Interview by Pippa Audritt, photo by Martin Phelps
In the latest in our occasional series about our Green Councillors from around Stroud District, we interviewed Beki Aldam, district councillor for Brimscombe & Thrupp and Chair of the Community Services and Licensing Committee on Stroud District Council.
Beki is one of the 14 Greens on the Green-led council. The party also has 12 councillors on Stroud Town Council, one on Stonehouse Town Council, two on Rodborough Parish Council, one on Coaley & Uley parish council, and one on Thrupp Parish Council.
What originally motivated you to get involved in local politics?
I’d been thinking for a while about how I could play a meaningful role in doing something about climate change. Although I had been doing things on a personal level to help, I wanted to do more; I wanted to be able to tell my daughters that I had tried to bring about positive change. When I was asked to stand for council it therefore seemed the obvious next step.
What does being a councillor involve?
My two main responsibilities as a District Councillor are those specifically within my ward and those on Stroud District Council generally. My ward role involves representing the people in Thrupp, Brimscombe and Butterrow at Council and helping them in general. This may involve taking a stand on matters they raise or helping solve any relevant problems.
My responsibilities on the District Council involve, among other things, acting as the vice-chair of the Community Services and Licensing Committee. This involves anything to do with the community, such as attending Stroud Arts Festival board meetings as their council member, and also anything to do with licensing, such as venue licences and taxi licences.
At the moment I am helping the council to battle the cost-of-living crisis by supporting the work of officers in helping the community. I chose to be on this committee because it ties in with areas that I am incredibly passionate about. Community Services, for example, ties in heavily with health and wellbeing. I believe wellness is vital in ensuring people lead less climate-destructive lives as happiness and a climate destructive lifestyle are not compatible.
You’ve been a councillor since 2021. What can you tell us about your experience so far? Has it been what you expected?
It has been incredibly varied. I was elected during lockdown, which meant that it was very tricky to meet people. As well as this, the Brimscombe Port re-development had reached a crunch point, making the start of my time as a councillor fairly full-on. However, since lockdown, my role as a councillor has become a lot more enjoyable, especially now I have become more experienced. I’m not sure whether my experience as a councillor has been what I expected because I campaigned during lockdown and therefore couldn’t quite get the measure of what local politics involved. I knew that I wanted a place to put my energies, but I wasn’t quite sure what that would look like.
If you could pick one memorable thing that’s happened at council or out and about in the ward that sticks in your mind for whatever reason, what would it be?
That would have to be a bike ride that I organised with a group of fellow cyclists and cargo bike owners. After the bike ride, we screened Motherload, a documentary about the use of cargo bikes, their impact on parenthood, and their use in the context of a warming world. After this bike ride many other local mums got a cargo bike for their children and there are now at least 10 cargo bikes that come to the school.
I think the bike rides that we organise and also me cycling round on my cargo bike certainly make a difference and has helped promote active transport in the community. Although the bike rides are not directly linked to my work as a councillor, they are not completely separate either.
In the run up to your election, were you always confident of winning, or was there a pivotal moment?
When I was running for the election I was in a unique position in that I was taking over from Martin Whiteside, who had been councillor in Thrupp for 20 years or so. Martin was very popular, due to his amazing work as a Green councillor, so Labour and the Conservatives put little effort into campaigning to win the ward when Martin stepped down.
I had supported Martin in the ward and was fairly well-known in the area because I was already involved in the community through projects like delivering books to people during lockdown, with my daughters.
Thanks to the brilliant work of Martin – and the lack of strong opposition – I was confident of winning. Sometimes I feel I haven’t fully earned my position yet so I believe the next election will be more of an indication!
How did it feel to be at the Count and to see your votes piling up?
It felt really weird! The other candidates hadn’t done much campaigning and I could see as the votes were counted that it was going to be a Green win; that was amazing to see. It was lovely to know that so many people had made an active effort to vote for me.
Can you tell us a bit about your ward?
My ward is fairly small and contained in comparison to other larger wards like Chalford. It contains Brimscombe, Thrupp and Butterrow, all of which have really nice community feelings. The ward is long and thin in shape and is intersected by the river, canal and the main road.
Our ward is lucky to have some really amazing places such as the Long Table, a really lovely community space, and Stroud Brewery, a wonderful local B Corp company that is incredibly ethical and sustainable. I feel very lucky to live in and represent this amazing ward.
Do you think having Greens at the table makes a difference to a council?
Yes, on every level and almost in every moment of the day. A recent example would be when we were discussing a grant for a playgroup that wanted to improve an outdoor area. The playgroup wanted to clear the area and put down artificial grass, but I successfully asked for the grant to be conditional on there being natural instead of artificial grass, to avoid the environmental damage the artificial grass would cause.
