GE2019: Q&A with candidates for the Darlington constituency

Monty Brack (Independent)

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

Pensions. Pensions are not a benefit but a right, and the UK is lagging behind the rest of Europe in this regard. I am deeply concerned about changes to pension provision for women. I would seek major state pension reform that is fair to both men and women, and which provides for a higher standard of living – in line with pension rates in other European countries.

Housing. The provision of housing is one of the core responsibilities of any government. Waste and inefficiency at local government level often contributes to this and local people are denied a say as to the future of their towns and villages in terms of construction.

We should freeze immigration and bring demand for housing under control, and legislate so that local people are prioritised in the provision of social housing.

Thirdly, the economy, both locally and nationally. The economy is the driving force of any country. I would look to bring jobs to the area such as a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange based at Teesside Airport with associated warehousing in conjunction with PD Ports, end foreign aid except in emergencies and close the Department for International Development, cancel HS2 and ensure that the welfare state and NHS is available only to those who have contributed to the economy for a period of five years.

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

My Brexit stance is leave. I would withdraw from the European Union without further delay, ensure that the UK does not remain a member of the single market or customs union in name or in practice, repeal the European Communities Act if necessary and either keep EU legislation or remove it from British law, as when and where practicable, ensure that there are no further payments to the European Union following withdrawal, ensure that full UK border control is restored, ensure that full UK control over fishing and agriculture is restored, retake the UK’s seat at the World Trade Organisation, ensure the UK is free to trade on its own terms across the world and work with fellow Europeans to bring about the end of the European Union.

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

I would implement the following so we would not need to look at increasing tax to fund the NHS: Audit the NHS – the British public deserves to know where NHS money is being spent and who is profiting from it, end the privatisation of the NHS and introduce reversals where possible, incentivise NHS senior management to target waste, subject hospital chief executives to public scrutiny via a Public Sector Accountability Act, end health tourism – all visitors and migrants entering Britain will have valid health insurance, ensure that only those who have lived and worked in the UK for a minimum of five years are entitled to NHS care (except emergency care), bar Members of Parliament from profiting from NHS contracts, ensure that a sufficient proportion of NHS funding is directed at the provision of services for those suffering from mental health conditions, scrap car-parking charges and penalise patients who fail to attend outpatient appointments without valid excuse.

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

Looking back over my life in Darlington I have seen when one cafe opens another one must close, the same was said of shoe shops and jewellery shops etc. We need to look at best practice, and not too distant York has a vibrant shopping centre. It owns and rents out a lot of the shops , the rents are often much cheaper than the equivalent in Darlington, It also regulates how many of each type are allowed so they don’t get too many vape, nail bars and cafes etc.

What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?

Local government and the combined authorities are the driving force of the towns and cities that people live in; and as such, it has the power to influence major aspects of everyday life. I am concerned about waste in local government and the combined authorities, as well as value for money. This applies also to policing, the NHS, the CPS, and other major public sector bodies. Far too frequently, police chiefs, local government officials, and NHS executives fail in their basic duty and are not easily accountable to the public. And must be made accountable

Jenny Chapman (Labour)

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

Excessive development of green spaces. Darlington is a beautiful town and it’s great that people want to come and live here. I’ve lived here for 40 years and have seen plenty of changes over that time. I worry now that the plans for expansion are over the top and that local infrastructure won’t be able to cope.

Pressure on emergency services. Durham Constabulary has lost 476 officers under the Tories over the last ten years. Waiting times at our hospital are growing and our fire service has been cut too. I think that we have reached the point where residents, whether they’re victims of crime or elderly patients, are losing confidence in services. On a local level I have worked with voluntary organisations such as food banks and Rape Crisis to pick up some of the pieces, but the long-term answer lies in a change of priorities from the government. We need fewer tax breaks for those earning over £100,000 per year and more investment in our public services.

Supporting schools and children. The Government has stolen £20m from Darlington schools. My kids are at Darlington schools and I’ve seen the effect this has. It is unfair and harms our children’s futures. When children in Darlington are waiting over 70 weeks for specialist mental health assessments which is cruel and unfair and 35 per cent of children in Darlington are living in poverty, it’s a change in approach from the Government that is needed.

