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.”
