The successful candidate in the election will chair the new East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) that encompasses Nottinghamshire, Nottingham, Derbyshire, and Derby. Claire previously served as a government minister before she came to work in the pharmacy sector and later joined the PDA in 2017 as Director of Public Affairs. The PDA wishes her all the best with her election.
P3 Magazine recently featured an interview with Claire.
Claire’s roles in pharmacy include being Chief Executive of the Independent Pharmacy Federation, Chair of Pharmacy Voice, and since 2017 holding the position of PDA Director of Public Affairs.
In the article Claire talks about her experience of becoming a Member of Parliament before her 25th birthday, her time serving in Westminster, how she came to work in the pharmacy sector, and why the East Midlands Mayoral role has prompted her to seek a return to politics.
If elected mayor, Claire would have a budget projected at around £4 billion over the next few years, including dedicated settlements for transport and housing targets. Claire says, “It’s about making sure we use this money to create a better place to live, work and learn and really level up.”
Her key pledges include building more social housing and affordable units, saying, “Although it’s cheaper than London and the South East, it’s still relative to earnings. There’s a responsibility for helping to plan these things that comes with the mayoralty.”
Claire also says that “…the decisions politicians make have an impact on communities and families. Often, people don’t join the dots and recognise that those decisions are made because of a political ideology, and that therefore, if you want to shape what happens, you’ve got to be involved in politics.
It’s an incredible privilege to be elected to serve people at whatever level – whether it be a councillor or a member of parliament.”
To read the full interview, visit the P3 website here.
Learn more
- Claire Ward: PDA director on Labour ticket for East Midlands mayor
- Claire Ward’s election website
- Vote for the Mayor of the East Midlands
- PDA Appoints Claire Ward as its Director of Public Affairs
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