KENT ELECTS

What hopefuls have to say

CONSERVATIVE

Helen Grant

First elected to the constituency nine years ago to replace the long-serving Ann Widdecombe, Helen Grant was the first black woman Conservative MP.

The 58-year-old mother-of-two served in the last Parliament as the Tories’ vice-chairman for communities before resigning as Theresa May announced she was stepping down as Prime Minister.

Mrs Grant says her priority now is to support Boris Johnson, to get Brexit done and to unleash Great Britain’s potential, working to help the local community grasp the opportunities presented by leaving the EU.

She added: “I am proud of what we have achieved since I was first elected in 2010 including pressing our local NHS to reduce cancer waiting times, helping secure more funding for our schools – such as the new Benenden Primary – and recruiting more police officers for key Maidstone town centre locations.”

INDEPENDENT

Yolande Kenward

The constituency’s only independent, Yolande Keward says top of her list of political priorities is bringing the banking crash perpetrators to justice. The 67-year-old, who lives in Melrose Close in the town and stood at the last election two years ago, is pledging to create a safer and better place for children and the sick.

A former Kent Businesswoman of the Year, she says she has spent the last two decades campaigning for more protection of young people and claims to have successfully snared potential offenders via a paedophile hunting group.

She is also demanding the protection of free NHS services, less wasted public money, more effective policing and more challenges to council tax, business rates and planning.

On why she is standing as an independent, she said: “I was a life-long Tory until 2001, when my eyes were really opened for the first time about what they were really doing.”

LABOUR

Dan Wilkinson

Dan Wilkinson is no stranger to the voting system, having narrowly lost out on a seat on Maidstone Borough Council last year by just 24 votes.

The 36-year-old, who was brought up in Marden and educated at Maidstone Grammar School, says his primary focus if elected would be to “alleviate the effects of Tory cuts and contribute to reversing austerity”. Mr Wilkinson has also put the environment at the top of his agenda, aiming to, he says, continue the good work of his party’s group on the borough council, which declared a climate emergency earlier this year. He added: “Labour has brought out a Green New Deal proposal which will be in our manifesto - although we’re only a small group in Maidstone, we punch above our weight.” A warehouseman for 12 years and a postman before that, Mr Wilkinson says he is looking to move in with his partner after the election.

GREEN

Stuart Jeffery

A seasoned environmental campaigner, Stuart Jeffery managed to lobby Maidstone Borough Council into declaring a climate emergency earlier this year. The 51-year-old father-of-one has lived in Maidstone for the best part of two decades and stood in the constituency at the last election, after doing so in Canterbury in 2015.

He is again putting sustainable transport, reducing local levels of air pollution and the campaign for a second referendum on Brexit at the top of his agenda.

Describing the 2019 vote as the election for the climate, he said: “We have deadly air quality in Maidstone, ridiculous housing proposals on green spaces around the borough and a completely lax attitude towards the climate emergency.

“After the continued increase in inequalities Conservatives and Lib Dems have presided over, it is time for a fresh approach to tackle the most pressing issues of our time.”

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

James Willis

James Willis stood in the last General Election in Gravesham in 2017, where he lives with his long-term partner, but is setting his sights on Maidstone and the Weald this time around.

As a councillor, he represented Heath ward for four years from 2014 to 2018 and believes he can translate much of the work he carried out in that period into becoming a constituency MP. The 42-year-old dad-of-two runs his own small printing business but also works as a transport campaigner and has been heavily involved in the fight to improve the town’s rail services as well as other key transport issues.

Mr Willis said: “Maidstone is a good place to live but we need to work together to make it better. I will work from dawn to dusk to obtain improvements to our fine County Town, Maidstone, and the beautiful Weald.”