Commentary

If every ward in Worcester was like Nunnery, then we wouldn’t have the fascinatingly divided council we have - Worcester would be akin to one of those Labour fiefdoms in southern Wales.

The large three-member ward, largely full of leafy streets and suburban homes is solidly Labour, although it has been in the Conservatives sights before, and some efforts has been put into trying to wrest the ward from Labour's hands but with a distinct lack of success

All three of Nunnery's councillors are Labour and and the party hasn't lost an election in Nunnery for at least a decade.

The councillor defending her seat this year is Pat Agar. In 2014, even at a fairly low point nationally for the party she won here seat comfortably with just over 50 per cent of the vote

Since then Simon Cronin held his seat with 41 per cent of the vote in 2015, with a 400 vote majority over his Conservative challenger, even as David Cameron’s party were winning Worcester, and Downing Street in the general election held on the same day.

In 2016 new candidate Tracey Biggs win with a very comfortable 55 per cent of the vote. Elections before the current cycle also saw Labour candidates home in Nunnery with some ease.

There are five candidates standing in the ward this year, the Conservatives have Haris Saleem and UKIP are running Jon Barras.

Two of the candidates have run a couple of times before in the ward, the Green Party's Barbara Mitra and Carl Mason, who previously has been a candidate for the BNP but is now standing for the British Resistance Party.

Nunnery takes in part of Newtown Road where congestion, pollution and litter around the Aldi supermarket have cropped up as concerns.

Parking has often been at a premium too because of Worcestershire County Council's County Hall and Worcester Sixth Form College in the area; Spetchley Road, and the residential streets around are often filled with the parked cars of people working at or visiting one or the other.

With the city council in the balance and with every seat counting all parties will be hoping that their candidate, like Hamlet's Ophelia, will be told to get to get in at Nunnery.

Pat Agar – Labour & Co-operative

Worcester is an attractive, friendly city with a lot to offer, but we can always do better.

I want to see a cleaner, greener city where people can live healthier, more fulfilling lives, earning good wages with a decent roof over their heads.

Clean air means tackling our traffic problems – congestion is now the biggest threat to jobs and economic development in Worcester. We need to change this.

Worcester also needs more affordable homes, so local people no longer struggle to pay the rent or mortgage, and homelessness becomes a thing of the past.

Our community centres should be the heart of our communities, safe places where local people of all ages can find friendship, support and interesting activities.

I promise to oppose funding cuts that hold our city back and hurt our most vulnerable residents, and I will continue to speak up for you, your family and your neighbourhood.

Jon Barras – UKIP

I’ve lived in the Nunnery ward for a few years now. No-one within the ward listens to what the local residents need or want. I live and breathe the local ward and am fully in touch with what the resident and voter’s needs. You have a choice to vote, vote the same useless Councillor back in or vote for me as your local UKIP candidate and enjoy a new and wonderful change of Council direction and thinking that will have a positive impact on Nunnery.

Carl Mason – British Resistance Party

I've lived and worked from Worcester for 20 years as a self employed plumber/gas engineer. The councillors and MPs have nothing but contempt for the voters, look how they obstruct the Brexit result. They are all pro EU, pro immigration , support Islam and push the gay agenda in schools. Any MP or councillor who speakers out against these policies will see their careers over and lose their place in the trough. They work for the likes of George Soros and Merkel not you the voters. Look how the countryside is being built on and the jabber of foreign tongues in town most days of the week, under the banner of Diversity, it's really to divide countries for easier control by the EU. There are to be no white Christian countries only multiculturalism forced upon us. The British Resistance has a large internet reach as we stand for common sense policies and traditional values.

Barbara Mitra – Green

I have lived in Worcester for 20 years and work at the University of Worcester. I believe in a caring, inclusive and democratic society which enables everyone to have fulfilling work, follow their interests, and interact with their local community.

Having my own children (one with special needs including autism, epilepsy and PDA) means I understand the importance of supporting others to have rich and rewarding lives.

Our democracy should be participatory and empowering for people to take an active and informed part in the decision-making processes that affect their lives.

If elected, I will do all I can to be a voice for local people and local issues. I believe the Green Party is the only party that has the policies to make our society fairer.

Haris Saleem - Conservative

My priority is to make our local area cleaner and safer. I am campaigning for more frequent local Saturday skips and for a litter hit squad to target places where rubbish is dumped - and to remove graffiti.

Working with colleagues we have already achieved one important success: persuading the city council to put new money into the budget to modernise CCTV cameras so the Police get high resolution images to fight crime and prosecute criminals successfully.

The Conservatives started support for apprenticeships and I want the scheme to help as many young people as possible. The previous Conservative administration did this while protecting services, like the Ronkswood Community Centre, while other councils were cutting theirs - and kept Council Tax down too.

I already deliver the all-year-round regular In Touch newsletter to highlight local issues and to listen to residents' concerns. I pledge to work hard to deal with them.