Stroud District Council candidate profiles – Cainscross

Each party candidate will give voters information about who they are, what their pledges are and why you should vote for them.

These profiles will be posted alphabetically by ward over the next week.

To kick us off, today we feature Amberley and Woodchester, Berkeley Vale, Bisley and Cainscross.

Stay posted throughout the week to see your candidates go head to head.

There are 13 candidates standing in this ward. Number of seats – three.

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• Helen Royall – Green Party

Helen has lived in Ebley for 25 years.

She said: “I have always loved Stroud as my mother was born here so I came back to what felt like home to have my daughter.

“I was a councillor on the Cainscross Parish Council for eight years and then became a director for Transition Stroud helping Stroud and surrounding areas become more sustainable.”

Helen believes passionately in people working together for the common good, and treading lightly on the earth so that there is an earth left for our children.

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• Jenny Miles - Labour

Jenny Miles has lived in Cashes Green most of her life. She was previously a district councillor and is a member of the Parish Council, currently as Vice Chair.

Before she retired she was the manager of a care home in Ebley for people with people with learning difficulties. A keen gardener, her allotment is in Ebley.

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• Rachel Curley - Labour

Rachel Curley moved to Stroud five years ago and is the Chair of the local Cainscross Labour branch.

Her children go to St Matthew’s School in Cainscross where she is Chair of Governors.

Rachel works for one of the teaching unions, ATL, as the senior official in the South West region.

You will often find her in her spare time in her allotment in Cainscross or running by the canal.

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• Tom Williams - Labour

Tom has been the Labour Councillor for Cainscross for many years, taking up many issues to help and support local residents and the local community.

Tom has lived in the District for nearly 40 years, is a keen bee-keeper and Forest Green Rovers supporter.

He is a member of the FGR Supporters Trust.

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• Sylvia Bridgland – Liberal Democrats

I have lived in Stroud for 42 years and currently live in Ebley. I am a retired nurse but gained a BSc in Geography in 2003 which included a study of Stroud.

It is exciting to see the long promised canal restoration progressing, including Ebley Wharf development. I hope new plans for Tricorn House for supported living will also bear fruit after years of dereliction.

My main ongoing concerns are the lack of affordable housing and constraints on essential social care due to austerity.

Locally, I would seek to reduce littering in Cainscross and protection of the local environment.

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• Mark Rees - Independent

I am standing again for the Cainscross ward as I have for the ten years only this time I'm standing as an independent candidate. I am asking all those who intent to vote in this Mays local election to consider using one of their votes to put their cross against my name. Why should people vote for me?

I have a proven track record of representing the residents of Cainscross taking up the many issues that have affected theirs lives and in many cases helping out to resolve their problems in a positive outcome.

I have dealt with people issues like planning applications like the major one at the Wharf which has it gone through would have blighted many lives. Other issues I have helped residents are like housing overcrowding, outstanding repairs, neighbouring problems, roads issues, immigration requests and to signing a much required passport.

I will always stand up for my ward members especially now as I am going independent I will not have confirm to party whips so when people vote for me they are voting for a safe pair hands to deal with their issues.

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• Graham Stanley – Independent

Currently, I'm a man on a mission: helping drivers and staff to save Stroud Ring & Ride - after their funding was cut.

Everyone has been brilliant - schools, care homes, drivers, office staff and SDC has been working really hard to make it work.

It's been a real team effort - the sort of community project that Stroud does best - and we're nearly there.

After the election, I'll be working to get a better deal for Cainscross.

We always seem to get a raw deal when it comes to SDC planning policy. As a result, we've got houses on the flood plain, congested roads, pavement parking, and insufficient green spaces and children's play areas.

I'll be pushing for sensible measures to bring about reduced traffic, safe routes to school, better canal access for walkers and cyclists (especially children), better flood prevention and no more houses in the flood plain.

