Paid-for Promotion
In the first of a special series of articles, each focusing on Green Party candidates with particular interests and skill-sets, we look at those who have a particular expertise in finance, writes Susan Fenton.
Chloe Turner
Chloe Turner is standing for re-election as county councillor for Minchinhampton, a role she has held – along with that of district councillor – since 2021.
She is a qualified chartered accountant, and enjoys applying her skill with numbers to detailed financial scrutiny across the many committees she sits on.
These include Audit & Governance, Pensions, and Overview & Scrutiny.
“I’ve really enjoyed carrying out deep scrutiny, holding GCC to account on its
strategies and commitments, and helping to shape policy and support good
governance and decision-making,” she said.
“It’s been satisfying to see changes I’ve had a part in come to fruition; some, particularly in the Pension Committee, have a very significant financial impact.”
She is especially proud of the £1.4m of amendments she and Green colleagues have successfully proposed to the Conservative budget at GCC over the past four years.
The Green group’s amendments have secured a biodiversity officer, secure cycle storage, an e-bike hire programme, natural flood management schemes, a citizen science officer, vital funding for community libraries and free bus travel for veterans.
John Patient
John Patient, the Green candidate for Haresfield & Upton St Leonards, started his career as an economist with an insurance company, before becoming a business analyst and data architect working both as an employee and as an independent consultant.
His clients included large businesses and governments both here and abroad.
Now retired from full-time work, John believes his finance knowledge will be
invaluable in assessing and interpreting the massive amounts of information,
much of it financial, that he will have to read as a county councillor.
Having managed project teams, worked with main board directors, presented
to groups of people and run training courses during his career, John is well-
placed to confidently take on a new role at Shire Hall.
Tom Jarman
Tom Jarman is a chartered engineer who is standing for election in the
Stonehouse division.
He has an engineering degree from Oxford University, a post-graduate
qualification in management from Cambridge University, and has extensive
business experience at director level in venture capital and engineering firms,
including local business Renishaw.
Tom has mentored, coached and raised funds for many start-up businesses,
and has a particular interest in finance and governance. He once led what was
then the world’s largest equity crowdfund, in order to raise money for a socially and environmentally responsible building development project.
Tom has a deep interest in economics, believing that the current political and
economic systems favour the wealthy rather than working towards prosperity
for everyone.
Tom is involved with the long-running campaign to reinstate the old Bristol
Road Station in Stonehouse. “Having good public transport links, accessible to
everyone, is important not just for the environment but also for a thriving local
economy,” he said.
If elected, Tom will get involved in GCC’s pensions investments and in
challenging the controversial Javelin Park incinerator contract.
“If the Conservatives lose their majority at GCC, there is an opportunity for
councillors to help recover tens of millions of pounds of tax-payers’ money that
was spent on what the evidence suggests was a wrongful contract.
“This contract has been a huge waste of public money; the council could
substantially reduce costs and recover public money, while also establishing
new waste methods that will substantially reduce incineration. If I am elected
this will be one of my priorities.”
Tom’s financial and legal skills and experience mean he is able to participate
knowledgeably in technical discussion about business, finance, legal and
technology/industry matters. “I will welcome the chance to improve the lack of
transparency and accountability at County Council level,” he said.
Gary Luff
Gary Luff is a district councillor for Painswick and Upton and is standing for election in the Bisley and Painswick division.
Before retiring early from his job as head of claims at an insurance company,
Gary managed a team of more than 100 people and was responsible for an
annual budget of more than £300million.
He believes this experience will be invaluable in helping GCC to manage its major projects if he is elected.
He is the current chair of SDC’s housing committee, which looks after nearly
5,000 council homes, making SDC one of the top 20 council house builders in
the country. “The financial position of the Housing Revenue account has been
transformed and is one of the healthiest in the country,” he said.
“We have achieved these results whilst protecting the most vulnerable in our community by increasing the tenant support fund by more than £100,000.”
He has a Masters degree in Business Administration.
Craig Horrocks
Craig Horrocks, the Green candidate for Rodborough, works as a business development manager with the prison service, responsible for assessing contract proposals to ensure they offer genuine value, both financially and socially.
As well as his work for the Ministry of Justice, Craig develops Social Value
plans for large public sector and local government clients on contracts worth
£100million-plus.
He has had a long career working in the criminal justice system, with a
particular interest in addiction counselling and recovery. He believes his
experience of research, analysing data, writing proposals and managing large
budgets, will be extremely useful as a county councillor.
Craig is currently a town councillor for Farmhill and Paganhill, and sits on
Stroud Town Council’s Finance & Policy committee.
Promoted by Rob Brookes on behalf of Stroud District Green Party, at 17 Great George Street, Bristol BS1 5QT.