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

I promised I would respect the result of the referendum which is why I voted to trigger Article 50. I had hoped we could agree a sensible withdrawal agreement which would honour the outcome of the referendum and reflect how close the vote was. Nearly four years later the country is utterly divided, and any responsible MP would want to find a way to bring the country back together. The only way to heal the division is to say to the nation, "is this deal what you wanted?". Some people no longer care about how we leave, but others who voted to leave are deeply worried about Boris Johnson’s approach. The only fair way to sort this out is to give the public the final say. That way we get this sorted finally and fairly.

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

I think those earning over £80,000 per year should pay a higher rate on some of their earnings. It is brilliant that more and more of us are living longer, but this means that more of us will develop conditions such as dementia. I don’t want to live in a society where those who can afford it get the best care and others who need help go without. Our tax system needs to be fairer so that pubic services such as the NHS are properly supported for the benefit of everyone. The whole country benefits from educating our young people well, not just those with children, and I believe the same applies for services that protect us from crime or care for us when we’re sick.

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

Darlington town centre is fighting back hard against store closures and job losses. Our town centre needs to become more than just a place to shop. It needs to be a place to go for culture and company. Events such as food festivals and live music performances are vital and must become even more regular. Business rates are causing real issues for high street retailers and need to be reviewed. We also need to put a stop to Crown Post Office closures and ensure libraries are preserved for future generations with free wi-fi. We must bring back national library standards to protect these services. We also need to level the playing field in the competition between online and traditional retailers by ensuring that the internet giants pay their taxes like other retailers have always done.

What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?

The Northern Powerhouse brand is tarnished by years of inaction. To make things worse, residents of London have more than £419 more per person spent on transport that us in the North. This is completely wrong. We need a Local Transformation Fund for the North-East to be used exclusively to fund infrastructure projects decided at a local level. Labour will increase and expand local bus services which the majority of people travelling by public transport rely on to get to work.

Anne-Marie Curry (Liberal Democrats)

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

Lack of funding for schools and the hospital. The Lib Dems would put funding back into schools and hospitals. We would raise extra funding putting a penny on a pound on income tax. This money would be ring fenced for the NHS.

Poverty is also a big issue in parts of Darlington as a Lib Dem I would fight to have our policies to tackle poverty as follows. Investing £6bn per year to make the benefits system work for people who need it and reducing the wait for the first benefits payment from five weeks to five days, introducing a principle of universal access to basic services, starting by building 100,000 social homes a year, ending rough sleeping and bringing in a new legal right to food, making work pay by increasing work allowances and introducing a second earner work allowance, reforming Universal Credit to be more supportive of the self-employed, increasing Local Housing Allowance in line with average rents in an area, abolishing the bedroom tax and introduce positive incentives for people to downsize, ensuring that everyone gets the help they need by separating employment support from benefits administration and increase spending on training and education, introducing an incentive-based scheme to replace the current sanctions system, which does not encourage people into work, penalises people with mental health issues and deters people from claiming support, reversing the cuts to Employment Support Allowance for those in the work-related activity group and end Work Capability Assessments and replace them with a new system that is run by local authorities and based on real-world tests.

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

Remain – we would like to revoke Article 50 if we get a majority. If we don't get a majority we will campaign for referendum on the deal. I personally would like to see three options or more on the ballot and we vote by preference 1,2,3. This will be the way to bring the country back together as more people will use their second vote for the winning option.

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

The Lib Dems have said there will be an extra penny on the pound on everyone's income tax which will be ring-fenced for the NHS. This is a sustainable way to increase the funding needed to meet the growing need for the NHS and it will help to keep it free at the point of use so yes I do think working people should contribute to improving the NHS.

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

Create a new start-up allowance to help those starting a new business with their living costs in the crucial first weeks of their business. Support fast-growing businesses seeking to scale up, through the provision of mentoring support. Prioritise small and medium-sized businesses in the rollout of hyper-fast broadband. Require all government agencies and contractors and companies with more than 250 employees to sign up to the prompt payment code, making it enforceable. Ensure that the company at the top of a supply chain cannot abuse its position to shore up its own cashflow at the expense of smaller suppliers. Expand the activities of the British Business Bank, enabling it to perform a more central role in the economy by tackling the shortage of equity capital for growing firms and providing long-term capital for medium-sized businesses. Provide a supportive framework to develop social enterprises – businesses with a social focus rather than a profit motive.

