LABOUR has confirmed its candidates who will stand for election to Staffordshire County Council in Lichfield.
Voters will go to the polls on 1st May to choose new representatives.
Jacob Marshall will hope to secure the Lichfield City South seat for Labour at the county council, while Kate Greening will contest the Lichfield City North division.
Jacob, who is also deputy leader of Lichfield City Council, said:
“It’s a privilege to be standing to be a County Councillor. I grew up in the county and after a stint in Birmingham I have chosen to make south Lichfield my home.
“It’s a beautiful part of the country, with so much going for it – and I’m eager to do my bit to make it even better.
“I want to be a county councillor because of my interests and expertise in the things it does. I help look after the finances of over 50 schools in my day job. I grew up seeing the care system up close – my mom fostered throughout my childhood. I volunteer as a governor at a local special school.
“Basically, I understand how important these services are, how the current lot of county councillors have run them into the ground and how much they need to be improved.”
Retired business analyst Kate said:
“I have lived in Lichfield for over 40 years and have sadly watched how the Conservative county council has let it deteriorate with not enough school places, a lack of SEND provision and poor NHS commissioning.
“The Samuel Johnson Community Hospital up until Covid had a birthing ward in maternity where local mothers could give birth without travelling to Burton or Sutton. The closure was only meant to be a temporary measure yet it’s still not open.
“With so many new housing developments being built in and around Lichfield and more young people moving into the area, this should have been a priority for the Conservative county council but it wasn’t and still isn’t. If I were to be elected I would make this a priority.
“I now spend my time as an NHS volunteer. I believe that effective leadership requires both dedication and compassion, which is something I am eager to bring to the role in order to create positive change in our community.”
The county council is responsible for things such as education, SEND provision, adult and children’s social care, roads, public transport, libraries and public spaces like Chasewater.
It has been controlled by the Conservatives since 2009.
Cllr Sue Woodward, chair of the Lichfield Constituency Labour Party, said:
“With such a large budget and responsibility of so many key services across Staffordshire, it is vital that we have people who are qualified to represent us at the county council.
“Jacob has personal and professional experience of services that the county council offers and is a dedicated local councillor in Leomansley, so he is well placed to represent Lichfield City South.
“Kate is a committed local activist whose experience as a business analyst and NHS volunteer also make her well qualified to be a county councillor for Lichfield City North.
“The last 16 years of Conservative control have seen county council services decimated in Lichfield, and so we need well qualified councillors to tackle the job of fixing it.”
I am sure they mean what they say and they have good intentions but they won’t be getting my vote. I’ve had enough of this two party system and the silly ‘whataboutery’ between the two main factions. Meanwhile our local and national services are deteriorating. It annoys me how these councillors expect to do the same thing but get different results. We’ve heard it all before. Both locally and centrally Labours track record is just as bad as the Conservatives, if not worse. It is clear we need real change locally and nationally. Time to Reform.
NO mention of the shortage of Dr’s surgeries in Lichfields growing population ? Only send places? Got your priorities wrong again. LIEBOUR . .? Time for CHANGES . ..?
Kate and Jacob would make brilliant councillors and focus the County Council on the needs of the people of Lichfield and Staffordshire.
Put them two in and we will end up like Birmingham
Wow they both look as inspiring as our MP, I think we need a massive change and vote Reform.
I fully support Kate and Jacob and will be doing all that I can to help them get elected. The Conservatives at Staffordshire County Council have failed us for far too long. It is time for change for the better there just as it was locally at the District, City and Town Councils in 2023 and nationally last year!
Saddlers of the world unite and Charles Thomas. Reform are not a political party but a business owned and lead by Mr F. They have no policies and are just full of rhetoric. There is no need for Councillors, be they local or county to be aligned to any party. All this creates is party politics and there is no place place and no need for that in local government. All we need are good Independent men and women who want to improve the communities they live in and have the time to do so.
Reform UK is a properly registered political party AnnS. It was registered in February 2019, registration PP7931.
@ian: Reform may be registered as a political party, but unlike most parties it is not controlled by its members. It is in fact a company (REFORM UK PARTY LIMITED, company number 11694875, see Companies House), majority owned by Nigel Farage, who currently holds 60% of the shares, giving him full control (see also Wikipedia article). Anybody thinking of voting Reform should therefore bear in mind that it is not a democratic party, but a dictatorship.
The company that owns Reform now appears to be owned by a new not-for-tprofit company, Reform 2025, which so far has just two members and two directors: Farage and Zia Yusuf.
It was previously owned by a limited company majority controlled by Farage but with stakes also held by Yusuf, Richard Tice, the deputy leader, and Mehrtash A’zami, the party secretary
It is possible for two things to be correct. Reform is both a company and a party.
Reform UK is a registered business – Company number 11694875 – Nigel Farage gives up ownership of Reform UK – BBC News