Election: Shirley, Sholing, Swaythling, Thornhill, Woolston

Seventeen of the council’s 51 seats – one in each ward – will be up for grabs and a total of 93 people have been nominated across the city.

The contests see either five or six candidates throw their hats into the ring in each ward, respectively.

The Labour group currently holds 37 seats. The Conservative group has nine councillors. There are three Liberal Democrat councillors, one Green and one independent.

We invited all of the nominees standing in the Southampton City Council local election to submit 100-word profiles.

These are the candidates and the responses ahead of polling day on Thursday, May 2.

Shirley

Lucy Michelle Allotey (Green Party)

No response received.

Philip Edward Crook (Reform UK)

Served in the Army with the Royal Engineers for 33 years on global operations. Educated at St Georges School Swaythling, Richard Taunton College Southampton and RMA Sandhurst. Retired 2006 as a Lieutenant Colonel then involved in business. Shirley was my home base for many years and I still have family roots here.

A busy grandfather, writing, and supporting Saints. We need actions not words to deal with the road congestion, HMOs, stop the council wasting your money, clean up our streets, better police presence and to improve the city’s economy the key driver for better services.

Andrew Hetherton (Local Conservatives)

Andrew Hetherton, a Shirley ward resident, has lived in Southampton for over 30 years having moved to Southampton to study. A chartered surveyor, he has worked for businesses in the Southampton and clients throughout the United Kingdom.

Andrew is keen to ensure that residents in Shirley ward are properly represented on local issues including finding ways to resolve the chaos caused by the fiasco around refuse collection and the financial problems facing Southampton City Council. He also wants to find solutions to problem parking in residential areas, littering and fly-tipping, improving transport services and reducing congestion.

Parveen Ishfaq (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)

Southampton is facing a climate emergency, suffering some of the worst pollution of any city in the country. We support democratically debated local Climate Emergency plans that create new employment, reduce emissions and improve air quality and the local environment, while protecting the jobs, pay and conditions of all workers.

Alice Kloker (Labour Party)

Shirley is my home. I love living here. I’m an active member of our local community, supporting and volunteering within the area, and work at the National Oceanography Centre.

While I have seen many improvements to Shirley, we all know it also faces lots of challenges. I want to be part of making our community a better place to live. If you elect me as one of our local councillors, I would fight for safer streets, cleaner roads and parks, and to make it easier to travel however you get around.

George Edward Percival (Liberal Democrat)

George Percival lives in Shirley and is a full-time firefighter – this gives him a unique perspective on the issues facing our local community and the importance of good local government. He hopes to make Shirley a vibrant and sustainable community where everyone can thrive.

“I’ve seen first-hand the impact of cuts and under-investment on people’s lives,” he said.

“We need a city council that is well-run and able to deliver the vital local services that the city needs. Instead, the city under Labour has wasted money, slashed services, and has had to be bailed out by the government.”

Sholing

Jaden William Beaurain (Local Conservatives)

Jaden is standing in the local elections to make a difference to the community he knows and cares about. He is particularly interested in implementing policies to help deter anti-social behaviour, and provide opportunities for young people.

He thinks it is important to have young people on the council to ensure the whole city is represented. Jaden is always happy to answer residents’ questions, and enjoys door knocking and speaking to residents every week. This is one of the things Jaden is most looking forward to continuing in the coming years: speaking to residents about issues that matter to them.

Declan Clune (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)

As an active trade unionist, we need to step up to defend our right to strike. Demand that councils as employers refuse to issue ‘work notices’ against strikers under the new anti-union Minimum Service Levels Act. We back all workers’ struggles against government policies making ordinary people pay for the crisis.

Emma Davis (Green Party)

No response received.

Gillian Anne Green (Labour Party)

I’m a Sholing resident and retired special educational needs teacher who is frustrated that having three Tory councillors and a Tory MP isn’t working for our area. We need change.

I’m standing to make sure that the voice of Sholing residents gets heard once again. If you elect me, I will be a listening councillor.

If you have something to say about Sholing I want to hear it. I promise to do whatever I can to help. My goal is for Sholing to be a family-friendly, safe and green place to call home.

Sharon Pamela Hopkins (Liberal Democrat)

Sharon Hopkins has lived in Southampton for over 35 years and has worked in a wide range of jobs, including teaching and childminding. She wants to use her career experience and local knowledge to improve Southampton. Sharon is particularly interested in SEND provision and ensuring that Southampton services are fair and balanced, including social and health care, education, housing, and transport.

She said: “My aim as a councillor would be to ensure that everyone in Southampton, including those living on the east side of the Itchen, receives outstanding services and excellent opportunities in order to make the most of life.”

Swaythling

Nick Chaffey (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)

Our candidates oppose all cuts and closures to council services, jobs, pay and conditions. A vote for TUSC is a vote for councils to use their reserves and prudential borrowing powers to avoid making cuts in their 2024-2025 budgets and demand from the incoming government additional funding to make up any future shortfall.

