I am so impressed with the strong sense of community that we have here in Wigston. People sit around chatting in our lovely Peace Park, our shops are always busy, and the cafes are buzzing with customers every morning. As a Wigston resident I’d be thrilled to represent our community on the County Council and if elected I will work hard to deliver positive outcomes for the area.

Top of my agenda as a County Councillor would be prioritising our local environment. I want to see our flower beds weeded and potholes and pavements repaired. I’ll work closely with the Police and Crime Commissioner to ensure the smooth introduction of a named police officer in our community, as well as the extra officers recently announced by the Labour Government.

My children attended schools in the Borough and received an excellent education which provided them with the skills needed for their future careers and adult lives. As a mother, grandmother and former teacher I fully support the introduction of breakfast clubs in all primary schools, so that children are ready to learn and to help working parents too. It is vital too that we make sure that all students leave school and college with the skills they need to enter new careers opened up by the advances in modern technology, and having taught in secondary schools I will push for this.

High-quality social care will become ever more important as our older population increases, and it is crucial that the council plans carefully and wisely. The Labour Government will soon be announcing their plans for the NHS and social care, and as your County Councillor I will work hard to implement these plans at a local level.

Meanwhile, with changes to local government in the pipeline I will ensure there are opportunities for full discussion and consultation and the needs of the local community come first.

If elected I will be a hard-working and accessible local voice for Wigston. I would be proud to represent our area on the County Council and I hope I can rely on your vote.

I grew up on Brabazon Road, Oadby and went to local schools. After living in Leicester for a few years I chose to return to Oadby to raise my family close to relatives. I love Oadby, but think that it could be better for all of us.

Council tax is always rising, and we seem to be getting less and less. I admit that much of this is out of our local council’s hands. However, moving to a unitary council, where we no longer have to worry about ‘the County does this’, and ‘the Borough does that’, will bring savings. It will be on the shoulders of Councillors, that many of the choices about which services are protected will fall.

If elected I will always prioritise service delivery to residents.

I will allocate 25% of my allowance, plus any increases during my term, as donations to local charities providing services to vulnerable people.

Many voters lent Labour their votes at the General Election, and I appreciate every one as I was election agent for our wonderful candidate Hajira Piranie. This election, I am asking you to consider doing the same and voting for William Pugsley and I with both your votes in Oadby.A vote for Labour sends the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives a message that you will not stand for business as usual in our local councils. It sends a message to Reform that tolerance and respect are core British values, and their divisive rhetoric is not welcome in Oadby.

On Thursday, May 1st vote Matthew Luke and William Pugsley in the Oadby division.