As part of our election coverage, we’ve asked the candidates some high-level questions. All responses are un-edited.
- Candidate Name: Sally Osborne-Town
- Party: Labour Party
- Election: Stone Town Council / Stafford Borough Council
- Ward: Stonefield and Christchurch / St. Michael’s and Stonefield
Tell our readers about yourself:
I’ve taught in 4 local secondary schools in 24 years and have taught teachers to teach at Keele University. Once retired, I changed direction to voluntary work in the area of criminal justice, firstly as a magistrate and then in 2 local prisons where I currently monitor the lives of boys and men in custody to make sure that they lead a decent life “inside” with good chances of rehabilitation on release. From this you may realise I have a strong sense of justice and am keen to see equal chances for all in what seems to me to be a pretty unequal world.
What’s your personal statement about why you’re standing and what you want to do over the next 4 years:
Over the next 4 years I would like to see a greener Stone emerge with a particular eye on rubbish from fast food outlets and on greater use of the town’s green spaces so that everyone’s health, physical and mental, benefits from beautiful places like Westbridge, Crown Meadow and Stonefield Parks. I really appreciate our new leisure centre and would promote its wider use for people of all ages; it is a brilliant resource. “For the many, not the few” may now sound a bit tired to some but I believe in the freshness of its truth: I’d like to do more to support the town’s invisible poor via the Community Hub and its food bank and I’d like to see reintroduced in the area Community Police Support Officers to reassure those who are anxious and to reduce petty crime.
How does standing as a political party candidate affect serving local people on local issues?
I would stand as a political party candidate because greater balance is needed on both the Town and the Borough councils. The ideals I hold as a Labour supporter would provide a challenge to those who currently dominate our councils. We all need to feel represented by a spread of the main political parties because at the moment the current concentration of one party does not ensure democratic representation.
Do you live in Stone, if not what’s your link to Stone and your reason for standing as Stone candidate?
I have lived in Stone for 24 years, always a “top ender”. My own 3 children attended Staffordshire schools but my 2 stepsons attended the Stone ones. I think we are lucky to live in such a lovely- and lively- town.
What’s been your history as a political councillor?
I have no history as a political councillor but everyone has to start somewhere!
What are the top 5 issues that you think affect the residents of Stone over the next 5 years?
The top 5 issues which I believe will affect my Stone neighbours in the next 5 years will be:
1. traffic- there are many reasons for why this can only get worse
2. lack of social housing
3. more local people living in poverty
4. better free time provision for the young and very young
5. increased crime
How will you keep in touch with your constituents concerns?
I am confident constituents could reach me by phone and email as I’ve always been quick to answer these. Additionally, I would publicise a Ward Walk on a regular basis: people would know which streets I’d be strolling along and could chat to me about their concerns.
2 comments
Another anon student
Another English student of Sally Osbourne-Town
A vile creature of a woman I don’t know how she was allowed to be a teacher for so many years. She could make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and took great pleasure in bullying + humiliating students.
Anon student
I remember being a English student of Sally Osbourne Town and she was nothing but a an upholder of class and racial divides. A horrible woman indebted to her own bigotry.