Local Elections Candidates 2010
Stockport MBC Elections - May 6th 2010
Green Party candidates are standing in eight wards. Please click on your candidate's name or ward to view their profile.
| Candidate | Ward |
|---|---|
| Ross White | Bramhall South |
| Chris Green | Brinnington & Central |
| Phil Shaw | Davenport & Cale Green |
| Andrew Knighton | Edgeley & Cheadle Heath |
| Peter Barber | Heatons North |
| Conrad Beard | Heatons South |
| Maggie Preston | Marple North |
| Ken Pease | Stepping Hill |
Ross White - Bramhall South
Ross is standing for the first time in this election.
Chris Green - Brinnington & Central
Chris Green is 75. He worked for Stockport MBC Education Division from 1974 until 1992 in a variety of roles - Principal Careers Officer - Careers Liaison Counsellor - Schools Industry Liaison Officer - and finally Licensed Teacher.
He joined the RNVR in 1951 to ensure that he was called up in to the Royal Navy for his National Service in 1952. He served in the Supply and Secretarial Branch and was promoted to the rank of Midshipman and appointed to HMS Dolphin which was the base of the 5th Submarine Squadron.
Had experience in the sixties and early seventies of serving, albeit as a Labour Councillor, on both Ware Urban District Council, and later, Leeds City Council.
As a Quaker, he believes that we have to consider the limits to economic growth and recognise the need for greater equality. As a member of the Green Party, he belives that the policy that would do most for Brinnington and Central Ward will be the introduction of a Citizen's wage. Chris also thinks we must improve the frequency and integration of public transport and improve the routes and facilities for cyclists.
Phil Shaw - Davenport & Cale Green
Although a member of the Green Party for just 3 years, Phil has had grave concerns about environmental and social justice issues for many years, and now works as an Environmental Consultant.
Phil says: "My interest in the natural world was sparked during family walks in the Peak District and was enhanced in biology and ecology courses at school. This led to me taking a degree in Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia (UEA), which I completed in 1994. The content of this degree was environmental problems/issues, but I also chose modules that explained the reasons behind such issues: the political and economic conditions and decisions that lead to the exploitation of finite resources, the creation of pollution and the inequality that often results from such situations."
My work is for clients in the private and public sectors, and includes:
- Undertaking Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for planned development.
- Development and use of tools to assess the 'sustainability' of developments, plans and policies.
- Monitoring of environmental parameters such as air and water quality.
"In line with my education and experiences I am also a firm believer in social justice and equality, and in particular in redressing the massive inequalities that successive governments have been unable, or more likely unwilling, to address. The Green Party offers a viable and desirable alternative to all the other 'grey' parties whose policies and pandering to the mass-consumerism agenda, has led to the creation of a self-serving society."
Andrew Knighton - Edgeley & Cheadle Heath
Andrew recently moved to Edgeley, and has been trying to find ways to make his new house more environmentally friendly. He has been a member of the Green Party for seven years, and been a candidate in two previous local elections.
Andrew says 'Green politics and social politics go hand in hand. Caring for the environment cannot be separated from caring for communities. We need to find sustainable ways to protect them both, and that starts at the local level.'
Peter Barber - Heatons North
Peter has a background in clinical toxicology and molecular biology research, and now works as a science and maths tutor, alongside renovating his house to modern energy standards. He joined the Greens in 2001 after volunteering with the London Cycling Campaign; while living in Glasgow, he was also involved with the successful campaign to elect Patrick Harvie to the Scottish parliament. He is now an active member of various community groups, particularly Transition Stockport. He lives in Heaton Moor with his wife, a paediatrician.
Peter says: 'In Stockport, Greens will fight for a major boost for public transport, walking and cycling. Climate change aside, we need to end the chronic congestion, 'rat-running' and traffic injuries that make everyone's life a misery - and the unfairness that those without a car are excluded from many job opportunities. With oil reserves dwindling, we cannot solve our problems with yet more road-building.
It is unfair that so many people cannot afford to heat their homes. Greens in Stockport will fight for an ambitious local programme of free home insulation and deferred-cost solar power, like our pioneering scheme in Huddersfield. This would save money year after year by making Winter Fuel Payments unnecessary, as well as reducing cold-related illnesses.
Many neighbourhoods in Stockport have an inadequate range of local shops because of competition from edge-of-town supermarkets. Greens will fight for a fairer deal for independent retailers and local food producers. Greens will also prioritise skilled jobs that benefit Stockport's economy and provide local expertise for sustainable projects like the planned micro-hydroelectric scheme on the River Goyt.'
Conrad Beard - Heatons South
Conrad moved to the Heatons in 2008 and works in Customer Relations. He is genuinely interested in politics and supports pro-environmental values, hence his decision to join the Green Party. He is keen on recycling, reusing bags even for rubbish and using the opposite side of printed paper as scrap or for draft printouts. He enjoys exploring unfamiliar scenery, using public transport.
Conrad has seen the world climate become more extreme. He would like to see more Councillors apply ecological policies, which will be easier with more Greens elected, hence his decision to stand for the Green Party in Heatons South.
Maggie Preston - Marple North
Maggie has lived in Marple for over 20 years, and works part time for a Stockport Mental Health organisation. She has a grown up family, and her main leisure interests are gardening, birdwatching, painting, and singing in a choir. She is concerned that so little action is being taken by mainstream parties to limit climate chaos and is working with local environmental groups to help make some real changes. Her priorities as a Marple councillor would be...
- An improved rail service, especially in the evenings.
- Working towards establishing safe bike routes to schools : a healthier low carbon way to travel.
- Further insulation grants, especially for lower income households : to cut carbon & save on bills.
Ken Pease OBE - Stepping Hill
A forensic psychologist by training, Ken is currently Visiting Professor at University College London, the University of Loughborough and Chester University. Before retirement, he held chairs at the Universities of Manchester and Saskatchewan where he worked in the maximum security Regional Psychiatric Centre (Prairies). He has acted as Head of the Police Research Group at the Home Office, and has been a member of the Parole Board for England and Wales. He is a member of the Home Office Design and Technology Alliance and sits on the Steering Group of the current DTI review of Home Office science. The bulk of his published work over the last twenty years has concerned crime reduction and he was recently flattered by a book published in his honour under the title 'Imagination in Crime Prevention.'
A candidate for the Green Party in elections over twenty years, his current work includes the integration of security and sustainability in home design; patterns of dog theft; and the application of evolutionary psychology to crime science.