Expand the rights and benefits available to those in insecure forms of employment, such as offering parental leave and pay to the self-employed. Finance the transformation of town centres by expanding the Future High Streets Fund. Help protect our high streets and town centres by scrapping the rule which allows developers to convert offices and shops into residential properties without planning permission.

What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?

To realise there is more North than the M62. They also need more funding and better consultation with the regions to find out what their priorities are and help them to achieve them. The North needs a far better infrastructure between ports and businesses.

Peter Gibson (Conservative)

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

Darlington is fantastic town with a great history and I believe a bright future. We need to make improvements to our infrastructure to ease congestion, reduce emissions and make transport work for us, that's why I'm backing a bypass to link Great Burdon roundabout with the A1, completing our "ring road".

Darlington has suffered from unplanned development and the lack of a local plan has led to over development in parts of the town. Working with the local council I want to see a local plan that works for local people with the right numbers of houses being built with the proper infrastructure in place to support them.

Underpinning everything we need to do we need to have a strong economy, giving everyone the opportunity to work, and contributing to the funds that enable us to invest in public services such as our schools, our precious Memorial Hospital, with more police on our streets.

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

We need to get Brexit done, the people of Darlington have been let down with their previous representative refusing to respect the referendum and backtracking on her manifesto commitments. Darlington deserves to have its voice heard that why I am backing Boris Johnson. Leaving the EU presents a huge opportunity for our net exporting region, with its airport saved by Ben Houchen, with its access to Teesport, and with our phenomenal engineering, manufacturing, petrochemical, and growing tech sectors we can trade more widely and more freely with the rest of the world.

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

As a Conservative I will always believe in lower taxes, enabling people to choose how they spend their money. However by growing our economy, supporting businesses who invest by employing people, who invest in research and development, and who grow our economy, tax revenue will increase. It is essential that we do invest in public services, and after a decade of the nation tightening its belt after the failure of Labour economically, we are now levelling up school funding, committing £33.9bn to the NHS and putting more police on our streets. It is right that we invest in education, our health service and our police service.

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

Darlington punches above its weight, we are blessed with hundreds of independent shops and businesses in our town centre, and this was very visibly celebrated at the recent Love Darlo Awards which I was delighted to attend. Reducing the highest car parking charges in the Tees Valley, attracting new businesses here to developments like Feethams House, restoring the market to its rightful home, supporting high street shops with rates reduction, long overdue rates reforms to level the playing field with online businesses and introducing more housing to our town centre to eliminate dead zones together will all help. We need to become more attractive to visitors, we need to promote our amazing architecture and heritage, we need to capitalise on nearby developments which can attract even more visitors, and Darlington needs an MP who will be its ambassador, selling a positive story of this great place.

What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?

As a proud Northerner, born in the Tees Valley, where my family live and work and where I have built my business, any effort by Government to right the balance and see more investment in the north, to unlock our energy and potential has to be a good thing. Northern Powerhouse is a concept that that huge potential, but needs greater profile for the projects and infrastructure and investment that it provides, with more Conservative MPs for the North, and from the North I am confident that Northern Powerhouse will be badge that we will all come to celebrate. As the new MP for Darlington I would see my role as arguing, lobbying and campaigning for more investment here every step of the way, and working hand in hand with Ben Houchen and our new Conservative Council, Darlington can be a a beacon of what the Northern Powerhouse means on the ground.

Dave Mawson (Brexit Party)

We are awaiting a picture of Dave Mawson

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

The NHS availability in the area is concerning with, access to GPs and specialists difficult. With a notably high level of those that need support from health workers from carers to consultants being left to wait more often too long, my efforts to impact will begin here. Firstly understanding the issues at grass roots and then to action changes with effective outcomes. I have worked in a well-run Royal Navy Hospital as a medical assistant, I understand the challenges and believe a return to some old values may not be a backwards direction.

Typically and sadly unemployment is another issue affecting the people of Darlington across the board and will be on my list to create opportunities with some new ideas to approach the problem in youth unemployment such as easy access to apprenticeships. I believe in an adjusted format those older unemployed could benefit from a similar solution in order to change career direction. Aiding new start businesses with zero business rates and mentors for success, offers another possibility to tackle the challenges of unemployment like the need for food banks and health issues.

