I’m Diana, and I was elected to Hereford City Council and Herefordshire City council in May 2019 as a Green Party councillor.
Within a year my Greyfriars ward experienced appalling flooding, and Covid 19 hit the county, yet more reminders of the consequences when we disrespect the natural world. The neighbourhood level solidarity that emerged from both these challenges has really encouraged me, and in Herefordshire Council we want to build on community groups to engage as many people as possible in decision-making. Participatory budgeting, panels, citizens’ assemblies … the potential is huge, especially with the brilliant under-appreciated human capital we have in Herefordshire.
At City level I have initiated the setting up of a group to make sure we act on last year’s ecological emergency declaration. I‘m surprised to find that I’m now quite a patient person (!) and want to take time to get things right for deep, lasting change, with plenty of local people on board.
At county level, what I’m most proud of is putting into practice the Green way of ‘doing politics differently’. I’ve enjoyed the listening, negotiating and finding common ground that has made our Coalition of Green/Its’ Our County/Independent so positive and effective.
