Meet the Candidates, Opening Statements #WNEhustings

This is a paraphrase of the opening statements from the candidates at tonight’s Wolverhampton North East Hustings  at St Thomas’ Church in the order that they were given.

Labour – Emma Reynolds

Thanks to you all for coming out to the hustings and thanks Nick for hosting this evening – I have been your MP for the last 5 years – it has been a privilege to serve my home down. I have 3 reasons why I want you to vote for me in this next election.

1. I have prioritized bringing overstatement and jobs into the area. I was behind ventures such as JLR and I’ve been badgering the current government to regenerate our city centre, particularly the train station.

2. The NHS – I want to see the NHS deal with the challenges that we face. with a growing population and people living longer the NHS is under pressure. Our party has a fully costed plan to protect the NHS going forward and indeed we have a 10 year plan on the NHS going forward, We are also looking at integrating NHS and social care so we have a whole person approach to the NHS.

3. I a passionate about making sure we have a more equal society. I don’t want to live in a country where people have to rely on food banks. We want people to feel the recovery in their pockets, not in dry statistic,

UKIP – Star Etheridge

I moved to Wolverhampton a few years ago. I grew up on a council estate not have much of anything and I have worked my socks off – taking all the help I could all the way to graduate as a solicitor. I have 3 children and a foster son. I am a disability advocate as I’m sure you can see why (referring to her wheelchair)

My key policy that is in out manifesto is scrapping the work suitably assessments – it will come from your doctors. My party has pledged £3million to the NHS for more doctors and nurses etc. We dont have enough midwives in our local hospitals.

Our polices are fully costed, we will scrap HS2, we will leave the EU and we will stop giving aid to countries where the aid isn’t reaching communities but going into the politicians pockets.

We have also said we will close no more special schools.

Conservative – Darren Henry

I spent a lot of years in the military and now I run a business that employs over a 1– people and growing. I think as an MP it is important to work for local communities. Crime is down in E & W by 25% since 2010 so our communities should start feeling safer.

We have cut the deficit in half in the last 5 years and the key to this is employment and I know the subject of poverty will come up – and I think all of us here want to do something about that. he conservatives want to work towards tackling at source.

We have introduce free schools, one of my daughters is at a free school absolutely eamazing head mistress – and I am a governor at that school – so now I’m thinking about the future for my children

If my children what to get a job, there are more jobs, more apprenticeships. There are no caps on University entries

Lib Den –  Ian Jenkins

It is good to see that the old habit of coming long to public meetings at general elections is coming back, thank you for coming along this evening. I am originally from Abergavveny, but have lived in Wolverhampton for years – my children went to school here and I run a business in Wolverhampton.

My politics in based on my faith, I am a Methodist. We are all gods children, whether that be people washing up on beaches, or living on benefits.

The constitution for the Liberals says in all things put freedom first and that’s what I’m a Liberal. but I also believe in Social Justice, Fairness for everyone.

There are those that say hat we should end austerity now – I wish it could be done, but the sooner we can wipe out the deficit the soon we can enjoy the growth, which in 2.5 years we can.

I am proud of the work we have done in this government.

Green – Becky Cooper

I am standing for green party and I have lived in Wolverhampton all my life and Wednesfield for teh last 17 yeasr. I have worked stacking shelves, cleaning toilets and now I’m a teacher.

The green party will stop 0 hour contacts and raise the min wage to £10/hour by 2020.

Why am I satisfying I live around here I want to feel safe, I want to know I have access to good quality free health care when I need it. and  I want job security and I want that for my students

We are told that austerity is not an option but it is. 5 families in the UK are worth more than  millions of  citizens – so we want to get serious about collecting tax.

I would prefer not to have a shiny new train station but a publicly owned railway. And for us fracking is not an option. We will scrap HS2 and the bedroom tax.

I will fight to stop the unnecessary cuts to our public services.