Your election candidate guide
WE are just a matter of weeks away from the General Election.
You may have just been to the polling station to choose your county councillor, but you’ll be called back there again next month.
This time you’ll be voting for the MP you would like to represent your constituency for the next four years.
Residents in the Nuneaton, Arley and Hartshill areas vote for an MP to be elected for the Nuneaton constituency.
So who will you have to choose from? Here is a roundup of the candidates who have so far announced they are standing to represent Nuneaton in parliament.
NUNEATON Conservative: Marcus Jones
Marcus has said the need to improve the town and create more jobs is a priority.
He said: “The recent cut in business rates and the £7.5 million the Conservative Government is investing locally will help but we need better roads, more school and GP places and a secure future for our local hospital, to accommodate the burden created by the failed and inappropriate planning policy of the local Labour council.
“With your support, Nuneaton will help strengthen the Prime Minister’s hand as she negotiates Brexit.”
Labour: Philip Johnson
Philip Johnson is running for Labour in Nuneaton and is focusing on the NHS, schools, adult social care and employment.
He said: “I am standing for election as the Labour candidate because I believe that Nuneaton needs a strong local voice in Parliament. The people of Nuneaton have been badly let down by the last seven years of Conservative government.
“Nuneaton needs more investment in jobs and economic growth but is being ignored by a government which focuses on the needs of London and the south east and ignores regions like ours.”
Green: Chris Brookes
Stockingford resident Chris Brookes has been inspired by his wife and family’s experience of working in the NHS to try and do something to help the health service.
He said: “I wanted to stand for the Greens because I believe that our society has become very unequal and that the Green message is important to changing that.
“I believe that it is vitally important to save the NHS from further cuts and to get private money out of it. Not one penny of NHS funding should go to profit.
“My wife and most of my family work in the NHS so I know what life is like on the frontline and how the hardworking staff have suffered erosion of their wages thanks to the wage freeze.”
Lib Dem: Richard Brighton-Knight
Dr Richard Brighton- Knight, who lives in the Camp Hill area, will be the Liberal Democrat candidate for Nuneaton at the election next month and is campaigning to represent interests of remain voters.
He said: “For me it is important that we have a fair society, which supports us when we need it and opens up opportunities for us. Public services, such as schools and hospitals, and a strong economy are key to delivering this. Voting reform is needed to ensure that our democracy responds to every voter.
“I will be campaigning and making the case that anyone who wants to avoid a disastrous hard Brexit, keep Britain in the single market, and who wants Great Britain to remain
open, tolerant and united, the only party to vote for is the Liberal Democrats.”
UKIP
The Nuneaton UKIP group has been contacted but has not responded to a request for confirmation of the candidate standing in the general election.
Here’s the candidates who have so far been announced for North Warwickshire and Bedworth. Conservative: Craig Tracey
Craig was elected as MP for North Warwickshire in 2015 and is re-running for the seat this year.
He said: “Obviously I am delighted to have been reselected by local residents, it is a tremendous honour to have been able to represent my home community in Parliament for the last two years.
“This election comes at a crucial time for the UK with positive negotiations with the EU needed. Locally, I am asking for the opportunity to continue my work for residents fighting against HS2, promoting local jobs and apprentices, protecting our green belt and making our roads safer.”
Labour: Julie Jackson
The Labour Party has selected Julie Jackson to contest the North Warwickshire seat. If elected, she would be the first female MP for this constituency.
She said: “This is an election between a strong woman and a weak man. And I am not talking about May or Corbyn. This is about getting the best local MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth. I am a strong, straight talking, moderate, traditional Labour woman.
“The Conservatives have insultingly called me a Corbyn candidate. I am my own woman and I take orders from no man. I will be an independent thinker, who puts local people first. If the polls are right and the Conservatives stay in gov- ernment, I believe Britain needs a strong opposition - not a blank cheque for the Conservatives. I want to play a part in building a stronger Labour Party after this election.”
Green: Keith Kondakor
Keith Kondakor is running as the Green party’s candidate in North Warwickshire.
He said: “For the general election, my big topic will be funding the NHS instead of vanity projects such as HS2. We need to improve our railways by doubling the frequency of local trains, reopening stations and reducing fares.
“We also need to stop sucking funding out of vital bus services. Far more people still use buses than trains but they get little help. The big local topic will be the two crazy local plans, which are driven by the National Planning Framework.”
Lib Dem - James Cox
James Cox, 21, has been selected by the local party to challenge the North Warwickshire seat.
He said: “The Tories have become so obsessed with making a mess of Brexit that they have let services in North Warwickshire bear the brunt of their incompetence.
“Health and social care services have been cut to the bone. It’s a scandal. Young people don’t have any confidence in the future the Tories are offering.
“Their voice has been ignored on Brexit, their education is being used as an ideological experiment and their aspirations are being destroyed.
“At this election, we have a chance to change the direction of our country. The choice doesn’t have to be between nastiness and incompetence. If Labour won’t or can’t take on the Tories, then we will.”
UKIP
The North Warwickshire UKIP group has been contacted but has not responded to a request for confirmation of the candidate standing in the general election.