Your local Candidates for the 2025 Council elections

Greg Smith

I am delighted to once again stand in the local elections as a Green party candidate for the Haddenham and Stone Ward. Through the hard work of Green Party activists and a focus on this community I was able to secure a considerable majority in the 2020 Buckinghamshire elections.  I sit on a number of committees and attend a range of events and forums across the county. I am committed to local communities, local business and good quality local services.  

I have lived and worked in Buckinghamshire for 25 years. Throughout this time I have been involved with many local projects and community schemes.  I have had a successful career in Criminal Justice, Initially working in HM Prisons and Probation Service, moving to a development role within the Ministry of Justice and managing projects within victim related charities.

As an environmentalist, I am deeply committed to the well-being of our community and the planet. For me, climate change requires local action to achieve global change.  Addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis is a vital thread that runs through all policy areas and every aspect of our lives.  

I proud to have been involved in a range of community activities, including:

–        a founding member and chair of Zero Carbon Haddenham

–        Part of the group who initiated the Townsend Community Orchard

–        Helping to organise the Feast Festival, a local arts festival bringing together local arts, social and cultural groups.

–        Initiating the community action to buy  Blooming Fruity which remains a thriving community owned greengrocer.

–        a member of Haddenham Parish Council

–        Helping set up the local youth competitive swimming club, Thame Swimming Club.

Maru Mormina

I have lived in Buckinghamshire with my husband and daughter for the past 14 years, first in Princes Risborough and, since 2019, in Haddenham. In this time, I have seen many changes in our communities, particularly the general decline in the quality and availability of vital services. But also I have had many first-hand experiences of the incredible resilience and sense of community that makes Haddenham such a special place to live and raise a family.

As your councillor, I will work hard to champion the unique character and needs of Haddenham and Stone, preserve their rich heritage, and enhance the quality of life in the area by supporting local groups, improving public services, and promoting safe, inclusive and connected communities.

I spent most of my career in higher education, working as a researcher and lecturer at various universities including Cambridge and most recently Oxford, where I was a Senior Researcher and Ethics Advisor until just over a year ago.

I am now an independent consultant working with government departments, agencies, universities and policy think tanks in the UK and abroad to promote ethical governance and open and inclusive participation in public decision-making.

Because of the work I do, I have strong social and analytical skills and, as your councillor, I will use them to represent you, involve you, and advocate for your priorities, scrutinise complex policy issues and decisions to ensure the Council acts in our interests with integrity, transparency and remains accountable to us all.

Outside work, I am a governor at a local comprehensive school, the safeguarding officer for a local church and regularly volunteer with a youth organisation. Education, as well as children and youth needs, are issues very close to my heart.

As the daughter of a small farmer, I understand the crucial role of farming for our economy, the protection of the environment and our food security, but also the challenges farming communities face and the need for more coherent rural policies.

Growing up in our family-owned farm has given me a natural connection with the countryside and a love for walking. I feel blessed and proud to live in an area so rich in landscape and wildlife. However, I am also conscious of the incredible fragility of our natural environment and I will use my voice to advocate for initiatives that reduce carbon emissions, protect and enhance our green spaces, and encourage sustainable living practices.