WE asked each of the candidates standing in the City of Durham constituency five questions to help you decide who should get your vote and here are their responses:

Jonathan Elmer (Green Party)

The Northern Echo:

1. What are the key local issues facing your constituency, and how would you address them?

1. Impact on the City Housing market of Durham University expansion
It’s vital that the university reigns back it plans for major future growth, and seeks to accommodate more students in its own colleges rather than relying on the private housing market to accommodate expansion. In addition, Durham County Council needs to rigorously apply their planning policy aimed at preventing further conversion of homes into student accommodation.

2. Construction of a Ring Road around Durham City
Labour’s County Durham Plan will have huge impact on cultural and ecological heritage around the city, as well as resulting in greater car use at the very time we need to be reducing carbon emissions. It needs to be stopped, and in its place the Council need to invest in better public transport, infrastructure for walking, cycling, and workplace / school travel planning.

3. Green Belt Development

Labour’s County Durham Plan proposes to build houses on the Durham Green belt.  These are expensive executive homes when we need homes for older people.  They will create car dependency and isolate people who are too old to drive.  The plans should be scrapped and instead the Council should build homes across the County in areas of greater economic need than Durham City.

2. Leave, remain or second referendum - what is your stance on Brexit, and why?

Greens support a people’s vote where options will be to leave with a negotiated deal or remain. We will campaign to remain as we see tackling Climate Chaos as the absolute top priority, and the only way to do this is through working in partnership with our European neighbours. A united Europe will also be able to exert more leverage over other nations with regards to this matter.

3. Should people be prepared to pay additional tax to fund improvements in public services, like the NHS?

The tax burden on ordinary people with an average income has already been increased by the Tory and coalition governments in order to fund decreases for high earners and the super wealthy. Instead Greens would seek to ensure the very wealthy paid their fair share. In addition, we would seek to ensure large corporations and the very wealthy are unable to avoid tax through use of offshore tax havens. This approach would considerably increase income to the exchequer and enable improved public services.

4. High streets are struggling - what would you do to rescue them?

Greens would introduce planning policy to reverse the growth of out of town shopping centres and destinations. These create car dependency and draw custom out of town centres. We would also invest heavily in public transport and infrastructure for walkers and cyclists so that customers can more easily access town centres.

5. What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?

The Northern Powerhouse needs to recognise the climate reality and stop promoting airport expansion. It then needs to invest in the regeneration of city, town and even village centres specifically targeting barriers to business growth, for example, business rates and sky high rental values of retail properties. The Northern Powerhouse also needs to support entrepreneurial individuals, ensuring that people with great business ideas are able to get the support they need to see their idea realised on the ground.

Mary Foy (Labour)

The Northern Echo:

1. What are three key local issues facing your constituency, and how would you address them?

I worked in the communities around Durham for years, so I have seen first hand the problems that people are facing in the constituency. The Government has neglected Durham for too long, so some of the key issues that I will deal with are the lack of affordable housing and jobs in the constituency; the cruelty of the benefits system, and making sure that public services and schools are as good as possible. This needs a strong advocate for the area, who can work with a whole range of people and stakeholders, which is what I intend to do.

2. Leave, remain or second referendum – what is your stance on Brexit, and why?

Only Labour has a fair and democratic Brexit plan. In the first three months of a Labour Government, we will continue negotiating a good deal that will protect worker’s rights and the environment, and then put this back to the people as a clear choice between leave with a deal or remain. This is the only fair way to deal with this issue in an inclusive way, rather than the Tory’s no-deal Brexit and the Lib Dems undemocratic aim of revoking Article 50. Brexit started with the people, and it is only fair that it ends with the people.