Angela Mary Cotton (Green Party)

Angela has lived in Swaythling for over 20 years. Before retiring she worked at Southampton General Hospital for 30 years and is well aware of the challenges facing the NHS locally. She is active as a volunteer in Swaythling and runs a community organisation working for a more sustainable city.

She would like to see Southampton become a city where the economy works for its people, with good quality housing for all, a transport system that doesn’t disadvantage the 30 per cent of people who don’t have a car, and action to reduce and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Thomas Stephen Gravatt (Liberal Democrat)

Thomas Gravatt is the Lib Dem candidate for Swaythling, Mansbridge and North Portswood. Thomas lives locally and works at the University of Southampton. He has campaigned to improve road safety in our area and to secure investment in local facilities. He wants to improve public transport, protect our environment, and do more to promote Southampton’s heritage and history.

He said: “I will always stand up for the people of Swaythling on Southampton City Council. We are being let down by Labour and our area needs change. The Liberal Democrats have a positive plan for Southampton.”

Sharon Mintoff (Labour Party)

It is a privilege to represent the community in which I live.

Over the last year, I have welcomed back the Police and Community Together meetings, which we requested, so that residents get their voices heard. We have introduced a bus gate for Bassett Green school children to address the road safety concerns of parents. I have also served on the airport committee, standing up for the Swaythling residents who it affects.

With your support, I would like to continue to represent our area.

Robert Painton (Local Conservatives)

I’ve lived in Swaythling since 1976 and previously served as a councillor between 2015-18. I remain extremely active, working with many local community groups helping them to resolve problems. This includes organising a regular free shop at Swaythling Railway Station, helping those in need.

As your local Conservative candidate, I will work hard and will take the current Labour administration to task. They must be held to account over wasteful spending, and the current missed bin fiasco that is affecting us all city-wide. Voting for me on May 2 will help to get the basics right for our residents.

Thornhill

Josh Allen (Labour Party)

Elected last May, I’m your local councillor. I’ve been supporting residents and solving problems across Montague Avenue, Thornhill and Bitterne.

Living locally fuels my work. My passion for our local area goes beyond the council. I founded Monty’s Bike Hub, getting our community active, creating local jobs, and getting the Pump Track built on Sullivan Rec.

I am proud to represent the community I live in. With your support on Thursday, May 2, I promise to keep fighting to improve our local area.

Clara Oswin Asher (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)

Our communities are suffering the consequences of austerity in declining health with a 10-year gap in life expectancy between rich and poor. We call for the reversal of NHS cuts to GP services and walk-in centres and investment in mental health services to ensure immediate care for all those in need.

Edward Bolton (Liberal Democrat)

Edward Bolton has lived in Southampton for eight years, working as a learning technologist at Solent University. He is committed to improving education to better people’s lives, especially through digital literacy, which is key to achieving so much nowadays.

Edward would like to clean up our local communities, addressing fly-tipping and littering by engaging residents in their long-term interest to support the environment. He is also committed to developing sustainable transport and its links to promoting healthier and happier lifestyles.

Callum Daniel John Ford (Local Conservatives)

I was born in Thornhill on Lydgate Road and have lived in and around the area my whole life. I am passionate about Thornhill and the people that reside here and if elected I will be an advocate for the local area and its people. I’m deeply committed to both Southampton and Thornhill and I hope to get the ground running swiftly if elected.

Michael Charles John Mawle (Green Party)

No response received.

Woolston

Sue Atkins (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)

Southampton council is on the edge, attacks on council bin workers’ contracts have left bins uncollected and added costs paying private providers to deal with the backlog.

We are being asked to pay more and more for less and less. More letters to the Prime Minister will not cut it, only a determined fight to refuse to make cuts, demand government funding and mobilise mass support in the city to refuse to co-operate with any commissioners appointed by the Tories to attempt to impose cuts on local services will succeed.

Francis Eric George Hedley (Liberal Democrat)

Francis Hedley has lived in the Southampton area his entire life. He is a bus driver for Bluestar and can often be spotted on bus routes across Southampton.

Francis is passionate about improving transport links across the city with a better bus service, more cycle infrastructure, and safer roads and pavements. He is also a committed campaigner for electoral reform.

Rob Stead (Local Conservatives)

As a local resident, it is a huge honour to be able to stand for election to represent the place I call home. For years Woolston and Weston have been let down by the council and if elected I will fight for funding to fix our pavements and roads and an end to the unfair Itchen Bridge toll which punishes local families.

Outside of politics, my work involves supporting the voluntary sector in seeking funding to support work with vulnerable adults, and in my spare time, I enjoy visiting Weston Shore, walking the dog and enjoying jogging along the shoreline.

Caitlin Steege (Green Party)

No response received.

Victoria Ugwoeme (Labour Party)

I am a local councillor, community activist and school governor.

My experience is in offering health and education support to the community. I set up a local food bank and run a holiday activities club. Both are aimed at helping local families and young people. The club helps kids to learn about social values, respect for others, and to build their self-confidence.

I am passionate about nature and enjoy going for walks with my family.

If you choose to re-elect me, I will continue to fight to protect our local green spaces and Weston Shore.

All parties were contacted through group leaders or election coordinators to request profiles. All those received have been included.