On Thursday, December 12, the nation will go to the polls for the General Election. Here are the four candidates standing for the Bishop Auckland seat. They were asked why people should vote for them
Helen Goodman, Labour Party
EVERYONE who lives here loves Teesdale – the way of life and the landscape. Indeed the fantastic environment is the result of man and nature working in harmony for hundreds of years.
Boris Johnson’s Brexit is putting this at risk – for ever.
Most lamb exports go into Europe – his plan to take us out of the customs union would mean lamb tariffs.
If he cannot do a speedy deal we will crash out on no deal terms in 13 months’ time and the NFU has pointed out tariffs will be 67 per cent.
Tory ministers also want to allow cheap meat imports from the Americas produced to lower standards. I have challenged them 12 times but they have offered no reassurance.
This is why David Gauke, a former Tory Lord Chancellor, describes their approach as “disastrous”.
I worked with Ken Clarke for a common market. He now says he will not vote for this “crazy” crew.
Sir Oliver Letwin has said: “Helen bust a gut to find a sensible Brexit.”
This is why farmers up and down the dale are coming out in support of me. I am not an extremist. I am a moderate.
I love the dale. Vote for me to save the dale.
Dehenna Davison, Conservatives
FOR the past year, I have been gathering your feedback on what your MP’s priorities should be. Here in Teesdale, you’ve told me you’re worried about youth employment, transport and internet connectivity. If you elect me as your MP, I will do all I can to deliver on these things.
You are also worried about local healthcare provision. I am fighting to bring back the A&E at Bishop Auckland Hospital to ensure Teesdale residents are closer to emergency health services, and have already met the health secretary and the Prime Minister about this. I will also fight any further closures at The Richardson and do all I can to preserve our out of hours service.
Brexit is also a serious concern for our agricultural communities.
With the country and our community voting to leave, we absolutely must respect that result, but leaving with a deal will help provide some much-needed certainty. If elected, I will back the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal and help pass it by Christmas, allowing us to move into 2020 focusing on our nation and our community’s priorities.
There is nowhere more beautiful than Teesdale, and it would be the greatest honour to become your MP.
Ray Georgeson, Liberal Democrats
IN 1972, I was at school in Stockton when the Conservative Government took Britain into the EEC.
Three years later, the people voted 67 per cent yes to staying in Europe in a referendum. Mrs Thatcher later took Britain into the single market, with British civil servants being primary architects of it.
Our role in shaping the EU has been important and we have been influential members. This election is the Brexit election. Liberal Democrats have a positive plan for a brighter future for Britain, with investments in health, education, young people, infrastructure, green energy and more, using in part a Remain bonus available if we stop Brexit and start to grow our economy again, rather than face recession and economic uncertainty with the Conservatives’ Brexit. We must deal with the running sore of Brexit. The best deal available is the one we already have – membership of the EU. The national public view has moved back to Remain these past two years, fuelled by the knowledge of what Brexit will mean for jobs, health and security. My position is clear and unequivocal – if elected we will Stop Brexit and start work straightaway on building a brighter future.
Nick Brown, Brexit Party
TALKING to local voters, I’ve found that the overriding local issue is a discussion taking place across the country; the question about the relationship between a constituency MP and their constituents, and whether an MP votes according to their own beliefs or the perceived wishes of their electorate.
Brexit has highlighted our incumbent MP’s voting record and its disconnect with the majority of voters in the Bishop Auckland constituency. If elected I intend to definitively answer this question by pledging to vote in Westminster solely according to the wishes of constituents rather than based on my own beliefs. I will make available an app which will allow local voters to easily indicate their preferred stance on single issues. Once a quorum has been reached I will then vote accordingly. This is a radical departure from how we currently interact with UK politics and moving towards more Direct Democracy will allow readers to feel more engaged in politics and less as though their views are unwanted and unheard. Until we make this leap we’ll continue to get the career politicians we deserve and be doomed to forever vote tactically rather than in accordance with our actual wishes.
