ST JOHN’S has been one of the safest seats for the Labor Party in Worcestershire County Council for some time. Richard Udall has represented the division for decades.
Steadfast Johannes has seen one win after another in the division and was re-elected in 2017 with 57 percent of the vote – more than 500 votes ahead of the Conservatives.
He was last elected to the city council in 2019 to represent St. John’s. He received 630 votes ahead of the Conservatives and received 57 percent of the vote.
Owen Cleary, the former chairman of UKIP Worcester, now represents the Conservatives in the division.
He is no stranger to elections in St. John’s after running for UKIP in the 2019 city council election against Richard Udall – he finished third and more than 730 votes behind Labor – after finishing third in Bedwardine in 2015 and twice in Warndon had failed to secure a seat on the city council.
St. John’s has been tied to Labor for years, and although the Conservatives are closest to the Labor challengers and in the surrounding counties – particularly in Bedwardine in both the city and town council elections, as well as in St Clement and the Riverside Division of the County Council – Performing Well Is Far From Over Another victory for Labor would be a shock.
It’s a five-way battle in St. John’s for a place in the County Hall, with Peter Jackson for the Liberal Democrats and Heather McNeillis-Wilson for the Greens.
Mark Davies also stands for the union and the socialist coalition in St. John’s.
Empty shops and main street redevelopment, green spaces and public transport, traffic jams in and out of the city, the lack of a completed ring road and the “village within the city” on the doorstep of the Eternal. The expansion of the University of Worcester, the increase in student accommodation and Concurrent Employment Homes (HMOs) remain important issues.
OWEN CLEARY (CONSERVATIVE)
“St. John’s has the real sense of community and as your district councilor I would do anything to protect and enhance his unique reputation as a village in the city.
“The area suffers from a number of problems, including traffic jams, parking problems, and garbage and dog droppings.
“If elected, I would try to find ways to address all of this by working positively with the community and the city council.
“I believe the region could need someone with a new perspective and approach and I am ready to offer that.
“As a conservative, I would also work to keep your tax burden as low as possible and I would work to ensure that the council is always great value for money.”
PETER JACKSON (LIB DEM)
“Peter has lived on the west side of Worcester for over 35 years. He is director and co-owner of a conference and incentive agency.
“Peter focuses on building sustainable communities where residents can live, work and enjoy safely. He wants to work with everyone involved in the future of the city to make decisions that will benefit everyone. To build houses for families, not banks of executive housing, to make sure we have the schools, general practitioner offices and recreational facilities we need for all residents. Peter’s priorities are to listen to and understand people’s changing needs, keep roads safe, reduce traffic jams and improve public transport, put sustainability at the center of all activities and improve the life chances of all residents through high quality and improve lifelong education and training.
HEATHER MCNEILLIS-WILSON (GREEN)
“I lived in Worcestershire for nine years and moved to Worcester City in 2018.
“I have four children between the ages of four and eleven who go to school in St. John’s.
As a non-driver, I regularly use the hiking routes in our city and support the improvement of the city’s walking and cycling routes.
“We also need to see improvements in public transport that give people more choices about how to get around the city and that reduce pollution.
“I support initiatives to improve our outdoor spaces, plant more trees and make the spaces more usable.
“This will help improve the mental and physical well-being of our residents.”
RICHARD UDALL (WORK)
“St. John’s is my home where I was born; My family has lived here for generations. Here I work, rest and play. Of course, I want the best for St. John’s and its people.
“We need investments in new jobs, opportunities and infrastructure. We need better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. We need improved parks, playgrounds and recreation, we need to bring the fun back to St. John’s. I sponsored Dines Green FC and Dines Green Dance. I have secured a new Meco memorial park and will bring Didi rugby and basketball to the area.
“We also have serious problems to solve, such as long waiting lists for apartments, garbage, anti-social behavior and traffic jams. We need to complete the orbit with a new road bridge in the north of the city. We need to invest in new facilities, a local pub and post office for Dines Green, as well as new specialty stores and interesting stores for St. John’s.
“I want to continue to see a strong and vibrant local community.”