ANNA Coda is standing for Labour in the Hereford & South Herefordshire constituency. Anna moved to Hereford to teach Chemistry following her marriage to Steve in 1979. She has two grown up children and a new grandchild. After 37 years teaching in local schools she took early retirement last autumn.

As well as being Chair of the local Labour party, Anna has a wide range of interests including belonging to local choirs and the Hereford Ornithology Club. She also enjoys pub quizzes and an occasional game of Phat.

Anna said, “As a long term resident of Herefordshire I am appalled by the mark left on our county by seven years of Tory/LibDem and Conservative governments.

She is concerned about Hereford Hospital, which, she said, struggles to retain staff and teeters on the edge of crisis with a £20.5 million budget deficit last year.

She is also worried about the reduction in central government grants to Herefordshire Council which has led to cuts to adult social care, The Citizens Advice Bureau, Library services and the Courtyard.

She said that the sale of Council farm holdings is the latest piece of Council ‘asset stripping’.

She added, “Whilst recognising our current MP’s help in securing a ‘Hereford University’ the rest of education faces a bleaker future. Our colleges have already suffered swinging cuts which is a poor reward for the exceptional successes of Hereford Sixth Form College.”

She belives that Labour is the only party that can beat the Tories in Hereford & South Herefordshire. In the 2015 Election Labour received more votes in Hereford & South Herefordshire than either the LibDem or Green party.