City Council’s Marketing and Press Officer; and City Council’s Electoral Services Manager
Reference Code:
SOBA 5/1/8
Date:
2015-5-5 (creation)
Description:
As described by the depositor: On May 5th, two days before the General Election, the City Council’s Marketing and Press Officer, Ashley Perry stood in the press balcony at the Guildhall to talk about how he and his team would manage the night of the count and field press interviews: “It’s about helping the media tell the story of the Election count. Journalists know the rules of the game but that is not necessarily so for citizen’s bloggers and citizen’s journalists. “ Hot foot from talking to Ashley, and after the close of postal-vote registration and when the postal votes were being counted at the Guildhall Vicky Breading again talked to us about her final preparations for the Day of Voting May 7th:: “There is a special sweep of the letter boxes at 10 am on the 7th for the postal votes, we do advise people to send them back earlier, but they will get picked up on the day. We have to check signatures and dates of birth on the postal votes just to authenticate it all. Every single one is checked. We have about 100 people on the night to count the ballot papers.”
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Returning Officer
Reference Code:
SOBA 5/1/6
Date:
2015-4-11 (creation)
Description:
As described by the depositor: A long standing Returning Officer Rob Hammond, a former CEO of the City Council, spoke to us about his work on April 11th. Rob said he enjoyed the drama of the elections, “winners and losers”. He told us he had overseen four General Elections and that there was a very detailed process to work to: “You have to plan about a year ahead”. “If something goes wrong with it you are personally responsible.” He does foresee change in the future: “I am an enthusiast but it does need changing.”
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


City Council's Electoral Services Manager
Reference Code:
SOBA 5/1/2
Date:
2015-4-9 (creation)
Description:
As described by the depositor: On April 9th at the close of nominations we visited Vicky again, as she read out the six candidates who had put themselves forward to be the next MP for Cambridge. Vicky explained the process for registration. Vicky said that those nominated needed the support of ten people to be accepted onto the candidates list. She went on to explain how odd ball candidates get onto the list, how people can spoil their voting papers, and how both crosses on papers and ticks will be accepted and much more.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother



City Council staff after the close of voter registration
Reference Code:
SOBA 5/2/12
Date:
2015-4-21 (creation)
Description:
Includes interview with Vicky Breading, City Council’ Electoral Services Manager, and her assistant, Emily Watts.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Churches Jubilee hustings
Reference Code:
SOBA 5/2/18
Date:
2015-4-29 (creation)
Description:
An event aimed at Christians, involving a group of churches. Includes interviews with organiser Jonathan Tame, and his events manager.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother












#IWD2018 interview with Alison McGovern MP as she talks about Harriet Harman MP and those all too male works of art in Westminster
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/13
Date:
2018-03-06 (creation)
Description:
McGovern was just one year of age when Harman was elected to Parliament. McGovern talks about Harman's influence, all-women shortlists, having a nursery in the Houses of Parliament. Sones asks about how 'male' Parliament is, McGovern recognises that it will take time through the Committee.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother



