I feel privileged to live on this wonderful coastline and am totally committed to saving it from the pointless destruction planned by National Grid and Sizewell C. So many of us are angry that this country has failed to invest in the insulation, solar panels, onshore wind or offshore grid network that would make these projects unnecessary and would prevent so many people, still dependent on fossil fuels, from living in fuel poverty and making the impossible choice between heating and eating. When I learned that the District Council’s previous Conservative majority had voted to be ‘neutral’ on the energy projects I felt compelled to stand against them.
Results in May 2024 confirmed that residents are totally sick of Conservative leadership, and the Green Party won in every ward where we campaigned. Greens also either won or came close in wards where we did no campaigning at all, and as the largest group we form the GLI administration of East Suffolk Council with the Liberal Democrat councillors and one independent.
Despite my lack of political experience I am now proud to be councillor for the Aldeburgh and Leiston Ward and a member of the Cabinet at East Suffolk Council, responsible for Communities, Leisure and Tourism. I have contributed to the ‘route map’ we have produced for the term of this administration, which you can see by following this link.
A key objective is tackling inequalities, and many parts of this ambition fall within my portfolio. We have to find imaginative ways to support residents who are suffering during the cost of living crisis, while also creating routes to enable residents to be more resilient. Leisure Centres can be a powerful tool in this, so I aim to encourage residents to explore activity such as free swimming lessons or walking football, to improve mental and physical health. When leisure centres all over the country are closing, East Suffolk is also driving down leisure centres’ carbon emissions and planning for them to be net zero by 2030.
Ward issues take up much of my time, attending town and parish council meetings and contributing to committees that decide the future of local projects. I am a member of the Leiston Place Board (planning the future for the town centre), the Sizewell C site forum and the local Community Partnership. Each councillor is able to distribute some funds for projects of community value, so if you wish to bid for a grant or raise an issue with me please get in touch.