WE at the Journal have asked each of Salisbury's election candidates some questions in the lead-up to the general election on July 4.
So far, we have spoken to:
- Barney Norris from the Green Party
- Victoria Charleston from the Liberal Democrats
- Julian Malins KC from Reform UK
- Climate Party's Chris Harwood
- Conservative MP John Glen.
- Labour's Matt Aldridge
Last but not least is Independent candidate King Arthur Pendragon
Why should people vote for you?
The People of Salisbury deserve a Champion who represents them. Not this Party or that with hardly anything between them. All regurgitating the same thing with varied tweaks here and there. Saying on the whole what we want to hear, and promising with very dodgy sums how they can find the money to deliver.
I can’t promise to make your life better with a stroke of my magic wand, but I can promise to make your representation in Westminster more interesting, fighting for the NHS, More Social Housing, fairness, The environment, personal freedoms and above all common sense. Unlike the Party member I can promise to support a good idea and oppose a bad one whichever side of the House or Party it come from.
What would be on your to do list on day 1 and what would be your top three priorities going forward?
Once I’d ‘found my feet’ I would let them know why I’m there. To represent the people of the Salisbury constituency, First, Last and Only. And to look them in the eye and tell them, We have had enough of their self serving antics and their belief in a New World Order which will effectively give up our sovereignty to un elected International bodies..
My top three priorities going forward would be;
What’s wrong ?
Who’s got the Best ideas ?
How we going to fix it ?
What are your policies on climate change / net zero?
Support what needs doing and oppose what does not. My Environmental and Green Credentials are well documented but I will not support ill thought out or half-baked unattainable ideas, just for the sake of it.
What do you think needs to be done to fix the NHS, especially with regards to NHS dentists?
Something definitely needs doing I will support any party that comes up with a decent answer, that reduces the amount spent on management and invests in clinical staff. Too many broken promises have been made by successive minister regarding investment and Like many people in Salisbury I rely on the NHS and can not get an NHS dentist apointment.
Is housing a priority for you?
It is quite apparent by the question that we all know something is drastically wrong, around the nation and here in Salisbury.
There is not enough social housing and what stock remains (after the introduction of right to buy) is often far below standard, successive governments have sold us on the idea that home ownership is the ‘holy grail’ of the housing market, even though, likened to wealth, when we shuffle off this mortal coil, we can not take it with us, yet we should all aspire to join. Personally I, like many others, pay rent and am happy to do so. I would rather have a roof over my head than not, but new builds are often completely the wrong type in the wrong place and this top down approach of artificial and unrealistic targets placed on local authorities by national government is not always helpful.
As we have all seen on the TV debates and read in the national press. There are some good, heart felt ideas coming from each of the Parties, and if I may be so bold, some bad, and some downright stupid and dangerous ones as well. Unfortunately, we as electors, can not pick and mix.
I on the other hand, as an Independent, can. Only an Independent, free of the Party whip may support a good idea or, conversely, oppose a bad one - whichever side of the House or party it comes from.
They are all promising what we want to hear but none of their sums add up. And we are not as naive as they believe, and we see through their empty promises, I can’t promise to make your life better with the stroke of my magic wand, but I can promise, should you send me to Westminster, to make your life more interesting and less bland, standing up for civil liberties, fairness, the NHS. More social housing and the environment but more importantly common sense solutions whoever comes up with them, and always putting you first.
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