Monthly Archives: May 2019

This week, the Surrey Mirror asked local politicians to comment on the question: Are healthier lifestyles less achievable for families on a lower income?  Sue Fenton, newly-elected Councillor for Earlswood & Whitebushes, responded: Former Work & Pensions Secretary Ian Duncan Smith famously claimed he could live on £53 benefits a week, despite shortly after trying […]

This week, the Surrey Mirror asked local politicians to comment on the question: Has the rise in council taxes affected residents in our area?  This is my response: Simply put – yes. Council taxes for Surrey County Council, local councils and police funding have all increased, hitting the poorest hardest. Taxes for the largest Surrey […]

This week, the Surrey Mirror asked local politicians: What additional support can be offered to young people during exam season? Here’s my response. Recent curriculum changes mean students are now sitting more exams than ever, beginning at age six. Children, teachers and counselling services like Childline report that exam stress is mounting rapidly, and nearly […]

We’re celebrating big wins in this week’s local elections. We now have six councillors on Reigate & Banstead Council, where the whole council was re-elected following boundary changes. We won all three seats in Earlswood & Whitebushes, where we previously held one. The ward is now represented by Hal Brown, Ruth Ritter and Sue Fenton. […]

Today the Surrey Mirror is publishing opinions on the voting system. Here’s mine: Our first-past-the-post electoral system still favours the main parties. But so many people I talk with on the doorstep say they are fed up with the main parties. They want their voices to be heard at all levels of politics. Proportional representation […]