This May Jesmond residents will have their say in the running of NE2. In the run up to the election, we will meet all the candidates running for council seats in Jesmond. Today, the Green candidates for North and South Jesmond: Shehla Naqvi and Robert Magowen.

Shehla Naqvi – North Jesmond

Naqvi joined the Green party less than a year ago after working with colleagues who were active within the party, who she says she respected greatly. She is now also the party Chair in Newcastle. Outside of politics Naqvi manages a health company and is also a therapist. She lives in Jesmond and is passionate about her local community.

The vibrant party member describes the success the Greens have had over the past year with membership rising, including the transition of previous Labour members to the party, saying “they don’t recognise their former party and they don’t feel a sense of identification or affiliation with them.”

She says the party still has a lot to do but that they are “learning a lot.” She also goes on to praise the “excellent work going on in Heaton” (a Green Party target ward to win), which she calls “well structured and supported” and says that she believes they can recreate such organisation in Jesmond.

Naqvi’s attention is focussed on creating a greater community spirit within Jesmond and “the way we should live and treat each other.” She feels that the loss of independent food producers which have been replaced by the three large supermarket brands has decreased the “spirit of engagement” within the community.

Perhaps her biggest aim is to produce ‘living streets’ designed for the people, which would act as hubs of community engagement. She believes the Acorn Road consultation and process was poorly handled but insists that she sees it as a positive thing, saying “Acorn Road was a massive learning exercise on how to do it better next time.” She would like to also see changes made to  Tankerville Terrace and Osborne Road.

Robert Magowen – South Jesmond

Rob Magowen, an undergraduate student of Politics and Media at Newcastle University, joined the Green Party last September. After finding no affiliation with any of the other parties he learned more about the Greens and liked the way they approached politics. Along with fellow students he founded the ‘Young Greens’ society at Newcastle University as well a similar venture at Northumbria University.

Magowen says he really enjoys his involvement with the party and calls it a “connection between like-minded figures.” He believes raditional view of the Green Party being solely about climate change or the environment no longer stands, and says that people now join them because of their other policies, then realise they also agree on other points.

Not surprisingly given his student status, Magowen wants to create a better union between the students and local residents. He would like to encourage students to become part of the community rather than only considering the area as a temporary home: “the student population has one of the most beautiful areas in the country for students,” he notes. He would like to see the student population making use of the fantastic provisions available to them, and wants to encourage integration both on their part and also with residents to make sure students feel welcomed.

Magowen is standing for election in South Jesmond – however he believes the wards should only be recognised for administrative purposes, saying he feels that Jesmond is one community, not two separate wards.