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Banbury Candidate Statements
03/07/2024
Unsure who to vote for? Read what the Banbury constituency candidates have to say to help you decide
The statements below have been supplied by the candidates to help you decide which one will get your vote. The polls are open between 7am and 10pm tomorrow (Thursday)
Liz Adams – Liberal Democrat
Every vote for myself and the Liberal Democrat team is a vote for an MP who will be a local champion, available to listen and fight for a fair deal for the new Banbury constituency.
I am campaigning for our health services to be properly funded with improved access, for real action to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and for better care of our environment, in particular stopping sewage dumping and holding Thames Water to account.
The Liberal Democrats have seen growing support in the new Banbury Constituency. Just a few weeks ago, we gained three more council seats from the Conservatives. We’ve formed a new Lib Dem led executive on Cherwell District Council and strengthened the Lib Dem led executive on West Oxfordshire District Council. I have been out speaking to hundreds of people on the doorstep over the past few months and it is clear they have had enough of the Conservatives. Labour is also offering little to progressive voters, still refusing to back proportional representation and refusing to scrap the two-child cap on child benefit which has worsened child poverty in the UK. People are ready for real change; the Local Lib Dem team and I are ready to speak up for them.”
Locally, we have seen the impact of the Conservatives damaging decisions and lack of action on our NHS. I am campaigning for a review and reversal of the decision to reduce services at the Horton, including the closure of the obstetrician-led maternity unit. The Liberal Democrats have a fully costed £9 billion strategy to invest and improve in healthcare, and to make sure everyone can get access to an NHS dentist. It is appalling that locally, parents are now struggling to get NHS dentists for children due to the pressure dentists have been put under. I am fighting for the Liberal Democrat plan to invest in other public services to benefit Banbury constituency, including campaigning for a police front desk to be reopened in Witney. Our plans to support local businesses will also help to reinvigorate our high streets and enable new community facilities to be created.
I am also very passionate about SEN and disability provision in education and I have worked for many years on national policy to tackle domestic abuse. I am a family and education law barrister and have experience representing people at some of the most difficult times in their lives, and of representing some of the most vulnerable people in our society, including children at risk. I have seen first-hand just how damaging the impact of poverty is on our society. I will not be afraid to stand up for residents and fight for improvement.
It is almost certain that we will have a Labour government now. On Thursday 4th July, residents in Banbury Constituency will be voting for who they want as their local MP. I will work hard to represent our communities and work closely with the local Lib Dem-led councils to put residents first.
Arron Baker – The Green Party
Chipping Norton has been my home for over 20 years. During this time, I’ve worked at the national level and operated a local business. Married with grandchildren, I understand the pressures working families face and the daily struggles we encounter. My son works in the NHS, and my daughter is a teacher, giving me a firsthand perspective on the challenges in our public services and education system. We live in one of the richest countries on the planet, yet nurses use food banks, children’s schools are crumbling, and affordable housing is out of reach for many. The climate emergency continues with global temperatures expected to reach at least 2.5 degrees Celsius.
We need immediate action to rebuild our NHS, ensuring residents have rapid access to GPs, NHS dentists, and mental health services. Increasing funding, restoring pay for NHS staff, and prioritising preventive care will reduce waiting lists and improve health outcomes. The Green Party is committed to these goals, understanding that the wellbeing of our healthcare professionals directly impacts the quality of care patients receive.
Affordable, energy-efficient housing is crucial for Banbury, Chipping Norton, and surrounding villages. The Green Party’s Right Homes, Right Place, Right Price Charter will deliver affordable housing, protect green spaces, reduce emissions, and tackle fuel poverty. This charter emphasises the creation of 150,000 new council homes each year, built to the highest environmental standards, ensuring that everyone has a safe and warm place to call home.
For renters, the Green Party promises transformative changes. We will introduce rent controls on private tenancies to reflect average local income rates and maintenance costs. This ensures that rent remains affordable and fair. Additionally, we will end no-fault evictions and support community-led housing initiatives, making it easier for private renters in Houses of Multiple Occupancy to buy and run their homes as housing co-ops.
Agricultural heritage can thrive under the Green Party’s vision for fairer, greener food and farming. By working with farmers, we aim to produce healthy, nutritious food at fair prices while protecting our environment. We will triple support for farmers transitioning to nature-friendly practices, improving biodiversity, and reducing river pollution.
