Town’s female councillors reveal why they got into politics

To mark the centenary, the Town Hall’s committee room two is being renamed the Mabel Capper room in honour of Warrington’s first female journalist, who devoted much of her life to the struggle for women’s suffrage.

And we spoke to the town’s female borough councillors to see why they got involved in politics.

Cllr Diana Bennett (LAB – Poulton North), who was elected in 2016, said: “I just got involved in the local community and it progressed from there.

“It was two years ago but I had done the parish and voluntary work for years and you just get the bug after a while.”

Cllr Kath Buckley (CON – Lymm South), who was elected in 2015, said: “I got into politics because I have always been involved in the community and have served on many bodies.

“I thought that, perhaps, I could also serve the community wider by also getting involved in politics.

“And as a young, widowed mum bringing up a son by herself I had lots of things I wanted to say and to help people with.”

Cllr Jean Carter (LAB – Great Sankey South), who was elected in 2011, said: “I have been a Labour member since birth – my dad was a Yorkshire miner, so obviously I was going to be a Labour member.

“I never expected to be a councillor, I was persuaded by Nick Bent.

“I was campaigning for him and he suggested it and it is the best thing I have done and I feel like I have made a difference.”

Cllr Hilary Cooksey (LAB – Poplars and Hulme), who was first elected in 1999, said: “I first came into politics and joined the Labour Party when my children were young and I was concerned about the loss of funding to schools and about the condition of the NHS in the 1980s.

“I joined the Labour Party to fight for those services and since then I have been very involved in the party and worked on all kinds of children’s issues.”

Cllr Maureen Creaghan (LAB – Poulton South), who was first elected in 2001, said: “I got into politics because of my voluntary background in my community.

“I felt quite strongly about issues that were causing concern to the residents in my area and wanted to be a voice for those who could not use theirs.”

Cllr Jan Davidson (LAB – Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft), who was first elected in 1995, said: “My mum instilled in me the importance of voting and the importance of communities.

“I hope people realise the importance of the vote and exercise that right that some people died for.”

Cllr Linda Dirir (LAB – Penketh and Cuerdley), who was elected in 1998, said: “In the mid-90s the owners of the Arpley landfill site wanted to extend the site onto Norton Marsh and Moore Nature Reserve.

“This expansion would have made it the largest in the UK.

“I was elected in 1998 and – by working with Agenda 21, Warrington Borough Council and Penketh Parish Council – we managed to collect 25,000 letters of objection.

“Under the pressure of this campaign, the application was withdrawn in 2000.”

Cllr Jean Flaherty (LAB – Fairfield and Howley), who was elected in 2016, said: “I got into politics because I was very involved in volunteering in the community and after living in Fairfield and Howley all my life discovered that I lived in a ‘deprived’ area.

“It was to fight the corner for those people in what is termed a ‘deprived’ area to make sure we get our share because we are not deprived.”

Cllr Anna Fradgley (LD – Lymm South), who was elected this year, said: “My reason for going into politics is because I wanted to do good by the community and to represent the community.

“Being a woman I don’t see is an issue, however, I do feel more women should get involved in politics.”

Cllr Joan Grime (LAB – Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft), who was elected in 2016, said: “I got into politics when I joined the Labour Party because I agreed with its principles.

“I joined when I retired from work – it was something I felt I hadn’t been able to do before with the workload of a teacher.

“When you can help someone it is just fantastic and that is what it is about.”

Cllr Judith Guthrie (LAB – Westbrook), who was elected in 2012, said: “I got into politics in Warrington simply because I worked for St Rocco’s Hospice for over 10 years and realised a lot of the health issues and just wanted the best for the people of Warrington.”

Cllr Sarah Hall (LAB – Bewsey and Whitecross), who was elected in 2016, said: “I became a councillor to speak out on behalf of the communities I represent, to step up on their behalf and to effect change.

“And in doing so, I want to play an active role in shaping a better future for Warrington.”

Cllr Sharon Harris (LD – Appleton), who was elected in 2016, said: “For me it is about getting involved in the community and helping people to negotiate the formal institutions that sometimes act as a barrier to getting things done.

“If I have managed to help somebody, even in a small way, then that’s what politics is about for me.”

Cllr Jan Hart (LAB – Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall), who was elected in 2016, said: “I have been involved in Labour Party politics since the 1970s.

“We wanted to get more women on the council, so I was asked if I would stand to increase the number of women on the council and that is what I did, but I am a lowly backbencher and I have no aspirations elsewhere.”

Cllr Wendy Johnson (LD – Lymm North and Thelwall), who was elected in 1999, said: “I first became involved with local issues at the age of around 14, asking the late Cllr Barbara Mawer and late Cllr Ted Lafferty for some help to get a bridle path and public footpath on the banks of the ship canal between Thelwall and Statham.

“From that point, I took interest in the work the Liberal Democrats did locally and became a parish councillor at the age of around 22 and then became a borough councillor later.”

Cllr Amanda King (LAB – Great Sankey South), who was elected in 2016, said: “I did it because I love the community.”

Cllr Rebecca Knowles (LAB – Chapelford and Old Hall), who was elected in 2016, said: “I had two political grandmothers.

“They were both quite political in their own quiet way and felt that women often bore the brunt, so they are my two inspirations, and I would like to think they would be quite pleased with me if they could see what I was doing now.”

Cllr Maureen McLaughlin (LAB – Latchford West), who was elected in 2011, said: “I hadn’t thought about being a local politician until I had my children as I realised local politicians make a real difference for our children in the town.

“And it was actually after I developed multiple sclerosis that I realised that there was a role for people to represent people with disabilities and that really pushed me to want to make a difference.”

Cllr Cathy Mitchell (LAB – Burtonwood and Winwick), who was elected in 2016, said: “I went into local politics to try to make my ward a better place and to help people with problems.

“Transport is a big problem, so I started the community bus.”

Cllr Kerri Morris (LAB – Orford), who was elected in 2014, said: “Having both my parents as councillors and being brought up around politics from childhood gave me an insight of what a difference can be made in people’s lives and communities and made me want to be part of that.”

Cllr Karen Mundry (LAB – Latchford East), who was elected in 2002, said: “I became a councillor to make a positive difference for local communities and to give women a voice, so that women and families had a women’s point of view on the council.”

Cllr Pauline Nelson (LAB – Birchwood), who was elected in 1991, said: “When I first moved to Birchwood I had no interest in politics.

“It was the fight to have a high school in Birchwood and me becoming a part-time youth worker that made me interested in politics and I joined the Labour Party.”

Cllr Judith Wheeler (LD – Appleton), who was elected in 2014, said: “I remember when I was living in Great Sankey trying to get some street lights repaired and contacting my councillors who failed to respond, so I ended up seeing my MP instead.

“My father delivered the Lib Dem Focus in Appleton – despite never voting anything other than Labour in his life – and I started helping with that and somehow was recruited to be a candidate.”

Cllr Pat Wright (LAB – Rixton and Woolston), who was elected in 2001, said: “Prior to being elected in 2001 I was the local government committee secretary and there was a strong need for more women to stand in local elections.

“So I entered local politics with a passion and commitment to be a voice for the residents of Warrington, especially the elderly and the most vulnerable.”

There are 24 female borough councillors in the town.