Borough and Bankside
Borough and Bankside is a special place to live, with incredible local communities alongside some of the biggest pressures that come with being right in the heart of London. It deserves councillors who are visible, responsive, and prepared to stand up for residents when the council or big developers get it wrong.
This May, your Liberal Democrat councillors Victor Chamberlain and David Watson are standing again, joined by Hellen Benavides, who is standing to join the team.
Hellen is a former journalist who now works in digital marketing. She has lived in Borough and Bankside for a number of years and has been Vice Chair of Living Bankside since 2024. She is especially passionate about improving community safety locally. David has been a councillor since May 2022 and has helped secure housing for vulnerable people, stood up for residents against developer schemes, and worked with local campaigners to make sure £4 million of community infrastructure funding is spent locally on facilities that benefit residents. In his day job he works with charities and think tanks on strategic communications. Victor has been a councillor since 2018 and has lived in Borough for 12 years. He is Chair and co-founder of Pride in Southwark, helped secure LGBTQ+ safe spaces locally, and as a trained planner has worked professionally on delivering affordable housing and new health facilities.
We are proud of what local Liberal Democrats have achieved in Borough and Bankside, including leading the campaign to save London Bridge Post Office, and securing more investment to improve local parks and neighbourhood projects. Next, we will keep pushing the council to fix the roads around Borough Market, particularly getting Red Cross Way resurfaced.
Southwark is run by a Labour council, and too often residents feel decisions are done to them, not with them. Labour too often listens last, responds slowly, and is too quick to side with big developers rather than local people. We will keep holding Labour to account, demanding better services, and making sure Borough and Bankside gets its fair share and a real voice.
Cllr Victor Chamberlain
Victor has lived in Borough since 2014 and has been your local councillor since 2018. Since 2022, he has been the Leader of the Opposition on Southwark Council working hard to get a better deal for residents across the borough.
During his time as a councillor Victor has led the campaign to save the RV1 bus, fought for better air quality, has represented residents' concerns in the planning system, secured a permanent memorial to the Borough Market and London Bridge attacks.
He is chair and cofounder of Pride in Southwark and helped secure a new LGBTQ+ space at Bankside yards. He is a trained planner and has a professional background delivering affordable housing and new health facilities.
In the Town Hall, Victor has used his position to challenge Labour's poor record on affordable housing and tackling the climate emergency.
Contact Victor: victor.chamberlain@southwark.gov.uk
Hellen Benavides
Hellen is a former journalist now working in digital marketing. Originally from Brazil, Hellen has lived in Borough and Bankside for a number of years. She has been the Vice Chair of Living Bankside since 2024 because she is passionate about our community. Hellen is passionate about improving community safety in Borough and Bankside.
Contact Victor: contact@southwarklibdems.org.uk
Cllr David Watson
David has been a councillor since May 2022 and has helped secure housing for vulnerable people, stood up for residents against developer schemes, and worked with local campaigners to make sure £4 million of community infrastructure funding is spent locally on facilities that benefit residents. In his day job he works with charities and think tanks on strategic communications.
David first moved to the borough in 2006 and has worked locally in SE1 since 2015.
David has worked in the public and charitable sectors on policy development, partnerships and negotiations. He is currently director of communications at a global affairs think tank and a trustee for a charity combating bullying in schools.
Contact David: david.watson@southwark.gov.uk
Cllr Irina Von Wiese
Irina is retiring from Southwark Council in May 2026.
Originally from Germany, Irina has been a London resident and civil rights activist for 25 years. From 2019 to 2020, she represented Londoners as a Member of the European Parliament.
Irina lives locally here in Southwark and feels strongly about improving housing, air quality, and access to essential local services.
In her day job, Irina is a lawyer and business consultant specialising in social and environmental sustainability issues. Throughout her career, she has volunteered for multiple human rights charities including Refugees at Home and The Medical Foundation (now Freedom from Torture).
Contact Irina: Irina.VonWiese@southwark.gov.uk
Ward Surgery Details
Your Borough & Bankside councillors can be contacted at any time by email for residents to raise issues of concern. They will hold mobile (roving) surgeries at different locations across Borough and Bankside and provide a regular email newsletter highlighting local issues to residents. Please contact the councillors by email if you wish to arrange an appointment to meet in person, speak on the phone or by Zoom, or sign up to the regular email newsletter.