Insight 45 - Magazine - Page 13
KIRSTY TAYLOR-MORAN
County Councillor for Ware North
eastherts.greenparty.org.uk
INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE READERS
OF INSIGHT HIGHLIGHTING YOUR
BACKGROUND IN LOCAL POLITICS
I live in Ware with my husband and two
young sons, having moved to the area
from London as a teenager. Ware is a
wonderful place to raise children with all
of our green spaces and countryside all
around.
I am the founder of Sugar & Scoop, the
Zero Waste and Refill Shop on Ware High
Street. This is what set me on a path of
involvement in local politics; Thomas
Day, a fellow high street business owner
and Green town councillor, encouraged
me to consider joining the local party.
Until then I had not considered that local
politics was for people like me. Now I am
keen to encourage other local Millennials
to get involved and I want to make it more
accessible for young mums and other
groups who face barriers in engaging with
politics.
WHAT DO THE RECENT ELECTION
RESULTS TELL US ABOUT THE CURRENT
THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS OF THE
ELECTORATE?
Importantly, the results in Hertfordshire
showed a swing away from the
Conservatives, meaning their 26 years
of dominance at Hertfordshire County
Council is over. Voters are also fed up with
the Labour Government’s dismal first year
in office. Clearly, the strong local voice
that Green councillors provide is proving
to voters that there is an opportunity to
choose positive change.
While the political landscape has
undoubtedly fragmented, there was
no swing to the right in Hertfordshire,
despite what the media might claim. The
Conservative and Labour vote was split
by the emergence of Reform UK, whose
campaign made promises to residents
that their new councillors will struggle to
keep. Overall, though, there was a swing
here to the left-wing parties, with Liberal
Democrat and Greens increasing their
share of seats on the council.
Green Party councillors have continued to
show their commitment and dedication
to making our local communities better
places to live and work. And we’ll continue
to work hard for our residents - at town,
district and county councils, to build fairer,
greener communities.
WHAT DIFFERENTIATES YOUR PARTY
AND ITS APPROACH AND AIMS FROM THE
OTHERS ON THE COUNCIL?
The Green Party councillors are truly local
councillors, with endless energy and
enthusiasm, rather than some of the other
parties who are shipped in by Westminster.
We all live and work right in the heart of
the communities we represent and have
deep roots locally. We understand and
care about the issues we all face.
We work tirelessly to tackle multiple issues
for our residents, from blocked drains,
flooding, and overgrown hedges to litter
and help with planning queries.
Green councillors also have a track
record of being community champions,
offering hope and practical solutions on
the housing crisis, cost of living, climate
breakdown and protecting public services.
WHICH ISSUES DOES YOUR PARTY VIEW
AS A PRIORITY FOR THE PEOPLE OF
HERTFORDSHIRE?
After decades in charge of the County
Council, the Conservatives had stopped
listening to residents.
The Conservatives failed to tackle
neglected roads. They failed Families.
They underfunded Public Transport. They
ignored a Public Health Crisis. And, they
wasted millions on delays, consultants and
TV ads.
The Greens priorities are to:
• Fix our Roads: Invest in sustainable
repairs, not wasteful compensation
• Support Families: Keep schools and
youth centres open, transform Special
Educational Needs services
• Tackle Pollution: Prioritise public health,
improve road safety and speed up
electric bus rollouts
• Spend Wisely: End wasteful spending and
invest in our community
WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN POLICIES FOR
BUSINESSES IN HERTFORDSHIRE?
Our main policies prioritise environmental
sustainability, social justice, and
a fair economy. We advocate for
decarbonisation, fair taxation, and worker
rights. We also support community
ownership of businesses and sustainable
energy infrastructure.
We advocate for stopping new fossil fuel
extraction projects and ending subsidies
to the oil and gas industries. We need a
carbon tax on all fossil fuels, increasing
over time to reflect the environmental
cost.
Crucial in this aim, is the need to provide
grants to businesses to help them
transition to a zero-carbon economy.
We champion worker’s rights, and my
career is in employment law. We want a
maximum 10:1 pay gap ratio for public and
private companies.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HERTFORDSHIRE
WILL LOOK LIKE SOCIALLY AND
ECONOMICALLY IN 2030?
Unfortunately, after 26 years of
Conservative control of Hertfordshire
and a dismal first year of the new Labour
Government, local councils are struggling
for survival.
It’s not yet clear what devolution of council
services in Hertfordshire will look like.
There’s a danger that decisions could
be made even further from where the
impact is felt and could end up being more
expensive.
We would want to see increased power
devolved to Hertfordshire’s town and
parish councils, alongside more resources,
to ensure that residents can actively,
directly impact decisions that affect them.
We need solutions to address the health
and social care crisis in Hertfordshire. We
will advocate for investment in integrated
public transport and active travel across
our county. And, we will work hard to
ensure accelerated biodiversity and green
spaces protection, ensuring that less
power is in the hands of developers who
have little interest in striking the right
balance between building homes and
protecting the environment.
We are hopeful that increased Green
representation at all levels of government
will affect positive change on the
social and economical landscape of
Hertfordshire, especially given the changes
we are told to expect to our population.
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