Interview with Councillors Jerri Bird and Carla McQueen: Cambridge City Council Local Elections
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/27
Date:
2018-05-17 (creation)
Description:
Bird is a Labour Cambridge City Councillor and helped McQueen win her seat in East Chesterton, McQueen was elected off an all-woman shortlist. Bird is former Mayor of Cambridge and as someone who is in a wheelchair has campaigned on disability issues alongside others. In 2019 she was Deputy Mayor of Cambridge. The interview took place when McQueen had popped over to Bird's house for a meeting on anti-social behaviour and dangerous driving when Sones spoke to both of them. Sones asks Bird about 'door-knocking', Bird says that while there are a few who do not like the experience, many people like talking to their local councillor. The pair discuss disability and Bird becoming Mayor of Cambridge as a disabled person. Sones talks to McQueen about the election night voting count and all-women shortlists. McQueen gives an account of her work in the face of being criticised for being on an all-women shortlist. Sones and Bird discuss special needs education and Bird's childhood, Bird sees it as a serious issue that needs tackling and that is not being tackled by the government. Sones asks both about what their meeting is about: dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour. McQueen talks about the importance of having a strong team around her, especially a team of women. Bird talks about the PIP process and living in Cambridge as a disabled person.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Councillor Bridget Smith on the May 2018 Local Elections
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/33
Date:
2018-06-12 (creation)
Description:
The May 2018 local elections resulted in normally safe Conservative parliamentary seat of South Cambridgeshire becoming a Liberal Democrat controlled council with a healthy majority winning 30 of the 45 seats. There were boundary changes and a reduction in the number of seats from 57, the Conservatives were reduced to just 11 when they previously had 35. Some put the dramatic change down to the 2016 Referendum and Brexit, and the vote to leave the EU, in which 60% of South Cambridgeshire voters wanted to Remain. However, there were other factors at play, such as no proper local plan, controversial housing developments, transportation, the lack of face-to-face debt advice, and the need for more affordable housing. In this interview, Bridget smith, the new leader of South Cambridgeshire spoke to Sones about the victory, the issues on which the Liberal Democrats campaigned, the impact of Brexit, and the vulnerability of the seat now in any future General Election and their use of the 'Minivan' application which allowed them to know which houses they needed to call upon in each ward. Smith discusses the 'waterfall of yellow votes', but notes that 'putting it down to Brexit is far too simplistic. Smith and Sones discuss the other issues affecting Cambridge, having four years of no plan, no five year housing land supply and out of control speculative land development. Smith states that people are really upset by the effects of austerity.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Vicky Ford MP on #Abortion in Northern Ireland
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/32
Date:
2018-06-06 (creation)
Description:
Ford speaks about her speech in the recent debate on reforming the abortion laws in Northern Ireland and amending the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861 proposed by the Labour politician Stella Creasy. The debate was brought forward after a referendum in Southern Ireland [Ireland] where the vote was in support of abortion reform leaving Northern Ireland out of step with the rest of the UK. Ford talked to Sones before Supreme Court ruled whether or not the UK in contravention of the Human Rights Act on this.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


@Vote100 Voice and Vote Exhibition, Westminster Hall: Women's Place in Parliament
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/35
Date:
2018-06-27 (creation)
Description:
Interview with Maria Miller MP, the Chair of the Equalities Select Committee provides her own tour of the new Voice and Vote exhibition. The exhibition takes visitors through the historic moments of women's suffrage and their struggle for the vote.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Catherine McKinnell MP: Carillion and apprenticeships and childcare vouchers
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/5
Date:
2018-01-17 (creation)
Description:
McKinnell is the Labour MP for Newcastle North, her debate followed a petition that asked the government to think again before making the changes to phasing out vouchers which will cause hardship for some. McKinnell also asked Prime Minster Theresa May about what will happen to apprenticeships now that the construction company Carillion has gone bust. McKinnell is the co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships, McKinnell discusses tax free child care and formulating a fairer system and working against the government's decision to block new voucher applications, even though the vouchers scheme helps those worse off.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Maria Miller MP: Cox Report and Harassment in Parliament
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/50
Date:
2018-10-17 (creation)
Description:
Miller, Conservative MP for Basingstoke chairs the Women and Equalities Select Committee and used a debate (16 October) to discuss the Dame Laura Cox report on harassment and bullying in Parliament to call for Speaker John Bercow to resign. Miller was disappointed with the number of MPs in the debate and that it was obvious Bercow should step down.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Anne Marie Trevelyan MP: why when you are an MP, Country has to be the first battle to fight
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/58
Date:
2018-12-11 (creation)
Description:
'Brexiteer' Anne Marie Trevelyan and Conservative MP for Berwick Upon Tweed represents a fishing constituency that voted to Leave the EU in the 2016 Referendum. Trevelyan resigned her junior ministerial position in the Department of Education. Trevelyan was disappointed with Theresa May's decision to delay the Brexit vote. Speaking about her decision to resign from the government she said that after reading the agreement she felt she had little choice and that as an MP your loyalty is to your Constituency.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother