What the candidates have to say
What the candidates say...
AHEAD of the General Election, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 8, the Echo contacted Loughborough and Charnwood candidates hoping to secure a seat in the House of Commons. The Echo approached all nominated candidates and asked what they are going to do for their chosen constituency.
LOUGHBOROUGH CANDIDATES. David Walker, Liberal Democrat:
“The reason that Mrs May gave for calling for a snap election was that she was worried that the opposition parties might work to frustrate her plan to leave the EU. She is right.
“Parliament will turn against Brexit as the damage becomes more clear, and vote to remain.
“The major damage will be to the University. European Union funding supports EU students who pay fees and buy beer. Projects funded by the EU employ research and administrative staff. Staff and students spend money in the town, which creates employment.
“This loss could be at least £1m a year and the town would really suffer.
“Industries in Loughborough will also be hit. Outside the single market there will be tariffs, quotas etc. and slowly our exports will diminish. We will be poorer.
“The drop in the value of the pound reflects the money markets’ estimate of how much poorer the UK will be.
Lib Dems oppose leaving the EU, and will fight it in Parliament and by the expression of public opinion.
“This is what Mrs May is afraid of, and is why she has called the election.”
Nicky Morgan, Conservative Party:
“In 2010 and 2015 I had the great honour of being elected your Member of Parliament. If re-elected I will con- tinue to be, as I’ve pledged to be since 2005, ‘Loughborough’s voice in Westminster’.
“Delivering Brexit is important but this week shows we need to address and deal with divisions in our country.
“I will continue to secure debates on local issues, take constituents to meet Ministers, and lobby determinedly for investment in our local economy.
“For example, I want to continue my work on mental health, ensuring we really do get fairer funding for our schools and working with local MPs on keeping the Glenfield children’s heart surgery unit open.
“I will continue to run a responsive office. We’ve dealt with over 14,000 cases in 7 years. Although we can’t help with every problem, we consistently try.
“We’ve a truly fantastic community here in our corner of Leicestershire. Every year, I’ve loved being with you at hundreds of events in our towns and villages.
“I will continue to support you with those and create events such as our recent ‘Later Life’ fair.
“In short, as must be obvious, I’d love to continue as your representative in the next Parliament.
Dr Philip Leicester, Green Party:
“For me there are four big issues for Loughborough and the surrounding towns and villages.
“NHS privatisation, creeping charges, and unfair care cost for the elderly must be resisted; I will work hard to fight for an NHS, integrated with appropriate care home and at-home care which are ‘free at the point of use’.
“I’d end the chaos of grammar and free schools, and private sector academies. Let’s rebuild Loughborough’s collaborative ethos, restore budgets and support our teaching professionals to deliver a good school in every community, and offer an inspiring and free education for every child, from primary school to University.
“Climate change is a huge threat; we will work to ween ourselves off fossil fuels and become energy selfefficient using clean renewable energy.
“Instead of villages facing the threat of fracking, we’d invest in our internationally acclaimed research at the University and support local insulation and energy technology industries to create a high skilled local work force.
“Finally the key to delivering a society which benefits everyone is a citizen democracy where all voices are represented.
“This delivers an economy which works for everyone, young and old, paid for by properly taxing the well off and large corporations.”
Dr Andy McWilliam, UK Independence Party:
“Having lived in the constituency since 1983, and in Charnwood before that, I know Loughborough.
“Elect me to replace Nicky Morgan and I will give my all to assist the next government get the clean BREXIT we voted for, the UK outside of the EU and trading freely with the world.
“Barriers to integration into a UK secular society based on British values will be removed, and peaceful religious practice will be welcome.
“UKIP does not discriminate. I support a strict visa system. An independent body will oversee who comes to work here from the whole world with medical and financial insurance.
“I am pro business and jobs for our young people, and will support increased funding for vocational training.
“UKIP will increase the funding for the NHS and social care of £11 billion that we save by cutting the foreign aid budget.
“A new Unitary Council to replace the current three tier system, cutting the number of councillors and reducing executive pay.
“Savings will be directed to social care and road improvements.
“HS2 will be scrapped and the money spent on local railways and bus services.”
Jewel Miah, Labour Party:
“Loughborough is my home, I have grown up in its streets and schools; the people in the town and surrounding villages are people I’ve been talking to all my life.
“In the past few weeks you have been telling me on the doorstep that you like the manifesto pledges that I am standing on.
“There is real hope as I will protect our elderly, making sure they are cared for properly, without the threat of losing their homes, pensions or winter fuel allowances.