3. Should people be prepared to pay additional tax to fund improvements in public services, like the NHS?

We all rely on public services such as the NHS, but this isn’t the only area that is struggling. We have seen falling numbers of police officers, fire services under strain, care homes stretched, and council services being cut. Labour’s plan is to make sure that all these services are properly funded and supported and in fact under Labour, 95% of people won’t see any increase in tax, but it is fair that higher earners pay their fair share for these services that, regardless of income, we all need at some point in our lives.

4. High streets are struggling – what would you do to rescue them?

High streets are the heart of our communities, but we’ve all seen more and more empty shops across the constituency. I will work with local businesses and the council to push for more investment in our high streets, as well as looking at other uses for empty shops, such as start-up businesses and community spaces and making sure that other issues, such as anti-social behaviour, are dealt with. I’m determined to make sure that Durham City, and our towns and villages have vibrant, healthy and welcoming high streets, and will be doing all I can to deliver this.

5. What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?

Simply put, it needs time and effort. Rather than being fancy buzzwords, we need to see proper investment and democratic control in the North East, real effort to create more jobs, increase housing options and improve transport links. I want to make sure that Durham is at the forefront of this. I want to protect the environment and attract thousands of the new jobs created by Labour’s Green New Deal; make transport services more accountable to the communities they serve; push for more investment in industry in the region and improve the quality and type of housing in the area.

Amanda Hopgood (Liberal Democrats)

The Northern Echo:

1. What are the key local issues facing your constituency, and how would you address them?

Lack of education funding - we would invest capital in school buildings that are no longer fit for purpose and employ 20,000 more teachers, ring fence increased investment for youth services.

Protect the NHS - make sure the NHS and social care are properly funded, add 1p to Income Tax threshold from 20p to 21p, treat mental health with the same urgency as physical health.

Climate emergency - ensure all new cars are electric by 2030, substantially increase for funding for buses to create more sustainable modes of transport, ban on single-use plastics.

2. Leave, remain or second referendum - what is your stance on Brexit, and why?

Liberal Democrats position is clear in the event that we win a parliamentary majority in this election we would revoke article 50, if we have less than this then we would continue our campaign for a People's vote, something we have tabled 17 times in the last parliament.

3. Should people be prepared to pay additional tax to fund improvements in public services, like the NHS?

Yes, the NHS has for too long been used as a political football, we propose to fund additional spending by adding 1p onto the basic rate of income tax, this would then be ring fenced for the NHS and social care. We also propose to set up a cross party convention and an independent monitoring body on health funding.

4. High streets are struggling - what would you do to rescue them?

We would expand the Future High Streets Fund. We would replace Business Rates in England with a Commercial Landowner Levy based solely on the land value of commercial sites rather than their entire capital value, thereby stimulating investment and shifting the burden of taxation from tenants to landowners.

5. What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?

The Northern Powerhouse needs not only investment but to recognise that the North extends beyond the M62 corridor. For too long politicians have talked about the North only in as far as Manchester and Leeds, there is a vast amount of England between there and the Scottish borders which has for too long been neglected. I would ensure that I would be Durham's voice in Westminster, standing up for what we need to ensure that everyone in this country has equal opportunities not just those closest to London.

Harvey Morgan (Conservative)

The Northern Echo:

1. What are the key local issues facing your constituency, and how would you address them?

Residents feel that the Labour Council aren’t working for our communities. It is only a Conservative MP who could offer a truly independent voice and hold the elected Council to the highest standards and scrutiny. Secondly, I would lead a task force made up of representatives from retail, landlords, local businesses, local government, and those in the tourism and culture to re-energise our high streets. My third goal is to ensure that our hospitals get the investment they need. I’m supporting plans for a new A&E at Dryburn and the new chemotherapy unit, transforming care for those with cancer.

2. Leave, remain or second referendum - what is your stance on Brexit, and why?

As a Conservative candidate, I have already agreed to support the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal if I’m elected which will be passed by 31st January if we have a Conservative majority. That means we can move on with our priorities and end almost 3 years of frustration. In the referendum, I voted to Leave the EU because, although I am a proud European, I believe a Global Britain has huge potential with a new type of partnership with the EU without being restricted by it.

