I have been a member of the Labour Party for 30 years, then left in 2005 and rejoined 5 years ago, so 35 years in total.

Full statement

I know Westbury well as I taught in the Primary School for 26 years, I have a 93 year old mother living in Westbury and a brother living in Henleaze. Through these connections I am aware of local issues and needs. I stood in WOTHen in the last Council elections and am happy to canvass, run street stalls, leaflet and so forth, Covid permitting of course.

I am in my fifth year as Chair of Bishopston and Ashley Down. Before the pandemic curtailed our activity I was active in local campaigns and opposition to NHS cuts. At Christmas time we held a street stall inviting people to make donations for the night shelter and food banks. We advertised this well in the previous week and collected between five and six hundred pounds worth of food and nearly £200 in cash in a single morning. It is vitally important that we get across the message that it is Government cuts that have cash-strapped the Council, causing misery for some of our citizens. I think in the circumstances the Council have found themselves in in Bristol they have maintained services remarkably well.