Campaigning mum aims to take county ward

A Herefordshire mother-of-six who has long worked to highlight shortcomings at Herefordshire’s children’s services is now standing for the Conservatives in county elections in an effort to put the troubled department right.

“I am campaigning on all the issues, but children’s services is the main one,” Angeline Logan said. “For four years, the Green/Independents coalition didn’t care. I am confident I will have the backing of my Conservative colleagues on this.”

The children’s services department is on notice to improve or face external takeover, following an “inadequate” Ofsted report last year and subsequent investigation by a Government-appointed children’s commissioner.

What she claimed is the council’s ongoing failure to meet and hear the concerns of individual families, many of whom have fought or are fighting to have their children returned, “is cruel, it shows no compassion”, Ms Logan said.

Local Tory MP Sir Bill Wiggin by contrast “was the only person will to meet and support the families affected”.

Standing in Leominster East, currently held by Coun Trish Marsh for the Greens, Ms Logan is also campaigning for better local support for children with disabilities, as is the case with one of her own children, rather than having to rely on resources in Hereford.

“Leominster has been forgotten and neglected,” she said, adding that she “fully supports” a current petition against plans to restrict daytime traffic in the town’s High Street and Corn Square.