than simply those that shout the loudest or can afford these comforts.

The meeting was a calm information gathering hour, with the key decision makers within the council and officers.

There was no malice from my side in attending this meeting and the council were fully aware of my presence from the Travellers.  As far as I am concerned this meeting, in light of Chris Mansfield going, was a necessary one, where the Traveller ambassadors were able to be given an update.

The Travellers deserve to know if any decisions at Home Farm are actually going to be made.  They need to know why things have not moved on and when things will move on. Everyone has the right to ask questions to their local council even me.

Do you intend to continue representing the Gypsy and Traveller community in Effingham?

Yes, if they ask I will help. I am hardly representing them. They asked for someone to attend a meeting and question the intention of the improvement of Home Farm. If the opposition did their job and scrutinised properly, maybe the ‎work would have been done by now.

Surely how people live in this borough is determined by elected councillors.  I am unclear as to why it is thought I am unable to represent people as an individual or stand for a cause, or does every heartbeat of democracy die because of my history?  Surely, the interest must be in finding delivery mechanisms to address the actual issues at Home Farm in instance?

Did they ask you to represent them or did you offer your services?

They asked me, but I readily did it because this community needs some help and I believe in the cause.

See also: Attendance at Council Offices of Disgraced Former Councillor Causes Concern

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