Elected in 2021 
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m an experienced community activist with a track record of bringing investment into communities.
During the pandemic I’ve been managing a community support hub and have helped to get thousands of food parcels out to struggling families, and I’m particularly passionate about improving community-based services for children and young people.
I want to see local residents having a real say in the decisions that affect their lives and empowered to improve their communities.
What do you think makes a good local councillor?
A good councillor has to listen to residents first and foremost and be responsive to their concerns – that means being out in communities and not always stuck in Town Hall committee rooms.
We need to be solution-focused – if an issue can’t be resolved straightaway we need to work to remove the barriers.
Core values need to lie at the heart of what we do – I am driven by tackling poverty, inequality and climate change, and will always consider these factors in strategy and decision making.
Tell us three things you're aiming to focus on or achieve for your ward during your term as councillor
Public transport and traffic – cuts to bus services have left some residents very isolated, I want to get the 31/31A bus route reinstated and in the long term put bus services back into public control. Parking, speeding and unsafe roads are also high on the agenda, we need to engage the residents of Walkley in developing acceptable solutions that work for pedestrians, public transport users, cyclists and drivers.
Protecting our green spaces – we have wonderful green spaces in the area, but too often they are blighted with litter and fly-tipping despite the great efforts of litter pickers across the ward. I’m really pleased that the Council are investing in tackling this, and that Local Area Committees will have the funds and resources to put residents’ ideas into action.
Reduce food poverty – the rocketing demand at S6 Foodbank shows that many residents in our ward are struggling. I’m working with food networks and the Council to restore dignity and reduce dependency on foodbanks.
Tell us three things you're aiming to focus on or achieve for the city of Sheffield during your term as councillor
Tackling climate change – we need to create green jobs that will address the climate emergency. We have to develop our capacity to retrofit our housing stock, currently responsible for 33% of emissions; invest in sustainable travel, including green public transport that meets the needs of users and reduces dependency on polluting vehicles; and continue the “Grey to Green” scheme that is transforming rundown inner city areas.
Putting children and young people at the heart of Covid recovery – children’s mental health and education has been massively disrupted over the last year. Young people need to be able to access the right support in the right place and at the right time. Investing in young people is investing in our future, Labour are putting an extra £2m into youth services.
Community wealth building – developing, local, ethical supply chains through collaboration with the city’s big employers will lead to better jobs for local people and retain wealth within the city.
Transport: The Sheffield City Region bus services should be taken back into public ownership
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral/Other
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
If you'd like to add details on your position, please do so here
I’ve blogged about this on my site here.
Economy: A Universal Basic Income pilot should happen in Sheffield
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral/Other
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
If you'd like to add details on your position, please do so here
I’m a strong supporter of trialling UBI and really impressed with the work the UBI Lab in Sheffield have done to promote it and to model the potential impact.
The idea behind UBI is to “raise the floor” by ensuring everyone can afford the essentials in life, rather than our current welfare system that in theory provides a safety net for those on low incomes, but in reality is creating cycles of poverty and deprivation. UBI makes perfect sense theoretically, but it isn’t a silver bullet – we need to understand the impacts on behaviours, wages, inflation etc. Modelling can only go so far, a local trial would give us really valuable insights that would support the development of a future welfare system.
If you'd like to add details on your position, please do so here
Democracy: How would you like Sheffield City Council to be run?
I haven’t yet decided how to vote in the governance referendum and am still researching the different viewpoints.
I broadly support proportional representation, but I’m disappointed with It’s Our City’s narrow focus on Cabinet vs Committee – to me it feels like shuffling the chairs around in the Town Hall rather than working towards participative democracy for our citizens.
I’m much more interested in the Local Area Committees that will be established in May, which will involve residents and community groups in managing the budgets and resources needed to improve our local areas, and will be based in our communities.
For the referendum, I’m mindful of the arguments that decision-making by committee might be slow and put more decisions in the hands of officers, but also that we would have a year to design a modern system that could be more effective.
I will make my own mind up by the time of the referendum but don’t feel strongly enough about it to tell voters what they should think.
Social: Do you agree with the finding of the Government's Sewell Report stating the UK is no longer institutionally racist?
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Neutral/Other
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
If you'd like to add details on your position, please do so here
The government report is risible, I’ve yet to meet someone from a Black or Ethnic Minority background who thinks institutional racism isn’t an issue in the UK.
In Sheffield the Council responded to the Black Lives Matter movement by setting up a Commission for Racial Equality that is investigating institutional injustice.
I’m really interested in the work being done by Black and Ethnic Minority leaders in our city to decolonise the curriculum, to improve representation at “top tables” and to embed positive equality and diversity policy and practice into our institutions.
But it’s not enough just to recognise the issues – it’s vital to create the space for those most impacted by racism to lead the response and actualise the changes that are needed.