I’m thrilled to be standing as your East Chesterton Labour candidate in May 2023. Since joining the city council in 2021, I’ve been a dedicated and hard working councillor for the residents I represent.

I’ve grown up and spent my whole life here in Cambridge, both as a student and now working for It Takes a City, a local charity tackling homelessness. I’m passionate about fighting inequality, and have been particularly involved in campaigning against violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and night time safety in the city. As a private renter myself, I’ve also highlighted how the housing crisis has impacted young people, and the need for affordable, safe and adequate housing for all.

As a student I was heavily involved in various student and local campaigns. I was a key member of the Zero Carbon Campaign for the past three years, where I played a part in pushing for full divestment from fossil fuels by the University which was finally won in October 2020. I also worked closely with local unions, including Unite and UCU, particularly during their workplace strikes, but also when multiple colleges were threatening to make staff redundant during the pandemic.

In my day job, I work to make information about homelessness and local organisations more accessible to residents in the city, as well as sitting on the Women’s Homelessness Action Group, led by It Takes A City. We work closely with service providers to make sure that homeless women’s needs are taken into account in a trauma-informed way, and are campaigning for better women’s-only facilities in the city. 

As a Councillor, I’ve actively taken part in important campaigns across the city. In my first year, as a member of the Housing Scrutiny Committee, I highlighted the impact of the housing crisis on young people in a city like Cambridge, while pushing for radical action to support those who are most impacted by the inaccessibility of the housing market at the moment. I am also working to support the Council’s important work for private renters across the city, including helping set up a private renters’ forum. 

In my role as Executive councillor for Recovery, Employment and Community Safety, I’ve been working with fellow councillors on exciting projects such as delivering Community Wealth Building in the city, and fighting for an inclusive economy in the city which works for residents, businesses and the planet. Additionally, I’ve been vocally campaigning for businesses to accredit with the Real Living Wage, to provide well-paid, good, local jobs for people in the city. For residents who have dropped out of education or training, I was thrilled to attend the launch of the Council’s Region of Learning, a project to help young people into skills training and jobs across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. In my community safety work, I’ve spoken out against harassment and sexual abuse in Cambridge, pushing for better training for staff in the night time economy and for the council to make sure licensed premises are doing all they can to keep residents and visitors in the city safe. I’ve also been supporting the council’s work on anti-social behaviour, working across our partners to support young people and tackle illegal e-scooter and e-bike driving, while promoting better cycle safety and campaigning to reduce bike theft.

Elected when I was 23, I’ve also campaigned for a more diverse council, one which represents our diverse community in Cambridge, particularly young people who are generally underrepresented in local authorities. I believe it’s essential to have young people on the council, as many issues we face in the city today are acutely experienced by younger generations, and it’s imperative we have people speaking out on behalf of our younger residents. If elected, I will continue to push for a diverse council, as well as better engagement and participation in local democracy.

On the doorstep, many residents have raised their concerns with me about the proposed congestion charge. I am not supportive of the tabled proposals, and wish to see major changes in order for the scheme to be more equitable both for residents and local business. Alongside this, many residents in East Chesterton are understandably frustrated that the local bus services are currently unreliable and overpriced, making it difficult for people to rely on public transport for commuting or getting around the city.

If any scheme is going to go ahead, I will be pushing for the following things for East Chesterton:

• • Support for people on low incomes, small businesses and businesses which need car/van access and those who cannot use public transport because of disabilities or medical needs.
  • Exemptions for people travelling and commuting out of the city, shift-workers and formal/informal carers.
  • A substantially improved bus network which is affordable and reliable.
  • Clarity over the process and a better understanding of how community views and needs will be prioritised when a decision is made.

I’m excited to get involved in East Chesterton and work alongside my fantastic ward colleagues Cllr Bird and Thittala. If elected, I’ll work hard to be an active and dedicated representative for all residents in the ward. Thank you for your support.