This tiny example reflects the greater change which is made by having lots of Greens at the table. The council has a Green leader, Cllr Catherine Braun, and is run by a Green-led Alliance. That has allowed the council to be very progressive in terms of the environment, and it was one of the first councils to declare a climate emergency.
Are there any tips you would give to someone who is interested in getting involved in local politics or is about to start their own election campaign for council?
I think the best thing to do if you want to get involved in local politics is to get involved in the community because then you can organically meet people and build your profile in the area. Being known as a likeable person, and as a person who gets stuff done and works for the right things, is important.
My other tip would be to take your time once you start the campaign trail and especially once you are elected. There are lots of things to get your head around, such as the structure of the council and who to talk to in certain situations. If you give yourself time and keep your eyes and ears open you will eventually understand how things work and you’ll settle into the role.
What Council decisions or activities are you most proud of?
The ambitious plan to do a retrofit of the Stroud District housing stock is something I am proud of, although it is not something for which I am responsible. It’s an amazing idea for the climate but also for improving people’s housing and making them more future ready.
I’m also proud of what the council gets done despite the massive cuts from national government. For example, Stroud District Council is one of the few councils that still offer council tax support; that’s a very brave and inspiring thing to do in the face of large cuts and the need for the council to still provide statutory services.
Something I’m personally proud is the Cost of Living support we are providing as a council. I brought the cost-of-living crisis motion to full council where we, as a council, declared a cost-of-living crisis. This was not only a symbolic gesture but also meant proper council resource could be put into battling the crisis. Once we declared a cost-of-living crisis, the chief executive wrote to our local MPs as well as directly to the PM saying how the council was concerned for the residents of Stroud District.
This was an important step for raising awareness of the issue and also for being there for residents. As part of the cost-of-living support we organised ‘warm spaces’ across the district; that has involved coordination between community hubs and the District and Town councils and has been a great community-based effort.
What Green policies are you keen to implement in your ward or in Stroud District as a whole?
I think the main one would be a Universal Basic Income (UBI) as it would allow people to be given enough to cover their basic needs every month. This would mean that poverty would be erased, along with all the mental health issues and other problems related to it.
The security provided by UBI would allow people to choose their jobs more freely and to pursue business ideas and different career options more readily. This would lead to companies having to provide good conditions and pay to attract staff as well as people being happier as they can pursue their interest more readily.
It would also mean people would be able to make better and more climate friendly life choices as they would not be under the great financial strain caused by unemployment and poverty.
What changes would you like to see in how we’re governed at a national level?
I have been considering this question a lot and I think it boils down to the issue of wealth. The way that we live is not sustainable and this unsustainable lifestyle is greatly exacerbated by the unequal distribution of wealth, especially when it comes to excessive individual and corporate wealth.
If you earn a lot of money your carbon footprint will be astonishingly higher and this correlation is an immensely strong one. The way that we are currently governed ensures the amassing of excessive wealth by individuals and corporations and therefore a wealth tax or limit on the profits a company can make is necessary to stop the large inequalities in wealth damaging both the climate and society.
Another change that I would like to see would be having a government more focused on protecting people and covering their basic needs. This change would be made possible by a change to the current First Past The Post voting system, which embraces mediocrity because it makes politicians less accountable to the public. FPTP means politicians often don’t have to work hard and serve the people in order to be re-elected. This has led to the disenfranchisement of many, meaning the government becomes further and further detached from the people it should be serving.
What do you need from local members and supporters to achieve your goals?
I would love some help from local members in areas that I am not personally skilled in. For example, some local members recently helped me design my newsletter; that was incredibly useful as I don’t have great design skills.
It would also be great if people who want to get involved in the community, and help to do some good in the ward, do so under the banner of the Green Party. This would be amazing as it would help generate a community feeling, help people in the ward, and also show what the Greens are capable of doing! Leafleting and canvassing what also be wonderful, especially in the run-up to the 2024 elections!
Finally, where would you like to see a Green win next in Stroud District?
It would be lovely for more Greens to win at county level. At the moment, Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) is Conservative led, which limits the opportunities for our four amazing Green county councillors to make any real change. For example, whilst GCC is responsible for the roads, we are never going to be able to implement active transport policies or 20mph speed limits where people live work and play.
At District level, I would like Greens to win anywhere they haven’t already, especially in wards where many feel unrepresented by their councillor, such as Tory strongholds in rural areas. It would be nice to turn these areas Green ahead of the General Election.
You can follow Beki on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/greenchalfordminch) and Twitter https://twitter.com/bekialdam