A parliamentary candidate for Bexleyheath and Crayford is hoping to become the UK's first ever transgender MP.

Stella Gardiner is standing for the Green Party after initially being a Labour supporter.

The 48-year-old environmental advisor for TfL also has Asperger's syndrome and believes the parliamentary process should become more open to minorities.

She told News Shopper she always knew she wanted to be a woman.

The Chislehurst resident, who lived in Welling for five years, said: "There was never a time when I didn’t know I wanted to change sex. 

"Luckily my family and most my friends were really supportive and stuck by me, as did my employers at TfL. 

"And there was never an issue about me becoming a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Greens.

"I’ve never had trouble about being transgender in Bexley. 

"The only time I suffered abuse really was a few years ago when I was on the train from London and someone started heckling me."

She is hoping the transition process will be improved.

The keen cyclist said: "There are issues about being transgender which both Conservatives and the Labour party have shied away from. 

"There needs to be better education in schools and the transgender process needs to be made a lot easier. 

"You have to wait two years before you get help from the NHS. 

"And it’s really hard to change your passport - you need to phone up, there’s not an online section.

"There is still quite a lot of prejudice around but discrimination against transgender people just doesn’t get discussed at all."

However Ms Gardiner has other priorities she would like to address first.

She said: "There are areas in Bexley and Crayford which are deprived - some there is 35 per cent child poverty.

"I’d look at the austerity measures we’ve suffered, deprivation, lack of jobs and the need for more transparency from the council. 

"I would boost more jobs in the environmental sector since this is the fastest growing industry we have.

"Now Tesco has pulled out of the Albion Road site, rather than politicians deciding from their ivory towers, we should ask the public what they want.

"Bexley is really crying out for affordable housing the site could be used for that."

Follow Ms Gardiner on Twitter at @greenstell or support her campaign at crowdfunder.co.uk/fund-our-leaflets-and-candidates