Our Candidates for the local elections on 2nd May
Our candidates are either serving councillors or people who work alongside them, talking to residents they want to represent, finding out the issues that really matter to them, and working to find solutions. A visible sign of their passion for making people's lives better.
Manor Ward
Your dedicated and hard-working councillors in Manor Ward are asking you to use your 3 votes to re-elect them on 2nd May
Cllr. Andy McGuinness - candidate for Manor Ward
Andy McGuinness was first elected for Manor Ward on Stevenage Borough Council in 2014 and then re-elected in 2018 with a huge 61% of the vote. Andy believes in vocal local activism and the positive role that Councillors play in representing and advocating for the needs of local people.
On the Borough Council, he serves on the Overview and Scrutiny Select Committee as well as the Licensing and General Purposes committees.
Andy sits on the board of Chells Manor Community Centre and is a former governor of Lodge Farm Primary School in Manor Ward. Andy has a long professional history of working in politics, advocacy and campaigning. He worked for 6 years in local Government supporting Executive Members, for three years he ran the Westminster office of a Lib Dem MP and is a former Campaigns Manager at Crohn’s & Colitis UK. Andy currently works in Public Affairs for Macmillan Cancer Support.
He passionately believes in strong local representation and the need to be active on the doorstep, holding local community meetings, communicating with local people, and listening to their concerns. So, if you’re a local resident in Manor Ward and have any problems then please don’t hesitate to contact him.
Cllr. Robin Parker - candidate for Manor Ward
Robin has lived in Chells for nearly all his adult life and still lives there, near The Glebe. He worked as a teacher for 40 years. Robin was first elected to Stevenage Borough Council in May 1982 for Mobbsbury Ward. When this was abolished in 1999, he moved to the new Manor Ward, which covers Mobbsbury and all of Chells Manor. He is the second longest-serving Borough Councillor on SBC and leader of the Liberal Democrat Group. He was most recently re-elected at the council elections in May 2019 and currently, he serves on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Appointments Committee, amongst many other SBC commitments.
Robin is also a Councy Councillor for Chells Division and was first elected to Hertfordshire County Council in 2005. Currently, he serves on the Pensions Committee and the associated Pensions Working Party and the Standards Committee. He is the longest-serving Stevenage County Councillor.
Cllr. Graham Snell - candidate for Manor Ward
Graham Snell is a Borough Councillor for the Manor Ward on Stevenage Borough Council. He was first elected to the Mobbsbury Ward in 1998 and then was elected to Manor Ward when it was created in 1999. He has been re-elected six times since, the last time in 2021. He has a particular interest in the future of the town and has for many years been on the Planning and Development Committee and served on various other committees over the years.
Graham is a widower, having been married to his late wife Heather for 35 years. He has lived in Stevenage for over 30 years and worked in the town for much of that time in retail as a Newsagent and Supermarket Manager. He is now retired. He has brought up three children in Stevenage who were all educated at Thomas Alleynes School, two of them going on to University and another to North Herts College. Two of Graham’s children still live in the town and he has three grandchildren, all of which attend a local school.
Graham has a commitment to Stevenage, having first visited the town in 1977, and wants to help to bring back to the place some of the pride that many Stevenage people felt in previous years.
Chells Ward
Our dedicated and hard-working councillors in Chells Ward are asking you to use your 3 votes to re-elect them on 2nd May
Cllr. Julie Ashley Wren - candidate for Chells Ward
Julie is delighted to be one of the Lib Dem councillors for Chells Ward who work together as part of our fantastic team of dedicated people: Cllr Stephen Booth, her son Cllr Tom Wren and County Councillor Robin Parker.
Julie has a strong local connection to Chells Ward, having lived there for many years and with two of her children still living in the ward. Julie first arrived in Chells from Glasgow as a three year old and she remained there for many years, bringing up her five children and teaching in local schools as a primary teacher.
Julie says, "As a school governor for 30 years and 17 years as Chair of Governors, I feel I have many skills that are transferable to the role of Councillor. My commitment to Chells is based on my desire to ensure that the children I teach and my grandchildren, grow up in a safe, pleasant and caring environment. It is essential that we protect the environment for their future and do not compromise when making choices, to make sure their futures are the best they can possibly be."
Cllr. Stephen Booth - candidate for Chells Ward
Stephen Booth was elected for the Chells Ward of Stevenage Borough Council in 2019. Has served on the Borough Coulcil on the Audit, Environment & Economy, and Community Select committees.
Stephen is a former chair and governor of Barnwell School. He passionately believes that education should be life-long with wide opportunities for re-training, especially for those made redundant.
Stephen retired in 2017 from his publishing and event management business, which focused on the surveying and geographical information sector. During his working life, from which he draws knowledge and experience to apply to his council work, he worked in the construction industry in the UK and abroad before moving exclusively into publishing in the early 1980s.
He is a fellow member of the Royal Geographical Society and maintains a keen interest in both UK and world events as they shape and inform our views through history and geography. When he’s not reading or following a factual TV series, he enjoys tinkering with classic cars and listening to classical music.
Cllr. Tom Wren - candidate for Chells Ward
Tom Wren was first elected as Borough councillor for Chells Ward in 2018. Since then he has served on the Community Select, Planning and Development, and Audit Committees of the council. Tom has been involved in a number of local campaigns including calling for a review of the town's recycling scheme, objecting to inappropriate developments within and surrounding our community, and highlighting Stevenage Borough Council's inappropriate tree felling policy and inadequate replanting schemes. Tom has recently been working on a campaign to have footpaths in Box Wood recognised as Public Rights of Way.
Tom is a lifelong Stevenage resident and lives in Chells with his wife and two children. Tom is a Chartered Surveyor who works for a local government transport authority.
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