A newcomer to the political scene is fighting for the NHS and housing as he takes him campaign to Tooting.

Alex Glassbrook, 44, is the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Tooting by-election, and has only been a member of the party since 2014.

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He said: "I was having a conversation with my wife and moaning about the extremes of politics now and she said if you want to change something then change something.

"I am a liberal by instinct, and I have lived here for 20 years now so standing here was an opportunity that could not be missed."

Mr Glassbrook, a barrister, said health and housing would be his top priorities should he be elected after June 16.

He said: "We are the only party that has proposed that there needs to be an independent commission to look at NHS funding.

"There is a huge question about GP care, mental health and community care.

"GPs cannot employ their own mental health therapists, that has to be done through the hospitals."

Mr Glassbrook criticised changes in the pharmacy system, calling them "short-sighted" and saying pharmacists were a key way the NHS could save money.

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Mr Glassbrook said the Liberal Democrats was the only party in the mayoral campaign to offer a "concrete solution" to the housing crisis, with Caroline Pidgeon's pledge to reuse the Olympic precept to fund housing.

He said: "It is obviously needed and it is not enough for Sadiq to say we will clamp down on bad landlords, the problem is the supply.

"It is only the Liberal Democrats who have proposed anything with substance on this."

Mr Glassbrook said he personally supported bringing Crossrail 2 to Tooting Broadway instead of Balham but would want to see the true cost.

He said: "Nobody had foreseen until the geological report that there is a fault in the line.

"St George's had put forward a powerful argument as have many others.

"We are going to have to wait to see what the cost implication is, it is estimated at extraordinarily high sums.

"Whatever the answer is, the roads in Tooting, particularly the High Street and Upper Tooting Road are not fit for the traffic that uses it."

Mr Glassbrook said getting more police on the streets was vital to solving problems like knife crime in Tooting.

He is keen for Britain to stay in the European Union.

He said: "In order for businesses to prosper they need to be able to move goods cheaply across countries.

"Tooting is a vibrant and international place, it is clear that if we remove ourselves from an international commercial organisation, which is what the EU is essentially, that will have a negative impact on Tooting."

The by-election will be held on June 16, with the result expected the same night.