“There is hope for our youngsters as I will protect funding for local schools and the £3bn of cuts proposed by the Tories will not be implemented.
“Tuition fees will be scrapped so those going to university will no longer be crippled with high debts.
“The NHS, Police and Housing are also top priorities. The NHS is in chaos and in need of funding and steadying hands.
“Police numbers need to be increased to combat rising crime and threats to our national security and we need the right mix of houses with opportunities for everyone to get on the housing ladder.
“I am proud to be from Loughborough and I need your support on June 8 to be your next MP.”
CHARNWOOD CANDIDATES; Nick Cox, Green Party:
“Everybody has the right to live in decent and affordable homes. For the people of Charnwood, especially the young, we need to improve the availability of affordable homes, whilst protecting the green belt and preserving communities, by bringing empty homes back into use, developing on brownfield sites and improving standards in the rental sector.
“To help the environment we would improve the people’s transport system by investing in regional rail links and reliable public transport. I would also prioritise improvements to walking and cycle routes.
“I want communities to be connected by good transport links with uncongested roads and reliable public transport.
“I think the Green Party’s promise to invest in public services is key to the provision of decent education, free to all our young people, and the improvement of health services and social care to the most vulnerable members of our community in Charnwood.
“We really need to protect the environment in this most beautiful part of the Country.
“We all want to breathe clean air and help tackle climate change. I would make monitoring of air quality a priority.
“A new Clean Air Act would help improve air quality and protect all our areas of natural beauty.”
Edward Argar, Conservative Party:
“Getting Brexit right is vital for our country’s future, and our economy, and is at the heart of the national choice at this election for the UK and Charnwood.
“I fully support Theresa May’s plans to implement the referendum result and deliver a successful Brexit for Britain, alongside delivering more local jobs and the continued strong economic recovery that is essential to fund our public services - the NHS, schools, police and pensions.
“I live locally in Charnwood, and since being elected as Charnwood’s MP in 2015 I’ve been active and accessible across Charnwood, campaigning on key local issues, and working with the whole community to deliver results.
“I’ll continue to fight for a fairer funding deal for our County; to work with the Council to secure further road and transport improvements in our villages; work to ensure the completion of superfast broadband roll-out; and keep up the fight to protect our villages and communities from over-development.
“A vote to re-elect me as your MP on June 8 is a vote for continued hard work locally; five more years of a strong voice in Parliament for Charnwood; and a vote for a strong and effective Prime Minister in Theresa May.”
Sean Kelly-Walsh, Labour Party:
“I’m Sean Kelly-Walsh, Labour candidate for Charnwood. I’ve lived in Leicestershire all my working life and before that as a student at Leicester University.
“I, like many of you, am fed up with the state of our politics. The lies, the hate, the u-turns, the uncertainty and of course, nurses going to food banks and the social care crisis.
“It’s time for real changes that will positively affect all the people of Charnwood.
“It is exciting to see more young people registering to vote. They are the ones who will benefit from the changes I want in education, infrastructure, social care, transport and the public services we rely upon so heavily, as well as the economic, technological and scientific growth needed to make Brexit a success.
“I am particularly concerned about social care. People spend their entire careers paying taxes to keep the NHS free at the point of delivery, from babies through to the end of life.
“Yes it needs more money, but that doesn’t have to be a heavy burden on taxation, the elderly or their relatives.
“We, as a country, need to invest in our futures, but never off the backs of the 95 per cent.”
Stephen Denham, British National Party:
“I would like to halt the continued over-development of Charnwood; it’s fast becoming an urban sprawl (and a suburb of Leicester).
“Air quality in some parts of Charnwood is very poor; this is due to the volume of traffic. Our present government prefers to place the blame on the vehicles, not on the number of people using them. Utter nonsense!
“Many of you would like the street lights back on at night because it gives reassurance when coming home late at night at night and it does deter some criminals. I fully support this.
“One of the main topics at election time is our much-loved health service; I would campaign vigorously on your behalf to stop it being privatised. Big businesses are already cherry picking at it already.
“There has never been so much confusion over people’s utility bills as many people are being ripped off, and the elderly are confused as to who to have as a provider.
“These industries served us better when we owned them. I’m for renationalising the utilities, water included.
“These are but a few of the issues I would like to tackle on your behalf if elected.
“If you want change, then vote differently.”
We invited all the Charnwood candidates to take part. Lib/Dem candidate Simon Sansome declined. There was no reply from Victoria Connor, UKIP candidate