Improving public transport is essential. We pledge to increase subsidies for rail and bus travel, provide free bus travel for under-18s, and invest in cycleways and footpaths. Reliable and affordable public transport will reduce our carbon footprint and make commuting more accessible and sustainable for everyone.
Additionally, the Green Party will abolish tuition fees, making higher education accessible to all and ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent our young people from reaching their full potential.
These initiatives are part of the broader Green New Deal, which aims to address climate and social crises simultaneously. This comprehensive plan includes investments in renewable energy, public transport, and sustainable agriculture, ensuring a greener and fairer future for all.
Real hope requires real change. With the Green Party, we can achieve this vision for everyone, creating a society where healthcare, housing, and education are accessible to all, and our environment is protected for future generations. Together, we can build a community that truly reflects our values of equity, sustainability, and compassion.
Cassi Bellingham – Indepedent
Don’t vote for me!
This might be the only time you ever hear a candidate say you shouldn’t! Or more accurately you shouldn’t vote for me if my values don’t align with yours. After 14 years of disastrous Tory rule, I think we all deserve better than a tactical vote; the vote to get rid of the worst of 2 evils. The boundary lines in Banbury Constituency have been redrawn, meaning we are a brand new entity which all the political parties will be paying close attention to. Now more than ever it’s vital that we vote to our values and communicate clearly to those in power, which policies are the most important to us.
The cowardice of our political class in failing to tackle the blatant profiteering that is destroying our public sector and seeing us sell arms to war criminals is unforgivable.
I’m running on a Socialist platform of public ownership, industrial just transition and ethical internationalism. If that aligns with your values then I’d be glad of your vote. If it doesn’t then make sure your views are heard, not buried in a tactical vote. The Tories are toast, no matter which way you vote. We can afford to be brave and take risks at this election. It’s not a horse race; you don’t have to back the winner.
Chris Nevile – Climate Party
The major issues of interest to me:
Housing : We need a greater supply of lower cost housing without compromising on sustainability and be fit for the future. Developments should have clean energy infrastructure (Southill Community Energy project in Charlbury is a great example) and access to areas where people can play sport, grow fruit and vegetables and foster community engagement.
NHS : My family and I have experienced the great services of local medical and Horton Hospital staff. The problems of funding and delivering that are the same across the country and we need to separate vital current spending to improve day to day service and a longer term plan to make the NHS fit for the next century. This needs to be cross party and open to calm apolitical debate.
Schools: I would like to see Ecology, Food and Sustainability as part of the mandatory curriculum. If we teach our children what constitutes a “sustainable life” we equip them better to lead healthier ones.
Employment: I would like to see greater investment in our Technical Colleges and Apprenticeship schemes. This would provide better qualified workers for local businesses. Local construction and infrastructure projects need many thousand of workers right now and in the future.
Local Rivers : Dumping raw sewage and other pollutants in our local rivers must stop and be part of county wide environmental action.
I believe that nothing is more important for Banbury and Britain than delivering a better environment and a clean energy revolution. We have a plan to achieve this. Amazingly none of the other parties do.
If you agree, send the message by voting Climate Party.
Victoria Prentis – Conservative
I was born at the Horton General Hospital and have lived in the area with my family ever since. I am so proud to have represented Banbury at Westminster for the past nine years and have always been a vocal supporter of the area I call home.
The Horton is my top priority. Since I was elected in 2015 I have focused on making sure we have quality healthcare that is kind, safe and close to home. I have fought hard for key services to remain at the Horton and put pressure on the local NHS Trust to make sure the maternity unit is safe for expectant mothers. It is important that we retain and grow local health services at both the Horton and the Chipping Norton War Memorial Community Hospital.
Ensuring children have the best start in life is very important to me. I will continue to speak up for fairer funding and investment in school facilities. I am determined to see improvements in special educational needs provision. Other priorities include improving our public transport network and getting the council to fix our potholes, rather than wasting your council tax on projects that make driving more expensive. I will be your voice on housing, slowing down the pace of development so that our infrastructure can catch up and so we can protect our beautiful countryside. My family has long farmed locally. I know that food production and environmental sustainability go hand in hand and I will continue to campaign for this balance.
