There’s going to be real change to the way decisions are made in Monmouth, with the election of seven INDY Monmouth councillors to the Town Council, making them the largest single group.
Thanks to INDY Monmouth, all electors were offered a choice of candidates in every ward. No councillor was automatically selected for any seat and the turnout increased by 27% to 48.4%. Of the 9,010 votes cast, over 51% were for INDY Monmouth.
The seven successful INDY Monmouth candidates are: Anna Antebi, Claudia Blair, Ken Breeze, Felicity Cotton, Kelly Jackson-Graham, Alice Legg and Jess Stephens.
This band of ordinary people, none with any previous involvement in politics, came together to fight for a better future for the town and are now pledging to deliver upon their promise, to listen to the people of Monmouth.
With no party affiliations, INDY Monmouth councillors promise to consult with residents, involve local people in the decisions that affect their future and solve problems through dialogue and co-operation.
For many of the new councillors this was their first experience of democracy in action. By getting out there with a concerted campaign and engaging with as many members of the public as possible, in many innovative ways, the group has given a boost to democracy within the Town Council and Monmouth.
Enough to inject the voice of the people into the Town Council, this outcome indicates that a significant number of local people want to see things done differently in how the Town Council operates.
Jess Stephens, who at 18 is the youngest councillor, said “On behalf of all INDY Monmouth candidates, I’d like to thank voters for their leap of faith. INDY Monmouth will match that leap by working with the other town councillors to build community spirit. We will run with grass roots ideas, opinions and plans for a better Monmouth.”
