“I WAS quietly optimistic – I feel could feel it just talking to people on the doorstep – but I think we exceeded our expectations.”
That was the verdict of Alcester councillor and local Liberal Democrat leader Susan Juned after her party stormed to victory in last Thursday’s elections to Stratford District Council.
With all 41 seats to be decided, the Lib Dems won 25, smashing the Conservatives, who took just 12 – losing their leader Tony Jefferson in the process – with the Greens winning three with one Independent.
The fact it was the first time any party other than the Tories had held majority control in Stratford shows the scale of the victory.
And Coun Juned (Lid Dem, Alcester East), fresh from a briefing with council officers, said she and her party were keen to get started.
“We’re really looking forward to the next three to four years.
“We campaigned on our manifesto and now we have the opportunity to put it into action.
“We want people to know we will be a listening council, to restore trust in local democracy.”
She acknowledged the sacking of Stratford’s Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi as national Conservative Party chair for ‘serious breaches of the ministerial code’ had helped their cause, but what really resonated on the doorstep was the cost-of-living crisis and the lack of affordable housing.
And she said tackling climate change could be dividends on both these issues.
“Doing what we can as a council on climate change doesn’t mean stopping people from doing things.
“It’s about helping them keep their energy bills low, making sure new houses are as energy efficient as possible, encouraging renewable energy,” she said.
On affordable housing she said so many local people were being priced out of the market.
“I’m not for building houses just for the sake of it – it’s not about quantity but getting the mix right, making sure we can offer our young people a place to live by ensuring housing is more affordable.”
Getting value for money and well-run services also figure highly, as do respect and support for local communities and neighbourhood plans.
She added their programme would be finalised at a meeting this Saturday before work begins in earnest on Monday.