We have achieved a great deal, but there is more to be done. We have seen record investment and very low unemployment. I have a strong local track record and a secure plan for our future. I want to continue representing you and make sure your voice is heard in Westminster.
Declan Soper – Social Democratic Party
Britain is broken. I was born in 1997, right when Labour under Blair, promised “things can only get better”; 27 years on, I feel like I must’ve missed this memo. Successive governments headed by the two major have only offered limp managerial solutions to Britain’s problems. However, the SDP, with our Homecoming Manifesto, promise a bold and ambitious future for Britain.
Here are just some of our pledges:
We will re-nationalise the “natural monopolies” of gas, electricity, water, and rail.
We will establish a British Housing Corporation which will be responsible for building 100,000 new social houses per year, much needed for our young people who are struggling to move out. There will also be a moratorium on buy-to-let mortgage that price out those with little.
We will cut net migration down to 50,000 a year; 750,000 that we saw in 2022 is an unsustainable figure and we can’t go on like that.
We will encourage and nurture home-grown British industry, which will supply jobs and boost our struggling economy.
Paul Topley – Reform UK
Despite record levels of debt nothing seems to work properly anymore. Immigration is out of control and the smuggling gangs make a mockery of our border forces. Our water companies pollute our seas and rivers whilst paying massive dividends to overseas shareholders. They too have huge debt and a creaking infrastructure.
Those promoting the woke agenda have saddled our hardworking public servants like nurses and teachers with huge amounts of box ticking which eats into time that should be spent on the front line. Our forces have been pared back so hard we would struggle in any conventional war as currently taking place in Ukraine.
Like everyone else I have become totally exasperated with the malaise we find ourselves in. Then I read Reform UK’s policies, and they are like a breath of fresh air. They are just good old fashioned common sense which is what we’ve all been asking for during these years of Conservative infighting and mismanagement.
Raising the starting point of income tax to £20,000 whilst reforming the benefits system will help millions of economically inactive people back into work that benefits their mental health as well as their bank balance knocking onto a gain for society in general.
The Tories have failed and a lurch to socialism is not the answer. That is why I not only joined Reform UK but put myself forward to stand to help get this great country of ours back on track!”
Paul loves his fishing, shooting and following football and cricket. He is a keen cook and grows his own fruit and veg as he strongly believes in eating locally sourced, in season produce.
Thirty years ago, he founded Churches Fire & Security and from a standing start, by working with people, creating a culture of involvement and positivity, rewarding hard work he built in into one of the largest national fire protection servicing businesses in the UK today employing over 500 people. Seeking a fresh challenge, he sold the business and stood down from the board.
Paul lives with his partner Amber and their Vizsla Lacey. Amber is a governor of the local school and volunteered in a food bank for seven years. Paul’s 22-year-old son Alex lives with them when not at Uni and his 28-year-old daughter Emilie is a medical writer.
Sean Woodcock – Labour
After 14 years of decline under successive Conservative Prime Ministers, it’s time for change.
I am proud to call Banbury my home and as your Member of Parliament I will work tirelessly for the people of Banbury, Chipping Norton and the north Oxfordshire villages.
People are tired of being let down by a Conservative government that is out of ideas and no longer serves the interests of the Country. It is clear that people are ready for change and Labour is ready to deliver.
But we can only deliver change by delivering a Labour victory here. At the last election, Labour received more votes than the Liberal Democrats and the Greens combined. A vote for anyone other than Labour, increases the chance of 5 more years of Conservative decline and more of the same.
As a Banbury lad, nothing would make me more proud than to have the opportunity to serve as your Member of Parliament.
Banbury has so much potential particularly great transport links and proximity to drivers of economic growth in the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.
Yet it retains significant deprivation while lacking vital infrastructure and seeing services close, in the case of Banbury courthouse, or be downgraded in the case of the Horton Hospital. The Tories have let Banbury down.
The downgrade of our hospital on her watch should be a stain on the record of Victoria Prentis. I know that fighting for the Horton Hospital is vital to our community and I’ll do everything I can to make sure that it gets the investment it needs to support everyone here.
Banbury deserves a representative for it in Westminster, not the other way around and that is what I am determined to be.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam