Latest news with #CatherineBraun
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Tributes paid to Green Party pioneer John Marjoram after his death aged 86
Tributes have been paid to the first elected Green Party councillor, who has died aged 86. John Marjoram was elected in 1986, a year after the Green Party had been formed, and was a councillor at town and district level for 35 years until he stepped down in 2021. Mr Marjoram, from Stroud in Gloucestershire, died on Saturday after a long illness. He held the record as the longest continuously serving Green Party councillor. An environmentalist, Quaker and pacifist, Mr Marjoram was a co-founder of the Stroud Green Party in 1985 and was elected to the district council the following year. As well as district councillor, Mr Marjoram was elected to the town council when it was formed in 1990, before becoming the UK's first Green Party mayor. He grew up in rural Essex and developed an early interest in politics during dinner table debates with his staunch Labour father and Conservative-voting mother. When he was called up for national service he cited his pacifist beliefs, and remained in an administrative role while others in his intake went to Malaysia to fight the Communists. In 1968 he moved to Stroud with his young family, drawn there by his affiliation with the Quakers, who had a strong presence in the town. Catherine Braun, Green Party councillor and leader of Stroud District Council, said: 'It was John who persuaded me to stand as a paper candidate, before I was eventually elected to Stroud District Council. 'He was such an influential and inspirational activist, not just to us here in Stroud district but across the whole Green movement. He will be much missed.' Martin Baxendale, a district councillor in Stroud, said: 'John's first election leaflet for Stroud District Council in the 1980s inspired me. 'I read it, phoned him, and within half an hour he was on my doorstep talking me into joining the Green Party and standing for election to work alongside him.' Jonathan Edmunds added: 'John was an amazing man who inspired so many people into the Green Party and peace movement. 'A real maverick, they certainly don't make them like John any more. 'He was so passionate about politics but also cared deeply for all people and the planet. 'Stroud will be a lot quieter without him but he has certainly left a great legacy and it is for all of us to continue his work.'
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Stroud District Council leader steps down after three years
The leader of Stroud District Council is stepping down after almost three years. Catherine Braun, Green councillor for Wotton-under-Edge, will officially leave the position at the next full council meeting on 22 May – but said she is hoping to secure the deputy position instead. A new council leader will be elected at the same meeting on Thursday."I felt like at this point in time I wanted to get a better balance with my day job, so I can have more time for my local projects as well," Ms Braun said. As well as resigning as council leader, Ms Braun has also stood down as Stroud District Council's Green leader, instead becoming the group's for Minchinhampton, Chloe Turner, has been elected as the new Green leader and will put herself forward for the position of council leader next week. Ms Braun has listed the creation of the Stroud District Council plan - which has a focus on the environment, housing, health and the local economy - as among her greatest achievements while in the role, alongside promoting a culture of "cooperative working" within the has also acknowledged her successor will face some significant challenges, including with the council's local plan, which the planning inspectorate last week asked the council to withdraw for the second time this year."The local plan process has taken longer than we could possibly have expected," Ms Braun said."We are committed to taking this local plan through to the end of the process, so we will not be withdrawing it."It's going to take some time, but I think we're almost there." 'Future transitions' The new leader will also have to grapple with the issue of local government reorganisation, which will see the largest shake up of Gloucestershire's councils in a county's seven council leaders are currently debating whether to move to either one or two 'super councils' which will be responsible for running all services in Braun said there is a lot of work to do on future transitions."Local government reorganisation is going to continue for some time and it's really important we have some political shaping to that in terms of what any new council structures would look like," she added.