3. Should people be prepared to pay additional tax to fund improvements in public services, like the NHS?

With the tax burden at all time high and I don’t believe that hard working people should pay more than they are. I believe that more money in people’s pockets leads to stronger economic growth which can then pay for world class public services. We have grown the economy by nearly 20% since 2010 which means we are in a stronger position to afford and invest in our public services while committing to freeze taxes over the next 5 years.

4. High streets are struggling - what would you do to rescue them?

The high street is one of my top 3 priorities for Durham and I believe that a fully rounded approach is what’s needed. The biggest complaints I hear from shoppers are the price of parking and the range of shops on offer. We must do more to attract different types of retailer to the city as the balance is tipped heavily towards the bars and restaurants rather than attractions or shops. Any expansion needs to take into account our carbon footprint and alleviating the amount of traffic through our city centre must be addressed to improve the air quality, particularly towards the east side of town. We are also looking to review business rates which will help our smaller independent businesses most.

5. What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?

We rank low for the number of Small/Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who are the job makers so we need an environment to support small businesses and work with the university to ensure that we keep the brightest minds in the area so that the students feel like this is somewhere they would want to live and work rather than just spend three years of their lives. All that needs to be supported by a modern transport system and we need to push further than the Northern Powerhouse rail upgrades.

Lesley Wright (Brexit Party)

The Northern Echo:

1. What are three key local issues facing your constituency, and how would you address them?

1) Constituents say the impact of 18,707 students and the consequent demand on housing has high, negative impact. They feel the council doesn't listen to their concerns and favours students and landlords over ordinary taxpayers.

2) Drug and alcohol related crime on North Road. Constituents don't feel safe and feel it puts off tourists. Again, they report the council has done little to address this or ANY issue but can find money for pet projects such as the new County Hall.

3) The NHS waiting times, plus retention of good doctors and nurses who prefer to work where the research and medical hospitals and universities are. Rigorous consultation, funding and working with the university and authorities are required to fully address concerns raised by constituents.

2. Leave, remain or second referendum - what is your stance on Brexit, and why?

Leave. The answer is very simple. It's because democracy demands it. The establishment in Westminster and the EU have together, worked tirelessly to ensure the democratic mandate of 17.4 million voters, the biggest in our history, is denied. They have disenfranchised the voters who put them in parliament and the very people entrusted to uphold democracy are the ones denying it. Democracy is a core value of the UN; we only have to look at Hong Kong to see what happens when it is attacked. We voted to leave and democracy demands that we do.

3. Should people be prepared to pay additional tax to fund improvements in public services, like the NHS?

Some constituents said yes but many more said no. When asked why, they said they thought it would be wasted money. I tend to agree. To be sustainable the NHS needs reform from top to bottom; waste, overpriced medications, other resources, health tourism, all cost too much and savings could be spent to relieve pressure on overworked staff. We also need to educate and support people to take better care of themselves; obesity for example, is a major cause of diabetes, heart disease, joint replacements etc. costing billions.

4. High streets are struggling - what would you do to rescue them?​

The Brexit Party announced plans for zero taxation on businesses outside of London months ago, well ahead of other parties. We need a 21st century vision and to accept that to increase footfall on our high streets, people want more than the shopping experience of the past. Bringing the arts, entertainment, business/office space etc., offers people a different high street experience. Free parking and more park and ride facilities may also help to attract more visitors.

5. What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?​

The Northern Powerhouse needs several things to make it work. First, Westminster needs to acknowledge the neglect the North has suffered for decades and begin investing in the North with regular, fair funding to boost our businesses and industries. If we are to attract and retain the best minds, Westminster must show that it believes the North can succeed and be an attractive place to live and work. Rail and transport links must be upgraded to 21st Century standards and the university must work with others to ensure more startup businesses so that graduates want to stay.