I have been the Borough Councillor for Abbey Ward for 4 years and the County Councillor for West Bridgford North for two years.

Full statement

I have really enjoyed being a councillor for many reasons.

First I strongly believe in 'acting locally' to start to make the societal changes we need to reduce inequality, support the vulnerable and reduce the negative impact we are currently having on the planet. Examples of the sorts of things I think we should be doing locally include supporting local shops and businesses, providing good, diverse means of local transport, ensuring local support to residents in crisis . I am most proud of prompting and supporting a neighbourhood to start a residents association and active Facebook page, and of starting a community group to support a local water way.

Secondly I have the privilege of meeting so many amazing people: residents who are helping their community, residents in need of advice or support, and professionals from librarians to the police.

Thirdly I have really enjoyed learning about so many aspects of the local area, from the cleaning of drainage ditches and the water supply to canals, to adult social care and how to plan the high street. There isn't a day I don't learn something new as a councillor..

Currently my personal priorities for Rushcliffe Borough Council are

1. To start to rebuild council housing stock as the housing associations and private landlords are unaccountable. At a bare minimum the council should provide more support for social housing tenants.

2. To be more proactive in taking control of green spaces on new developments.

3. To bring leisure services back in house at the right time, to ensure that the council can provide locally relevant sports (e.g. we lost the very popular bowls club at the Arena as the council had no way to intervene and nothing was done to try to support it).

4. To simplify and improve doorstep rubbish recycling/collection.

5. To ensure that West Bridgford is properly represented in all aspects of the work of RBC from planning control to organisation of community events. This will help to build a strong coherent community in West Bridgford.

Outside the council I am a physicist who works on the development of MRI at the University of Nottingham which is the home of MRI. Ask me about MRI and I will never shut up! As a scientist I have to think about numbers, technical issues and I have to collaborate with a wide range of people. I think these skills are useful as a councillor. I am married to another scientist (Paul) and we have two daughters who both went to Lady Bay and Rushcliffe Schools: the youngest is now studying maths and the eldest is a junior doctor. We have lived in Lady Bay for 25 years and I moved to Nottingham from London 33 years ago.

I joined the Labour Party in London in 1983 and I suppose I have been an "eco-socialist" since then, though I'm not great on political labels and theories. My views are largely determined by my gut reactions.