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• Chris Moore – Trade Union and Socialists Coalition (TUSC)

Stroud-born Chris is well-known as a local campaigner: starting with the anti-poll tax movement that was Thatcher’s downfall through to Keep Gloucestershire’s NHS public, the action against the racist BNP national HQ in Stroud, to name a few.

Chris is a trade unionist and a founder member of Stroud Against the Cuts, he played a leading role in the struggle to defend the NHS, halting the part privatisation of some health services in Gloucestershire, including Stroud Hospital.

He presented a petition signed by over 1500 people forcing Stroud District Council to debate a no eviction policy over the Bedroom Tax that disproportionately affects disabled people.

TUSC offers an anti-austerity working class voice, campaigning for a £10 minimum wage and councillors who refuse to comply with Tory cuts.

Cuts, privatisation and job losses are about making ordinary people pay for the crisis of the banks and capitalism.

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• Adam Goulcher – Trade Union and Socialists Coalition (TUSC)

I am opposed to the austerity policies that our destroying our welfare state and public services. Austerity is not necessary; it is a political attack by the ruling 1 per cent to extract more profit for themselves at the expense of ordinary people.

The economic crisis was caused by the greed of the 1 per cent and their representatives in the main political parties. The Panama Papers expose the 1 per cent as hoarding wealth and enriching themselves as living standards plummet for the majority.

Britain is the 5th richest country in the world. There are plenty of resources to easily meet our needs for decent housing, healthcare, wages and pensions.

The majority must take control of the wealth that is appropriated by the few for the few. I will oppose all cuts and privatisation and fight for properly funded, democratically run public services.

Labour Councils have meekly passed on Tory cuts; TUSC is the only 100 per cent anti-austerity party.

I have worked in public transport for most of my life. I have been a lifelong socialist and left the Labour Party in the 90s when it abandoned socialism under Blair’s New Labour ‘project’.

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• Ray Darlington – Trade Union and Socialists Coalition (TUSC)

As a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate I oppose all cuts to public services.

I have been involved in the campaigns to keep the NHS public and in fighting the bedroom tax. I wholeheartedly support the junior doctors' action as the imposed contracts are unfair and unsafe.

That sums up the government which has a total disregard for the wellbeing of ordinary people. The cuts affect every area of life: children’s centres, lollipop men and women, even the local charities that had to step in to provide community services.

We need councillors who will stand up against this government. It’s not enough to blame the Tories and hope for a Labour government, councillors should be doing everything they can to fight this weak, divided and vicious government.

Councillors must say no to cuts, no to outsourcing of services and no to all privatisation. We could use council reserves and potential borrowing to implement a budget based on local needs.

Britain has the highest number of billionaires per head of population, this government cut taxes for the rich while no tax at all is paid on their wealth stashed in off shore accounts.

Building a mass campaign including coordinated strike action councillors could demand extra funding from central government.

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• Anthony Powell – Conservative

I have lived in Stroud for the past 12 years, with my partner and children. I love the area and its people and want to serve them to the best of my ability.

I am a passionate Conservative, who believes that people are best served by those who want the best public services at the most economic cost.

True Conservatism is to support everyone in Society and to maximize their chances to progress themselves at the lowest cost to the state.

For the vulnerable Conservatives will always support them, rather than incur the cost of wasteful bureaucrats.

A Conservative run council will deliver more for less. The choice is yours, but the answer obvious and on May 5 you have the three votes to cast for three Conservative candidates.

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• Keith Rippington – Conservative

I moved to Ebley in 2013 after taking early retirement following a career as a managing director of various UK and Overseas engineering and manufacturing companies.

My wife Kate and I have seven children between us ranging in age between 17 and 32 and in addition to raising a family and dealing with challenges of work I was also a governor for a local school.

I am passionate about the value and importance of communities and as a Cainscross Parish Councillor I am very aware of the challenges that exist locally and if elected believe I can make a difference.

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• Colin Chisolm – Conservative

Mr Chisolm did not respond when the SNJ approached him for a comment.