Infrastructure for access to development must be visited before storming ahead on projects, listening to constituents and acting on their behalf, treating them with respect and hearing their desires for the town and acting upon those requirements.

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

Leave, I am standing for The Brexit Party, I believe wholeheartedly that once separated from the EU, we can thrive as an independent nation. With fortitude and commitment I can see a brilliant future for all sectors of our economy and better lives for our proud and diverse population. I also want to see democracy delivered with honesty and integrity, as I said above, as MPs I believe you have no right to override the desires of your constituents no matter what your personal thoughts, if you agree a vote is the right way to get a way forward you must deliver on the result.

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

Yes, I’ve believed for 20 years that those that can afford it could pay a further 3p in the pound income tax with 1p going to NHS, education, policing and prisons but it must be the whole penny with no siphoning along the way. There is a proven correlation in my opinion that good health, good education and a well controlled community delivers prosperity. Darlington can be a beneficiary of these good practices.

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

As you are aware from my previous answer, I would support the Brexit Party contract with the people and cut interest rates on the high street and allow small businesses a profit amount that doesn’t attract corporation tax. I’d go further and say that commercial landlords should not charge VAT on rent. I have been a small business owner and know how difficult managing costs can be to survive. I was fortunate in that all my involvement with business has been reasonably successful but I’ve seen far too many fall by the wayside when with some new thinking and support they could have had different outcomes.

What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?

Transportation links that encourage both movement around the Northern regions and improved links to cities and ports across the UK. Investment encouraged into production businesses, services and technical development companies. Securing funding to encourage companies into the region by offering attractive and effective well developed work forces sourced from local areas and well appointed specialists. Introduce proven businesses with the capability of both national and international success in the worldwide market place.

Matthew Snedker (Green Party)

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

Excessive development: the Draft Local Plan has a housing forecast that is far too high. Review and reduce the housing need figure inline with Government calculations.

Traffic congestion and pollution: invest in excellent, well-connected public transport and segregated, prioritised walking and cycling routes to provide better, healthier and cheaper alternatives to driving.

Austerity and cuts to public services, including the NHS: restore funding through simplifying income tax, closing tax loopholes and changing the way property and land are taxed. The introduction of universal basic income will reduce poverty-related conditions and cost the cost of administrating benefits claims.

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

This General Election will not solve the Brexit turmoil. Power struggles inside the Conservative and Labour parties caused three years of delay. To crash-out without a deal would be the most damaging option, a half-way deal would please no-one. The best deal is the deal we already have but ripping up Article 50 and pretending the referendum never happened is indefensible.

There is work to do to improve the EU and we will always oppose a European super-state. The only solution is a People’s Vote with remain option to remain a member of the EU.

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

The Green Party has bold plans to restore the NHS. We will increase funding by at least £6bn per year, each year and invest a further £1bn a year in the nursing bursary for education. We will roll back the 20 years of privatisation in the NHS. This will be paid for through simplifying income tax and closing tax loopholes, taxing income from wealth at the same rate as income from work, introduction of the Land Value Tax,, restore corporation tax to the European average of 24 per cent, a further £29.4bn of savings will be generated from other manifesto commitments.

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

Our plans to make big businesses pay their fair share of tax will level the playing field for bricks and mortar retailers as will the moratorium on any new out of town retail parks. We will abolish both business and non-domestic rates a we move to a Land Value Tax. The investment in excellent, well-connected public transport and segregated, prioritised walking and cycling routes will make in-town shopping more affordable and attractive. We will prioritise the building of new homes on brown field sites which will revitalise town centres as they become living towns once more.

What does the Northern Powerhouse need to make it work?

We will be moving to a carbon neutral economy over the next ten years. With our engineering and innovation heritage we are perfectly placed to take advantage of the new businesses and employment that transition requires. The cost of breaking the climate will be too much for anyone to pay.

For the North to benefit, we need a vision of a just transition, where everyone benefits from the new economy, not just the rich, the clever or the lucky. The Green Party will deliver the vision of an economy that restores not destroys, an economy for the common good.