Monthly Archives: June 2012

Kate Barker, Green Party Candidate for the by-election in St Helen’s, Chesterfield

I’ve lived in Chesterfield for almost 13 years and this town is home to me. I was lucky enough to be raised and go to school here, so I have family and friends in the town and know the local area.

I believe Chesterfield is one of the best places to live in the UK and I see the role of a councillor as being someone who maintains this by listening to local people, taking action on their behalf and making a positive difference to people’s lives and the town. In particular I would fight against cuts to our frontline services and work to protect those who are vulnerable and needy. I would campaign for safer streets, better facilities for children, and more visible policing. Above all I pledge to listen to residents and take action to address their concerns.

I am proud to be a member of and to stand as a candidate for a political party I can believe in. The Green Party is different – we have strong principles and ethics and we believe in listening to the people we represent and taking action to help. Support for the Green Party is growing and 3 councillors have been elected locally 1 to Bolsover District Council, and 2 to Sheffield City Council. In total the Green Party has 135 councillors on 46 councils across England and Wales.

I have always had an interest and passion for protecting our natural world. Living on the edge of the Peak District, I’ve grown up to be a keen hiker and I regularly go for long walks in the Peaks with my partner, Tom, and my dog. I also enjoy swimming and horse riding. After university I went into the charity sector working for environmental, overseas development, child welfare and cancer care charities, which has given me real insight into some of the difficult issues people face and the support that is needed. I’ve worked in the charity sector now for 11 years and it’s hugely satisfying. I believe that representing the residents of St Helen’s ward as a Green Party Councillor will be even more so.

People Power

Residents of the North Derbyshire villages of Whitwell, Hodthorpe, Belph and Creswell have another to celebrate this weekend as Alkane have withdrawn their application for an mega anaerobic digester on the edge of the village.

I don’t think anyone who has followed the twists and turns of this sage since the application was submitted nearly two years ago would doubt that the single biggest factor in achieving this brilliant outcome was the campaigning zeal of the public pressure group Whitwell Against Alkane. They have shown that ordinary people running a well organised and mobilised campaign can defeat even the vested interest of a large and wealthy private company. The writing is now on the wall for any Council that does not have public support for its actions.

Many people said that Whitwell Against Alkane were wasting their time but it can never be a waste of time to stand-up for what you believe in. It now seems that it was Alkane were not only wasting their money but tarnishing the reputation of a technology which can make an important contribution to preventing climate change if it is deployed in the right place. That is on the farm where the waste is produced not 40 miles away, hopefully Alkane now understand this.

Cllr Duncan Kerr