My name is Sam Drury Shore, I'm a small business owner and mum to a 8 year old.

Full statement

I believe in the importance of community, and standing for the Green Party to represent my home ward of Devizes East felt for me the best way that I can contribute to that community.

I believe we must put climate at the heart of everything we do. Challenging times are ahead and we must make profound changes to the way that we operate as a society to solve this crisis. But, we need to do this in a way that benefits everyone in society, especially the most vulnerable, rather than leaving anyone behind. We can solve this problem, and improve the quality of life for many people, making a fairer and more equitable world.

On a more day-to-day level, I am interested in the role that local government can play in building a fair and active community, improving access to services like libraries, and children's centres. We need to grow public transport offerings and encourage active travel (walking and cycling), benefitting individual health and the cleanliness of our towns and wonderful countryside. Of course this means better air quality too. We need to make sustainable choices the easy choices, whether that's choosing not to drive, reusing and recycling more, supporting small local businesses, buying local sustainably-grown food.

I feel it's important that we bring new perspectives to government at all levels. I think that perhaps progress can be held back by old ways of thinking, reluctance to change, and too many people from the same walks of life making most of the decisions. I would hope as a young(ish!) woman, new to politics, that I can bring a breath of fresh air and new ways of thinking to Wiltshire Council.

A vote for the Green Party is a vote for more investment in the services you value, and for putting your local community at the centre of decision making.

As your candidate, I will listen to your needs and work hard to deliver changes that empower your community and improve everyday life.

I believe that the challenge of tackling the climate crisis is also an opportunity to improve the lives of ordinary people.

The Green Party will put people and planet first. Always.

For more information on Green Party policies, see our Manifesto, here:
https://campaigns.greenparty.org.uk/manifesto/