I moved to Welwyn Hatfield 50 years ago and loved the area, and the people, from day 1. We subsequently had two sons and seven grandchildren who were all born here – five still do. From a loving but poor family I finally knew what a bathroom was when I moved here and was a 25 year old mother of two before I went upstairs to bed and had a garden! These formative years shaped my life and I started work within Social Services then spending 30 years as a Chief Executive in the voluntary sector – ten years working with older people and twenty years with vulnerable children and families. I was honoured to be awarded an OBE for this work. I entered politics to use this fire to help the community and campaign against the destruction of the original QE11 by the Tory government and, recently, against the overnight closure of the urgent care. 

Through my own family I see the challenges for local business and for individual families. I spoke out against the bio Park development that was so ardently supported by the Conservative chair of housing. I worry about where the next generations are going to live. We need proper social. Council houses instead of the ridiculous Government idea of what is affordable. We are being forced to build thousands of homes with no infrastructure. We see services cut because there is no money to fund them or given short term grants and then the council tax has to increase to enable them to continue. 

I have never forgotten my roots and will always seek out injustice or inequality.