Wellingborough Save the Trees campaigner intend to stand in by-election

Environmental campaigner Marion Turner-Hawes has announced her intention to stand in the looming Wellingborough by-election as an independent candidate.

Since last year, Ms Turner-Hawes has headed the Save the Trees group that is battling developers to protect the under-threat Wellingborough Walks lime trees.

She has promised a ‘very different approach’ to the role of MP with a ‘spirit of collaboration’ to create a ‘home-grown vision’.

In her announcement she said: “I intend to stand as an independent candidate offering a very different approach to the role of being our MP, alongside a offering a compelling and clear vision for the ways I will work to support the people, communities and businesses of our area to come together and create a thriving, compassionate and sustainable future for us all.”

As as well as working as a consultant, Ms Turner-Hawes is an independent Wellingborough Town Councillor.

She said: “I am dismayed by the appalling situations that many of our fellow residents experience, and the destruction of essential services that has happened on this government's watch, and, through all of this, the poor example of care, support or advocacy that our previous MP has provided to help.

“If elected, I would work to show how powerful and important the role of being this area's MP actual can and should be. Showcasing how a ‘good MP’ can inspire and invigorate a whole area, being present for and working with local people and communities to empower ‘us’ and to help us work together to meet our needs and create new opportunities for investment and success.

“With my considerable experience of running support and advice services, working across local government, the voluntary sector, and with business, as our MP I would focus much more of my time working in this constituency, dealing with local challenges and creating ways we can collaborate better together to address the gaps in essential service here.”

“As our MP, I will work to help build that spirit of collaboration and create a home grown vision of what good lives for us all actually feels like, and help unleash our ability to make this happen. At the heart my vision is the knowing that we need to create a fairer and more sustainable way of living, helping everyone to afford and access a good home, enough food and provide a prosperous and sustainable future for our children, families and each other.”

She has promised to focus on green issues including energy efficiency of homes and to encourage a new low-carbon business sector in the area to ‘transform homes, to improve lives, and create immense and sustainable work opportunities’.

Ms Turner-Hawes added: “This campaign also offers the opportunity for me to speak up for and with communities and nature – our home – helping us all to be heard, and to continue to raise awareness about the community's fight to save the Walks trees in Wellingborough, and address other community grievances across our area.”