Tag Archives: victoria collins

Our new MPs – Marie Goldman, Charlotte Cane, Victoria Collins, Steffan Aquarone, Pippa Heyling

By The Voice | Sat 6th July 2024 - 4:21 pm

We thought you might like to find out a little bit about our new MPs. We didn’t think we’d have quite so many, but this is a lovely problem to have. All details come from the party website or the MPs’ social media. We’ll get to know them more over the next wee while, but here’s a taster.

Our editor sleepily compiled a Twitter list of all our MPs’ accounts she could find. You can follow it here.

Marie Goldman MP – Chelmsford

Marie has lived in Chelmsford for over twenty years. Her children were born in Chelmsford and she runs a small business here with her husband.

Marie got involved in politics to make here home city an even better place to live, leading projects such as refurbishing the theatre and Council support for small local businesses.

Marie has fought for improved GP services – Marie knows how important GP services are to Chelmsford residents. She made sure that Lib Dem-led Chelmsford City Council is investing to improve much-needed facilities, such as Sutherland Lodge surgery and allocating a site for a new surgery in the west of Chelmsford development.

Marie has championed the need for affordable local housing – Marie understands how difficult it is for everyone to buy or rent the home they need and can afford. This has been made even worse by the cost of living crisis. Marie has worked to get more affordable housing for our city, including new social-rent housing in places like Woodhall Road.

Marie has fought for better health services for our children – Marie shares the concern of many parents about the effects of the pandemic on children’s mental health. She is fighting to extend free school meals and better health services. She backs the Lib Dem plan to put a mental health professional in every school and ensure children never go hungry.

Twitter – @mariecgoldman

Charlotte Cane MP – Ely and East Cambridgeshire

Charlotte has lived in East Cambridgeshire for thirty years. As a child, she moved home often with her Army father. Her mother, a teacher, worked wherever he was posted. She read Ancient History & Archaeology at Birmingham, where she and her husband worked as field archaeologists. When interest rates hit 15% in 1990 they had to sell their home and Charlotte retrained with KPMG as a Chartered Accountant.

In 1994 a job with an arts charity brought Charlotte to Reach. Her two children were born in the Rosie and attended Swaffham Prior Primary, Bottisham Village College, and sixth forms in Cambridge.

As a teenager Charlotte wanted to end apartheid and protect the environment. She’s still campaigning for equality and fairness, while deaths from floods, droughts and heatwaves show why we must tackle climate change.

“East Cambridgeshire is a place which I love, and for whose residents I want the best. I want to help rebuild our NHS, with GPs, dentists, district nurses, prompt hospital treatment, and high-quality care at home. Protect our rivers, fens and chalk grasslands and give people a fair chance in life.”

Twitter: @charlottecane8

Victoria Collins MP – Harpenden and Berkhamsted

Posted in News | Also tagged charlotte cane, marie goldman, our new mps, pippa heyling and steffan aquarone | Leave a comment

Caron’s Conference Part 1: A glimpse to the future

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 20th March 2024 - 12:20 pm

I’m now back from York, having stayed on for a bit of a tourist break. I’ve spent so much time in the city over the years, but have rarely deviated from the Golden Triangle of the Barbican, Novotel and Mason’s Arms. I did not know until Monday that I had walked past the grave of Dick Turpin many times.

Thursday and Friday

I am writing this in York on Friday morning in an exceptionally comfortable and cosy room, propped up in bed with lots of plump and luscious pillows. A cup of Earl Grey at my side. It is always strange when I am away to have a whole bed to myself and not to have find a space clinging to the edge of the bed while my husband clings to the other edge and two spaniels take up all the space they can.

I arrived in York yesterday lunchtime and spent an enjoyable afternoon in the pub (me drinking tea I’ll have you know) with my friends.

In the evening we went to Toto’s, the Italian near the Barbican. The food was brilliant and the company stunningly good. I had prawns with avocado and Marie Rose sauce – a very generous portion – and then tagliatelle with a creamy salmon sauces. The Tiramisu was chocolaty and creamy though I would have added more amaretto.

Afterwards back to the Mason’s Arms, traditionally Awkward Squad HQ and where 6 of us are staying. The landlord had kindly bought in supplies of Whitley Neill Black Cherry gin. Jennie Rigg and I had drunk them out of that by the Friday night last year.

It was great to catch up with Our Hero of Rochdale Iain Donaldson and hear all the intel about the by-election and the aftermath. All you need to know is that George Galloway is far from being universally loved on that patch.

My path to the bar was blocked by beautiful border terrier Betty who very much needed a belly rub and that was the most important thing ever.

I got to bed at a civilised hour.

Friday started in very relaxed fashion.

It was Long Covid Awareness Day, I am acutely aware of how much smaller Conference has become for me. I can no longer cope with the whirlwind from day to night. If I don’t rest in the afternoon I pretty much collapse in a heap and that can set me back for days.

So a slow start was essential laziness.

The first thing I had to do was the Social Liberal Forum lunch at 12. I need to plan and pace everything within an inch of its life which does not really come easy to as free and impetuous a spirit as me.

The Social Liberal Forum gave, I very much hope, a glimpse into the future. The three speakers are PPCs in highly winnable seats: Victoria Collins our hope for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, Josh Babarinde for Eastbourne and Bobby Dean for Carshalton and Wallington. The links to their website are included in the hope that you get on to them, donate all the money you can afford to their campaigns and do what you can to help them. They all have so much to bring to the parliamentary party and we need them to get elected.