Really good luck to you. I'll check my independent candidates ahead of GE.
I had to give it a lot of thought as nothing much appealed. I started with Green because I care about the environment, but literally got kicked out when I confessed I was GC. (Some man had phoned me to ask if I would be a candidature them, but instead told me he would take me off the membership list!) Not Labour obvs. One thing I learnt with the Greens is that I don't have the patience for endless "democracy". Not LibDems either.
The Conservatives have some good women's groups and "the Baroness" who I have met. In London in particular there seems to be a bit of a revival with some good women coming forward, a good proportion of whom are from ethnic minorities.
I am not standing in London. Long story, but I spent a decade of commuting to care for my mother whilst my kids were in school in London. They have left home and and DH is working from home 50% of the time, and was 100% for the two lockdown years, so I am standing there.
Its fascinating. The local party is small, and, well, a boys club. (Probably true of all parties - just different boys.) It is interesting how, whatever party, such a small number of people select their MP and then effectively their party leader. If women are not involved, and most are simply too busy to put the time in, we will be represented by people who have no interest in or understanding of women's issues.
I have found it quite a tough journey. Lots of stuff to master in a short time. Issues, policies, IT, local politics (rampant!), even how to pace yourself. I am also uncomfortable with a couple of local policies - inevitable, few are able to take a complete slate from the get-go, and also seem to be viewed as alarmingly left wing. . Interestingly the two people who really reached out have been women. Straightforward nice women. I would have my doubts about the independents I am up against. I don't know them, but one set seem to be new-style LibDems in all but name. The other disaffected Tories. From what I hear some of the Council's nuttier Trans day of Remembrance/pronoun stuff was driven by one or two obsessive independents, who were given concessions in return for support elsewhere. No one thought it mattered.
I will try to write a "ask her to stand" post when it is over. Actually it could be ask "sensible people" to stand. Voters should have a choice. Not simply sit in the middle thinking there is no one they want to vote for.
Can't wait for 4 May and for it to be over. And if I get in, unlikely, I will do my best to ensure that my ward is pothole and littler free, and that people who need help to access local services, get it. Vote me!
And Keir. There are a whole load of people wanting to vote for you, who at the moment can't. The people who look at me and say "13 years" but who, at the end of the conversation say that they will vote for me, and that if Rishi keeps him head down and steadies the ship, they might also vote for him.