Making the choice

When I was asked if I had a preference for party in being matched with a councillor I spoke to a friend who agreed that shadowing a Green would be the closest to my own views. I also hoped to get an idea of how realistic it would be for me to become a politician.

Meeting my Councillor

The first time I saw Jenny Jones in action was when she took part in a panel debate led by Mark Thomas at the Tricycle Theatre as part of his “It’s the Stupid Economy” tour. At this point I had hoped I would be shadowing Jenny, but didn’t know for sure, so I watched the debate from the audience and got some idea of what Jenny’s views are. It was a fascinating way to experience the varied opinions of the Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem and Green politicians on issues as diverse as whether asylum seekers should be allowed to work to the enforced regulation of crisp packet colours.

When I was told that I would be shadowing Jenny I was delighted as she is not only a Southwark Councillor, but also a Greater London Assembly member so the range of experiences I would get to shadow would be pretty wide and varied.

Meeting at City Hall

Our first meeting was at City Hall and I reassured Jenny that I had asked for a Green to shadow - I hadn’t drawn the short straw! In the course of our conversation she explained to me that media is a very important part of the work of being a Green and she is often asked to do TV or radio. In fact on my second day of shadowing Jenny she was interviewed by ITV and BBC1 for her thoughts on the planned introduction of charging points in London for electric cars. The Mayor had announced this initiative in Copenhagen the day before and the media were keen to get some views from the Green Party on what was being trumpeted as an eco friendly policy. It wasn’t quite as glamorous as I’d expected being filmed while talking to camera outside in cold weather and with background traffic noise.

In fact glamour was in pretty short supply on the cold winter morning that I joined Jenny for her regular surgery at Dog Kennel Hill - which I know well thanks to my husband’s football team playing there. A resident had asked Jenny to take a look at a tree that was believed to be causing damage to her property so we went along to meet her. The neighbor whose garden we went into was less than impressed and I got to witness first-hand the less than friendly meet and greet side of local politics.

My initial experiences participating in the scheme have been fascinating and I look forward to more. Just this morning, I heard Jenny’s fellow Green and chair of the London Assembly Darren Johnson on the radio, and felt a little more connected to the political landscape than before.