Meet the candidate: Elizabeth Hughes

On Thursday, 7 May, Ipswich residents will head to the polls for two local elections on the same day — one for Ipswich Borough Council, the other for Suffolk County Council. Elizabeth Hughes is standing for Labour and Co-operative in the Westbourne Division, contesting one of 12 county council seats up for election across Ipswich.

As an apolitical publication, we sent every candidate standing in the town the same five questions, and we're publishing every response in full, without editing, so that residents can hear directly from the people asking for their vote. No candidate receives more or less prominence than any other. This is what Elizabeth told us.

Tell us a bit about yourself — who are you, what's your connection to your ward/division, and why do you want to become a councillor?

I have lived in central Ipswich since moving to Suffolk in 2017 and I absolutely love this town. It's my home.

I was bought up on Hounslow, and I was first elected and served as a Labour Councillor there for fourteen years. When I moved to Ipswich, I stood for and was elected to represent Gipping Ward, where I live, on Ipswich Borough Council, and have done so since 2018. I'm a foster parent of a teenager who attends a local college and I work for the Benjamin Foundation at Foxhall Recycling Centre.

I have always been a practical, present and 'hands on' community councillor. I volunteer at my local food top-up shop, St Matthews Church, and have always worked with and supported local faith and community organisations in Gipping. I am also an enthusiastic litter picker. I served as Ipswich's Mayor as we came out of covid restrictions in 2021 and, in that role, I met so many people and groups active all over Ipswich, including the Polish Community in Castle Hill, community groups in Whitton and Whitehouse and the wider public at Mayoral and community events.

I have enjoyed my eight years as a borough councillor and am now seeking election to serve the residents of Westbourne on Suffolk County Council, bringing with me an Ipswich centred point of view and experience.

What are the three biggest issues facing your ward/division right now, and what would you do about them if elected?

Ipswich Borough Council has been awarded £20 million by the Labour Government to enable real and lasting change, directed by the needs and aspirations of local people living in Westbourne Division. If elected I would hope to be part of the process which oversees funding allocation at this exciting time.

IBC has already made great strides in improving local parks and open spaces in the Division. I would like to see more opportunities taken to improve the general environment for local people - from road quality and repair, tree planting, pothole repairs and community led environmental works in schools and using our existing facilities, such as private gardens, open spaces and allotments, to boost biodiversity and support wildlife.

The cost of living is a significant issue for all of us and at the forefront of many residents' minds in this election. I would seek to support initiatives that really support families who are struggling with child care and schooling; tackling isolation in the older population and improving the general health and wellbeing of our communities.

Suffolk is in the middle of significant change — from the local government reorganisation creating new unitary authorities to ongoing pressures on housing, transport and public services. What's your view on how these changes should be handled, and what role do you see a local councillor playing?

The creation of a central administration hub serving the major urban population of Suffolk will, I believe, bring much needed change and focus of resources on what we really need locally here in Ipswich.

I have always supported the principle of council/community owned, not for profit, social housing. Ipswich Borough Council has proven its commitment to this principle by building in excess of 500 new homes for local people in the past four years. It is imperative that any new Ipswich administration has a cohesive home building programme, with strong, long term targets, to build affordable homes that serve the people who live here in our town. We also have a concentration of need ion Ipswich and focussing resources should give councillors a better control of how services are delivered and maintained for local people.

For local councillors in Ipswich, the focus must be on securing the right resources, at the right time and in the right place. This will be especially important for SEND provision, services for vulnerable adults and tackling the real issues of isolation and deprivation our residents are experiencing. Making sure that those services are easily accessible and tailored to our needs will be challenging but is achievable with the right political drive behind the changes that are coming.

A local Councillor should be a voice and advocate for the communities that have elected them. That is the primary role of Councillor, who should work with officer, and within the political administration, to deliver equitable and meaningful opportunities and improvements for everyone.

What do you consider your most significant personal, professional or community achievement — and what does it tell voters about how you'd approach the role?

In Ipswich, my most enjoyable and rewarding work has been working with the top up shops serving our communities. The case work that has come through meeting so many people has included the housing elderly, homeless, vulnerable people; working with young people in need of advocacy, advice and support; finding funding to provide food; working with people with mental disabilities, drug and drink addictions, accessing services and encouraging them keep going when things aren't easy to resolve and, finally, working with the committed and kind volunteers from all over our town, who are together making Ipswich a better place to live in.

If elected, how will you make yourself accessible to residents in your ward/division? How can people contact you now, and how do you plan to keep in touch if you win?

Currently, I can be contacted centrally at contact@ipswich-labour.org.uk Telephone 01473 255131

If elected, I intend to make use of some of our community spaces to run regular, accessible surgeries. I would also have an official email so I can be directly contacted.

Want to hear from the other candidates standing in Westbourne Division — and across the rest of Ipswich? We're publishing every response we receive in full.

Polling stations open at 07:00 and close at 22:00 on Thursday, 7 May, with results expected on Friday, 8 May. To vote in person you will need a valid form of photo ID — if you don't have one, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate at gov.uk before 17:00 on Tuesday, 28 April. The last day to register to vote is Monday, 20 April. For a full breakdown of every candidate standing across Ipswich and all the key deadlines, read our complete guide to the May elections.

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