I am delighted to have been chosen as the Labour Party Candidate for Shirley South Ward, enabling me to try again to be given the opportunity to represent the residents of this ward.

Full statement

I have been living and working in the West Midlands for almost forty years now, nearly thirty of those years here in Shirley.

I currently work in the NHS for our local trust, and before that I had national roles both with and for the NHS which enabled me to see at first hand the changes of the past few years. Before that I was a trade union official, supporting workers at local and regional companies such as Rover, Marconi and Cadbury, as well as less well organised workplaces like the airport or local hotels. This has given me a clear insight into the daily concerns of working people in the area, whether they be at risk of redundancy or simply fighting for a living wage.

As a local councillor my energies would focus on the needs and concerns of the residents of Shirley. These could be the ‘big’ issues, such as the development of high numbers of retirement properties rather than affordable homes, or the ‘smaller’ but no less important issues of anti-social behaviour, whether that be vandals destroying bus shelters or inconsiderate motorists parking on, and so destroying, our grass verges.

With your support and a vote for Labour I can help you achieve the community you want.