Suzy Stride
Suzy Stride is the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Labour Party in the UK Parliamentary Constituency of Harlow.[1]
Since being made the Labour Party Candidate for Harlow, Stride has been vocal in her opposition to changes to youth service provision.[2]
Early and Work Life
Suzy was born in Bow in East London on 6 March 1982 and now works in Education, living in Harlow. She attended Grey Coat Hospital in Westminser and then went on to read Geography at Cambridge University. Since graduation she has worked at her brother's charity, City Gateway, running youth crime prevention projects and programs to tackle youth unemployment.[3]
Suzy was brought up Tower Hamlets. Growing up in a family of four, her mother used to work at the local supermarket while her father is Chief Exectuive of one of London's largest Housing Associations, Poplar HARCA.
In her work at City Gateway, Suzy spends her time tackling social exclusion and worklessness in East London, diverting hundreds of young people away from crime and into education and work[citation needed]. She has successfully pioneered youth crime prevention projects in East London and in South Africa[citation needed].
Campaigning and Political Life
Suzy has been active in supporting and promoting a number of campaigns for the local communities in Harlow.
Better Busses
Working with the "Movement for Change" group, a group of everyday people in Harlow who gather together to make a positive change in their community. They organise and campaigning to improve Harlow’s bus service.[4]
Street Lights
In late 2014 Essex County Council imposed a change to switch off many of the street lights in Harlow and other Essex communities. In general this move has not been welcomed by those communities affected. Harlow Labour Party[5] and Suzy Stride, along with representatives from many other Essex communities have campaigned for the decision to be reversed.[6] Harlow Council successfully negotiated a small rise in local Council Tax in order to fund the exact amount which Essex County Council claimed had been saved by turning Harlow street lights off. The move was opposed by the Conservative council members. Essex County Council have rejected the proposal, but as of March 2015 have agreed to reduce the 'lights out' period by one hour.
Children's Centres
Suzy Stride has been very active in campaigning to save 'Sure Start' children's centres alongside many other community campaign groups including incumbent Member of Parliament Robert Halfon.[7][8] Labour have warned that over 1,000 Sure Start centres will close within four years as a direct result of spending plans by the current Conservative Government.[9]
Labour Party
Suzy also worked on Labour’s policy review, ‘What Makes Politics Count for Young People’, that will feed into the next Labour Party Manifesto.
Controversy
In 2013, she came under intense scrutiny by the local Trade Union Council in Harlow for her perceived lack of action on issues such as the Bedroom Tax and blacklisting of trade union workers. This led to local union members dubbing her "Silent Suzy".
Suzy was also selected as the Labour candidate for Harlow by way an all-female-shortlist. Stride has previously stated on this matter that quotas are needed to address inequalities.[10]
References
- ^ "Labour's Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Labour Party. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ "Suzy writes to Robert on youth cuts". Your Harlow. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ "About Suzy". Suzy Stride. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ http://www.harlowlabour.org/better_buses
- ^ http://www.harlowlabour.org.uk
- ^ http://www.harlowlabour.org/tories_turn_our_lights_back_on
- ^ http://www.harlowstar.co.uk/Harlow-MP-starts-petition-save-Maples-care-centre-children-special-needs/story-21928680-detail/story.html
- ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sure_Start
- ^ http://www.harlowlabour.org/labour_warns_of_tory_threat_to_sure_start
- ^ http://simplychangeit.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/the-number-of-women-in-parliament-is-at-historic-low/