Opinion: Why I’m hugely invested in this city

I have lived in the city since I was four months old, and I grew up in Orton, which is the area I now represent as a local councillor having been re-elected this May with a 70% share of the vote.

I completed my Higher Education in this City after studying for a degree at Peterborough Regional College, and then completed my teacher training at Cambridge University. I raised my young son Joseph whilst doing this and have taught and continue to teach English at Secondary Schools in the city. My son has now also followed in my footsteps and teaches sports at local primary schools.

I am hugely invested in this city, have many lifelong friends here and want the very best for the people of Peterborough.

I consider myself a serious politician, and have been successful at implementing policies and making change at our local council. I helped to get a climate emergency declared by our council in 2019. I sat on the Climate Change working group and now chair the Climate Change and Environment Scrutiny Committee. We have been tackling issues such as electrical vehicle charging infrastructure, adapting to the effects of climate change such as flooding and heatwaves and looking at biodiversity in the city. There is still much work to do, but I have been part of the process of setting the agenda whilst also being mindful of what is best for the people of Peterborough.

In that vein, I have submitted a ”Just Transition” motion to the next full council meeting on the 26th July.

This motion will bring forward policies that ensure while we transition as a council to net zero, we will not implement policies that will negatively affect local people, groups, communities or workplaces. It will encourage us as a council to develop strategies and have dialogue and discussions in the hope that no- one is left behind. The motion suggests we should work with local businesses and the Peterborough Trade Union Council to ensure people in workplaces will be able to be reskilled, and that jobs and opportunities will be available for our residents as we transition as a city to net zero. Through research I have learnt that we can transition, protect the environment and reduce carbon whilst at the same time ensuring local people have opportunities to lead fulfilling lives through both work and play

Spain has a Ministry for Ecological Transition. The International Labour Organisation and the Spanish Government established a partnership that has yielded fruitful results. Their strategy developed a plan to address the social impact for areas where coal mines and power plants were closing.

This example of social innovation involved dialogue with trade unions, employers, workers and regional and local authorities. It promoted sustainable jobs.

Significantly there were far more jobs created by the thousands of public and private initiatives than the numbers of companies and workers affected by the closures.

It is this learning and knowledge that I would like the Green party to bring to the people of Peterborough and our country

We know, given the science, that we must urgently move towards zero carbon and it is about finding the right way to do that in order for the people of Peterborough to prosper.